Chương 81: BtWB Book 2 Chapter 4

It took an additional two hours before the group could finally be convinced. During this period, Bob largely exhausted all the material from his planned 'sales pitch' in an effort to win them over. Doing his best to mix logical arguments with attempts to relate to their humanity in hopes it would allow the crowd to recognize his own. To unanimously negative results. In fact, rather than helping, each attempt only succeeded in making them trust him less.

His claims of formerly being human alone almost resulting in weapons being drawn; the line apparently echoing a rather popular 'bogey man' tale from the area. Though luckily one featuring some manner of undead, rather than a magical construct. Bob otherwise doubting things would have stopped at just threats. Eventually however, it steadily became apparent that they simply had no other choice; the beetles continuing to surround them on all sides while members of their group grew weaker by the minute.

Even then, most only agreed after one of the humans finally decided to brave going inside him; the man being retrieved a minute or so later to report that Bob's internal environs appeared safe if mildly claustrophobic. Though, much to his embarrassment, apparently smelled heavily of rotting seafood. In a small stroke of fortune however, the man previously holding him found this to be a positive sign; believing it gave some credence to his claim of possessing fresh water.

Something the group were clearly in dire need of, if their sagging forms and chapped lips were any indication.

'Davin' being brought on board also proved to be the breaking point for the majority of the others; even the more argumentative members of his troupe eventually agreeing there just wasn't a better alternative. Thus, slowly began a series of oaths being taken and sapient creatures being swallowed. There were multiple complaints about both aspects, but Bob refused to budge on the first, and obviously couldn't do anything about the second.

The process became increasingly stressful for him as time went on, able to 'feel' people wandering around within him, but forced to keep his attention focused outward as he 'processed' the rest of his passengers. Finally, however, after a multitude of arguments and last-minute hesitations, it was all finished up. Davin disappearing within him to leave Bob standing alone in a ruined outpost; his stationary form surrounded by hundreds of dead beetles.

Though those, at the very least, had actually been quite useful; the total number of F-rank kills during the course of the day actually leveling his newest class. Which was handy, because he needed access to all the extra mana he could get. According to Davin, the nearest 'Node protected village' was a little over two-weeks travel away; it being back the way they came from, deeper into the mountains. Which gave him two weeks to convince at least one of his passengers of both his humanity and relative morality.

Or at the very least to gather enough information about the greater world from them to start making some long-term plans. Admittedly, the apparent collective dislike of intelligent monsters – or 'abominations' as they seemed to refer to them as – put a slight damper on his hopes of someday rejoining human society. And, were he to continue being frank, his first impression on the group currently resting in his belly probably hadn't been the best; Bob never having been great in awkward social situations.

Still, he now had time to correct both issues. And what better way to do so than to try and be the best host/hostel he could be. Starting by ensuring his guests had access to fresh water and delicious seafood delicacies. With a thought, Bob activated 'Sub-Dimensional Sight', determined to get a good start on operation: Kill Them with Kindness. Hoping against hope that all his efforts would at the very least buy him a measure of neutrality with the locals.

Because if they didn't, then his plans going forward were going to get much more complicated. And potentially far more morally… murky.

As he suddenly appeared in a dimly-lit wooden room, Davin first gasped, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his crew all standing around him. A good bit of the man having expected all of this to have been some long, humiliating trap. The monster slowly portioning out hope of survival as some sick method of flavoring its food. Hell, he wasn't completely certain that still wasn't the case.

After all, he had no idea how to get any of them out of here without the mimic's assistance; something which was preying far more on his mind now than it had earlier.

"Everyone get down okay?" He forced himself to ask as he stared around at the large, rectangular box they'd agreed to be trapped in; noticing as he did so that the smell of rotting shellfish was far less noticeable than he'd expected. Of course, that might also be due to the odor of nearly two dozen exhausted and sweat-soaked humans and goblins now filling the confined area.

"Yeah, no worr-" Elra started to say, before she and everyone else suddenly started in place. All being silenced by an odd 'sizzling' sound coming from the far corner. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Those closest to the area jerked back even as he and his second quickly moved forward; though Davin wasn't sure what either of them thought they'd be able to do.

At this point it had been made abundantly clear that they had no chance of actually defeating the creature; the power needed to create this room alone being beyond his comprehension. As they neared the source of the noise, he bitterly expected to see stomach acid or corrosive bile starting to pour from the walls as his prior suspicions were proven true. Instead, he was stunned to see those same walls visibly recede; wooden panels disappearing as a narrow stairway began to form before his eyes.

Davin hesitated for a moment as he tried to decide how best to respond to the situation. His mind struggling with whether he should even engage with the creature now that it had them in its clutches; especially over something that didn't seem to be doing them any harm. A part of him feeling like the less direct contact they had with it, the lower the chance something 'went wrong' during their transport to safety. Something Elra apparently wasn't quite as concerned with.

