Ball of Nothing

Zero was still busy absorbing the leftover scarab corpses when he sensed someone powerful approaching them.

"Quickly, get everything inside, I will leave the sorting to you," Zero whispered and stashed everything away, not caring if his assistants complained about the smell. That was their problem to deal with.

Just as the last corpse went in, someone appeared from behind the mound of poop. Zero couldn't see very well in the dark but he had a feeling this new character was human, at least more human than everything else he encountered in this dungeon. Could this be the final boss?

"Who are you?" he asked. If this creature could speak, it must mean he has some type of intelligence. While he delayed time by trying to engage in a conversation, Zero told Mii to drop her work and appraise this person. He seemed dangerous and Zero promised not to deal with dangerous people head-on. Truen would have his ears if he disregarded their promise.

"That should be my question," the sandfish shaman droned. He wasn't very impressed with this tiny lad's appearance because he couldn't feel a thing coming from this boy. There was not a single trace of mana. Yet, there was an unsettling feeling when he looked at the elf.

Zero smiled. "Are you the dungeon master? From the looks of your outfit, you must be a desert shaman."

The question was harmless but it was too unsuitable for such a setting. How did this lone elf make his way all the way down to the bottom level of his dungeon? The shaman was sure he had put his monsters in place to prevent that sort of thing. Speaking of which, it was too quiet. Where were all the monsters?

"What did you do to my slaves?" The shaman wasn't pleased.

Zero's smile looked spine-chilling in the darkness. This elf might look weak but his confidence wasn't natural. The shaman sent his senses out and couldn't hear anything. He couldn't sense any of his monsters even in the upper floors, there was truly nobody else in his dungeon, only him and this lone elf who didn't even give out any traces of life. Just what was this elf?

"What are you?" the sandfish shaman asked, on guard all of a sudden after he realised the horrible truth.

"Isn't it basic manners to introduce yourself first if you want to know the other party's name? Also, I asked you first. I'm a guest."

The comeback wasn't expected at all and this made the shaman freeze. He couldn't believe that this dangerous intruder was educating him about being civil. Enraged at the humiliation, the sandfish shaman wanted to order his generals to take this rude elf down but quickly remembered that they were gone.

"I'm the master of this dungeon. What business do you have with me?"

Excited, Zero clapped his hands together. "I'm here to look for the desert poppy. It is said to grow in a place full of mana monsters near bedrock underneath the desert. Do you happen to know where this flower is?"

Stunned, the sandfish shaman wasn't expecting the intruder to really ask him for directions as if he was a lost tourist.

"You made all this mess just to ask me where the desert poppy is?" he couldn't believe it.

Zero blinked. He didn't really come to ask about it but he thought that he might ask since he met someone capable of conversation. As a doctor, violence wasn't his preferred solution but those monsters were simply too difficult to communicate with. If he didn't attack them, they would attack him.

"My aim wasn't to hunt monsters or defeat dragons. I'm actually a doctor and prefer to talk instead of resorting to violence. I need the desert poppy seed as part of my quest while travelling in Derby Desert. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

"No."

With a sigh, Zero pouted. "That's a shame. I thought a native person like you would know a thing or two. In that case, do you happen to know any villages nearby or where we can find gnomes?"

The sandfish shaman was quickly losing his patience with this elf. A doctor? Non-violence policy? Does this fool even understand what kind of place this was? It was a dungeon and there were only one of two outcomes. Either they kill or they are killed. Still asking about directions to villages or gnome cities? Did this boy think he was just born yesterday? He wouldn't be fooled.

Zero stiffened when the shaman pointed his staff at him. "Enough nonsense. I don't know what you did but once you set foot in my dungeon, the only way out of here is to die."

"Is there really no way to talk?" Zero asked. He didn't feel like dealing with this weird man but they seemed to be very insistent about fighting it out. Mii reminded Zero that after the amount of destruction Zero caused to this shaman's dungeon, they had every right to be angry.

"I-I can compensate you for the damages!" Zero tried to reason but the sandfish shaman didn't listen and started to chant. Zero cringed as the dungeon master transformed into a large sandfish.

Name: Ur-Atum The Sandfish Shaman

Title: Master of the Sandfish Hourglass Dungeon

Level: ???

Attack: S

Speed: B

Defence: B

Health: S

Ability:

- Dungeon Mastery: Allows total control of the dungeon in exchange for the caster's life force.

- Sandfish Morphing: Allows the user to transform into a great sandfish monster

- Soul Cultivation: Allows the user to gain greater mana and power in exchange for harvested souls.

The Appraisal skill wasn't blocked this time although there was some information Zero wasn't able to view. He really had to start levelling this appraisal skill to the advanced stage or Zero would be helpless against such powerful enemies in the desert.

"What's with that disgusting skill?" Mii commented after reading the description. "I hate lizards!"

The doctor couldn't help but laugh at Mii's comment. He didn't think lizards were bad but when they were this big, almost touching the ceiling of the dungeon, they weren't good news. Zero still couldn't help but wonder if there was a good thing about harvesting such a huge sandfish. Brutus did say that grilled lizards went well with cactus soup. Was there such a thing as too big a lizard?

"Only one way to find out," he told himself and got ready with the tonfas. The plan was the same as before. Once he touched this sandfish, it was going straight into his inventory and Zero was heading back. He needed a bath badly.

"Shall we begin?" he asked the furious shaman who roared and attacked him with his tongue. Zero didn't dodge the quick strike and only put his weapons away to receive the strike. Ur-Atum wasn't expecting to be caught so quickly but he couldn't understand it fast enough before he found himself in a different space with the oxygen supply cut off.

Satisfied that he now had a big lizard to grill and a dungeon emptied, Zero quickly looked around in hopes of finding the desert poppy. Even if he didn't find it, that didn't matter. The doctor had a large haul worth several cinnites so Truen shouldn't be too mad about it.

"We should get out of here," Wii warned when the rocks of the cave started to fall loose and crumble. "This place isn't going to hold for long without a dungeon master."

With a last glance at the dungeon, Zero wondered why adventurers felt such a sense of accomplishment exploring and conquering places like that. Other than Penelope and the monster corpses that could fetch a pretty binnite, Zero didn't think it was an interesting experience. He didn't like getting covered in poop and he most certainly didn't like all the running and fighting he had to do.