As they chatted, the group arrived at the room marked with a 28. Brat unlocked the door, and they went inside to look around. Everyone seemed satisfied.
The room was a little over thirty square meters and fairly clean, with no strong odors. It had two large beds, a full set of tables and chairs, and a washroom in the corner. There was no flush toilet, but it had a faucet and a drain, so they could flush it manually.
Anse nodded, relatively pleased.
Given the living conditions and security, five silver coins really wasn't expensive.
He walked into the washroom. A small, cracked mirror hung opposite him, reflecting a striking face. His ash-brown hair shimmered silver, and Dragon Scales glinted faintly beneath his skin, giving it a subtle metallic sheen.
Is this me? They'd been in such a hurry on the way here that this was the first time he'd seen his own face.
No wonder Land didn't recognize me. I have traces of the original, but I look like a completely different person.
He was tall and long-legged, with a straight, well-proportioned build. His features were sharply defined, yet together they gave him a gentle air and an indescribable warmth. His black eyes were dark and deep, full of mystery, with a magical allure.
The word "charisma" had taken on a tangible form!
Anse marveled to himself. My Charisma has changed so much.
After admiring himself for a while, he finally returned to the room.
Brat was sorting through the spoils they'd just won through Intimidation. It was the group's first fight since forming.
There was a decent suit of chain mail, a tabard, three low-grade gems, 37 gold coins, 41 silver coins, and over a hundred copper coins.
"That's a bit paltry," he said, unsatisfied.
"It's not bad," Anse replied, bemused. The disaster had struck without warning; staying alive was already a feat. How many people had managed to bring all their possessions with them?
"You handle the money." Brat's expression was serious. "Since we're a group now, we need to set some rules. We can't divide the spoils based on how we feel."
"What do you have in mind?" Anse wasn't familiar with this sort of thing, and neither had the original been.
Finn quietly came over and listened closely. He'd lived in the wilderness before; how would he know about this?
Brat considered it for a moment. "Every group has different rules. A lot of things affect how they're set..."
Generally speaking, spoils were divided according to contribution. Intelligence, experience, combat ability, and how much someone helped the team were all important factors.
Mages who knew many spells and could solve all sorts of problems usually didn't join Adventure Groups. But when they did, they were bound to get a few privileges, since they had so many ways to deal with trouble.
After discussing it for a long while, they finally decided that Captain Anse would take half of their adventure earnings, while Brat and Finn would split the rest. The group would cover their expenses on adventures.
The spoils they acquired during actual adventures and battles would also be adjusted according to each person's contribution.
Anse picked up the Scale Mail Tabard and pointed his staff at it. With a brief incantation, the bloodstains and grime vanished instantly, leaving it as good as new.
It was the Cantrip Prestidigitation, which could create sensory effects, play with fire, clean or soil things, make magical marks, and create objects. Its effects weren't powerful, but it was very useful.
"You can have the Scale Mail Tabard. At eighty percent of its market price, let's say... 40 gold coins. I'll put it on the books for now, and you can make up the difference once you have the money. We'll use the rest to buy supplies and won't distribute it yet. How does that sound?" Anse suggested.
"Sounds good..." Neither of them objected. It was standard practice.
The key to dividing spoils was "everyone agrees beforehand" and "settle the accounts immediately afterward." Leave things unclear, and sooner or later it would cause trouble.
Once they'd divided the spoils, Anse stretched out on the bed and relaxed. A wave of exhaustion washed over him; the fight at the bridgehead really had taken a lot out of him.
"Let's rest for an hour."
"Okay..."
Anse casually brought up his character panel. His magic was less than half full, and his experience had reached 827/900. He was about to level up.
Leveling up is so fast at the beginning.
He closed his eyes and began to meditate.
They'd said they would rest for an hour, but nearly two hours passed before they gradually woke. Though the earlier fight had been brief, it had taken a lot out of everyone.
Anse rubbed his head. The magic around him seemed more chaotic than before.