"Oi! Box!" his second in command screamed at the top of her lungs, clenched fist pounding away at the nearby wall with a force that made him flinch.

"Wanna tell us what the hell you're doing before you start making the walls melt away!? People are a little high-strung in here!" Her actions gave proof to the last point at least, hand continuing to beat against the wall even after she finished her demand; each impact feeling to him like it would be the one to activate their 'contract' with the monster. And he apparently wasn't alone in that thought; what with the section of wall being abused suddenly disappearing before her next blow.

The seemingly defensive action followed by a familiar but still slimily unpleasant voice once more filling the air.

"I apologize if my actions startled anyone, but I was simply attempting to connect you to a source of food and water as previously promised. Afterwards I'll be creating a series of latrines to allow you all to relieve yourselves, before I'll unfortunately be forced to cease construction for the day; my current mana reserves only going so far." Davin tried to think of a reply to give for the creature casually modifying the surrounding world as if it were made of clay, but found himself coming up empty.

His second in command appearing to find herself in a similar situation this time; Elra still staring at the divot in the wall where she'd previously been slamming her fist with a sort of terrified awe. Eventually, the monster seemed to take their silence as answer enough; the haunting voice continuing on.

"Afterwards, I'm afraid I won't be able to communicate for a bit while we're traveling; my consciousness unable to remain in both dimensions at once. If there's an emergency however, go ahead and pound heavily on one of my walls three times and I'll know to pop back in. Otherwise, I'll check on you sporadically to ensure that everything's fine and to try and better your living conditions. Speaking of, please do your best to think of what improvements you'd like to see happen first!

By the time we reach the village, I'm hoping to have this place be so comfortable that you won't want to leave!" The final, overly saccharine statement had Davin's blood turning to ice in his veins; but he forced himself to smile and nod at the apparently intangible entity. One which from here on out could be amongst their number at any time without them knowing. That could be listening in on every conversation, every spiteful comment, and every yearning or nostalgic tale of home.

He had already made a deal with the creature to give it 'basic information', but if he had any say in it, that 'information' wouldn't include the locations of their hometowns or any of the major human cities. As it was, he felt terrible for selling out the people of Peakspass, but he'd more or less panicked when the monster asked where the nearest town to drop them off was.

He'd have to quietly inform the crew that they weren't to speak aloud unless prompted; and that they were to avoid conversations about home or local Nodes at all costs. The chances were seeming more and more to him like they weren't going to survive this thing; but at the very least they could prevent themselves from further endangering anyone else. Outside, again, the people of Peakspass. Who were probably fucked.

He tilted his head to share a brief glance with Elra, before turning around to begin distracting and comforting the rest of the crew with a show of confidence. Though it might be minuscule, he didn't want to screw up any chance of the creature actually following through on its word due to an unruly subordinate. Once the tunnel down was finished, he'd set up a schedule for gathering water and whatever 'food' the thing was providing them with; as well as one for watches during the night.

They'd do their best to keep busy and to act as if this was a perfectly safe and reasonable situation. Right up until the moment that – inevitably – it proved itself not to be. At which point, they would all make out as best they could.

Vru watched as the humans huddled in on one another, whispering secrets and commands alike as they tried to pretend they weren't at the monster's mercy; as if they hadn't been at its mercy for the greater portion of a day now. The other members of what were previously Maruk's holdings huddled in a corner across the way; obviously trying to go unseen by all and sundry.

Previously Vru would have been with them, numbers offering safety when it came to picking for punishments; and thus, some degree of comfort in stressful situations. However, given the death of their previous master and her own decision to die rather than returning to a life of slavery, it felt like a habit best abandoned. Besides, their current host was full of such curious things.

What appeared to be a small coin pouch wiggled frantically in her hand as she slowly brought it to eye level; Vru's head tilting slightly as she stared at the monster. Those left behind in the small hole at her feet crawled and clawed at the walls in an attempt to clamber out. That is, except for the one sitting dead-still and staring at her with a singular, hate-filled eye. Her quickly deciding that it was going to be her favorite. She couldn't wait for the rest of the group to eventually find them.

Anticipating numerous worried looks and quiet discussions on how they were brought here to be fed to the thing's 'young'; or some other such nonsense. Not that Vru herself could tell you what the mimic's actual reason for saving them was; the one given by the monster feeling too absurd to actually consider. Still, abominations were known to do stranger things. Or, she supposed it might be more accurate to say they were known to be'stranger things'.

Vru remembering tales her grandfather used to tell about horrors like 'Goloh, the Hungry Wind' and 'Rast, the Coiling Ember'. Monsters of bizarre form and function that had defined the eras they'd existed through; their deaths still celebrated even now. Her wondering what kind of abomination this 'Bob' would turn out to be.