Elanore stared at the open chest with glittering eyes. There was a small pile of golden coins and several pieces of jewelry, but the thing that caught her eye the most was a certain mana core. As well as a small dagger.
[Epic: Forsaken Carno Mana Core - This Carnotaurus mana core comes from the boss of the first Forsaken Dungeon.]
[Epic: Carno-Tooth Dagger - A dagger made from the tooth of a carnotaurus. On its own, it's not very sharp or impressive, but it's known for ease of enchanting. ]
The vampire picked up the mana core. "The key to my lingering caffeine withdrawal is right here!" She rubbed it against her cheek like a mother would to her baby. "I will have all of the energy drinks!"
Elanore put the items in her inventory, along with the jewelry and gold pieces. She had no idea what use a dagger would be for her, but she shrugged. Her collector spirit would not allow her to leave anything behind.
"What now, mistress?"
As if to answer Naela's question, the doorway under the stairs opened to a strange portal. It was swirling and black.
Ella looked towards the stairs, noting that each of them ended at the top. They didn't connect to an adjoining hallway or anything. She looked at the chandelier on the ground, and that too turned into particles of mana.
The vampire looked ahead at the swirling entrance. "I guess there is only one way to go. Maybe this leads to the next floor of the dungeon?"
Naela shrugged. "I have no idea, mistress, but I am starting to get hungry."
Elanore smiled and pointed towards the swirling entrance with her staff. Naela nodded, and the two walked forwards.
Passing through the entryway brought the same feeling to Elanore as when she first entered the dungeon, only this time she expected to appear on a new floor. Perhaps one filled with goblins or some other kind of monster, yet that didn't happen at all.
Her eyes widened, and she took in the entrance of the dungeon. Once again, she was standing at those ruins, and once again, she was looking down a flight of stairs. Talk about deja vu. Only, there are no cars, and the only place we drifted to was back to the start.
Though, there was a difference. The thin barrier that protected the entrance before was gone, and she could see inside. The vampire rushed down the flight of stairs, arriving at an alter.
She looked down at the stone tablet, finding an inscription of words.
So it was that the lowly Forsaken were banished, and their leaders could not be found.
The vampire picked up the tablet with a frown. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?"
Naela shook her head. "I have no idea, mistress. I can't even read that."
"Huh?"
"This isn't written in any tongue that I know."
"Wait, are you serious? Do you even know how to read?"
Naela frowned, her face turning red, and she stomped on the ground. "Of course, I know how to read! I am not like those other wyverns with no skills to speak of!"
The wyvern cutely turned her head away and crossed her arms.
Elanore composed herself, fighting off her urge to laugh. "I am sorry. You're right. You're no lowly wyvern. You are the servant of the strongest in the world."
Naela turned her head back cautiously towards her mistress with one eye open and one brow raised. "And?"
"And you are cute!"
The wyvern's face flushed yet again, and smoke plumed from her nostrils. She turned away from Elanore and stormed up the stairs, exiting the fallen dungeon altogether.
Ella didn't rush to follow after her right away. She looked down at the stone tablet with narrowed eyes and a wrinkled brow. I really don't understand this at all. Mysteries aren't my strong suit. What if I just...[Inspect].
[Legendary: Tablet of the Forsaken Goddess - One of few tablets of the Forsaken Goddess. Inscribed with words delivered from the Goddess Herself. ]
The vampire's eyes widened. "I see, but this just adds more questions! Why would she leave a tablet in a place like this? And what does this have to do with dungeons!?"
All around Ella, the ground began to vibrate, and stone dust started to pour from the ceiling. Rocks began to fall away from the roof of this strange religious site. I get it, I get it! You want me to leave! I am going...Sheesh.
She held onto the brim of her hat like she was some kind of grave robber and ran up the steps. When she finally arrived at the surface, she pocketed the tablet into her inventory.
Turning around, she watched as the ruins collapsed in on themselves. The vibrations from the fallen tunnel caused the ground to shake beneath her feet. And even the pillars on the surface fell as if their age could no longer support them.
Naela placed a hand on the witch's shoulder. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything!"
The wyvern clicked her tongue. "You expect me to believe that? Look at this place, mistress!"
"I promise. I really didn't do anything. It must have been this Forsaken Goddess." Elanore gazed at Naela's face, but she didn't see any trace of concern or anything similar from the wyvern's face. I guess it's not that scenario.
Instead, Naela looked confused and tilted her head. "Forsaken Goddess? Is that supposed to mean anything?"
Elanore shrugged and sighed. "I have no idea. I thought you would know something or have a different reaction."
The wyvern shook her head. "I have never heard of such a being. For one thing, I don't know who would forsake a goddess. Doesn't that sound backwards? Mortals are the ones to be forsaken by a goddess, not the other way around."
"Now that you mention it…"
Though, no matter how much Elanore's mind pressed on the subject, she didn't have the brain capacity to figure it out. Even if she could, she didn't have the information. Ultimately, she shrugged.
"Well, it doesn't matter for now. I got my goodies from that chest, and I got an extra ominous stone tablet to go with it! That's all that matters! Pretty soon, we will be swimming in energy drinks."
Naela chuckled. "It makes me relieved to see that your mind is like this sometimes, mistress."
"Are you calling me dumb!?"
The wyvern didn't answer. She simply stuck out her tongue before running off into the forest, away from the witch.
"Get back here!"