Since gaining Magic Control, his perception of magic had grown increasingly sensitive. He was certain he wasn't imagining it.
"Huh. That's strange."
He took out his pocket watch. The hands had just passed four, but outside the window it was as dark as dusk.
"It's a bit stuffy. It might rain."
As soon as he'd said that, a flash of white lit up outside the window, and thunder roared overhead.
Brat fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "I wonder how many people are going to die."
Tens of thousands of people were crammed into a district that had originally held only a few thousand. They lacked food, water, and shelter. How could the frail withstand a downpour?
Anse understood how he felt. When his country had suffered a devastating earthquake in his previous life, he'd burst into tears just watching the videos. People might talk tough when arguing online, but how could they not empathize when their compatriots died?
But this was another world. Though he'd inherited the original's scattered memories, he found it hard to think of the others as his compatriots. Besides, Baldur's Gate was home to many different races—not just humans, but Half-elves, dwarves, Halflings, Dragonborn...
He shook his head and put those thoughts aside. "Let's buy some supplies and see if we can sell this stuff while we're at it."
He kicked the bundle. Most of it was heavy weapons and armor, and Brat had had a rough time carrying it all this way. If they'd known, they should've borrowed a handcart from the Old Cleric.
"Come on, let's go! Maybe we'll find something good." Brat perked up immediately.
He wasn't just saying that. Anse had discussed it with him before: the Weave was in disarray, and natural disasters had arrived. The wealthiest group of spellcasters had lost most of their ability to cast spells. Whether by choice or by necessity, some of the good things they owned were bound to end up on the market.
"Take all the valuable stuff with you. The rooms aren't safe," Brat warned. "Don't put much stock in the reimbursement promise. They'll reimburse you if they catch the thief. If they don't, you get nothing. Still, most people wouldn't dare steal here."
"Understood."
The group locked the door and headed downstairs with their things. As soon as they stepped into the guild hall, a piercing alarm rang out across half the district.
"They're fighting! They're fighting! Underdark Creatures are attacking Flame Fist Fortress!"
The hall erupted into commotion as the Adventurers hurried outside.
Anse frowned. Something felt wrong. The northern approach was wide open. Why would the Gray Dwarves insist on attacking Flame Fist Fortress head-on?
They left the hall, but the main road was packed. Flying Dragon Bridge wasn't far away, but the guild was directly south of the towering fortress, so they couldn't see the fighting to the north.
"Have your animal companion take a look." Anse patted Finn's arm.
"Mm."
Finn's gaze went blank as he contacted Gray Hawk and sent it to scout the situation.
The Beastmaster subclass of the Ranger could summon a Primal Beast, which could be a Land Beast, Sea Beast, or Sky Beast. The beast bore the mark of Primal power and was far stronger than an ordinary animal.
If a Primal Beast died, its master could revive it or summon another one.
Finn's Gray Hawk could fly and had Darkvision, making it excellent for scouting during the day. But it usually flew very high, or creatures like Mosquito Bats might target it.
"The district and the bridge are full of Underdark Creatures. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands. No siege engines. The fighting isn't intense..." Finn described the scene in fits and starts, his voice tinged with shock.
"They got here so fast?" Anse's heart skipped a beat. The Underdark was connected to the human world, but bringing up a large force was no easy feat.
"Didn't you say resources were scarce in the Underdark? How can it support so many creatures?" Brat asked, puzzled.
"The upper levels of the Underdark are all right. There are underground rivers, fungi, moss, and all kinds of animals." Anse's expression shifted. "Still, that's a lot of them. Unless... they were preparing for this all along."
"The breach in the Chongsa River has been blocked. Underdark Creatures are guarding it," Finn added.
"Just as I expected."
The Chongsa River flowed straight into the sea. Even the Underdark, with its many-tiered structure, couldn't withstand it. If the water kept pouring in, large parts of the Gray Dwarves' city might collapse.
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