Skill-Eater: Prison World Saga-Chapter 34: Town Meeting

Edge stepped onto the public green two minutes before Dialla was scheduled to make her address.

In what was becoming a regular occurrence, the entire population of Puppet Town was spread out across the grass, ringing the platform that had been erected in the middle of the open area. He scanned the crowd to find his crew and squeezed in between Trapper and Violet, just as Dialla took the stage.

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Not long after, the mayor walked up to the microphone and waved to the crowd. “Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me tonight. Once again, I have important news to share with all of you—the kind that is best delivered face-to-face.”

The chatter died down as she made her opening remarks. Everyone was eager to hear the news upon which the future of the settlement would hinge.

“The reason for tonight’s meeting is a mixed bag—a cause for both celebration and alarm. I’ll spare the preamble and cut right to the heart of the matter. The rumors are true. Setna and her crew discovered a dungeon during their mission to survey the periphery of the plains—located in a previously unexplored biome. Since the Ivory Plains are now deep within the frontier, the Savage Garden has never been conquered, and the rewards for clearing it are ripe for the picking.”

Murmurs broke out at this point. Before the disaster, discovering an unconquered dungeon would have been a major event, drawing tourists from across the planet and racking up trillions of views on the feed.

“Delving dungeons is always a dangerous endeavor, doubly so while they remain unconquered. But Setna and her crew are elite hunters. She must have decided that they had a chance of defeating the boss and crossed through the borderlands to make the attempt.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t heard from her since, which means that whatever her crew found inside, it was even more treacherous than she expected. While we are worried about Setna’s crew, that isn’t the reason why we’re gathered here today. Entering the dungeon triggered a quest from the System, the details of which were transmitted to me yesterday. Given the circumstances, her crew is either dead or trapped within the dungeon known as the Savage Garden.

“The reward for completing the quest is too valuable to ignore, regardless of all other considerations. If Puppet Town can clear the dungeon and defeat the boss, we will receive a prize beyond compare. A core manufactory of our own—capable of producing Basic and even some Common specialty cores. A source far more reliable than hunting stage-three beasts for core seeds, and a means of bolstering our odds of surviving the days ahead.”

At this point, a chorus of astonished voices broke out. Dialla waited for them to simmer down before continuing with her address. “Claiming the manufactory will allow us to grow stronger far faster than even my most ambitious timetable, which makes the risky endeavor of conquering the Savage Garden worth undertaking. As of this moment, doing so is our highest priority.

“Our goal isn’t to rescue Setna’s crew, or failing that, retrieve their gear and remains, although we will certainly do our best to do so while we’re there. Puppet Town needs that manufactory, which means that we need to conquer the dungeon before someone beats us to it. With that goal in mind, I am announcing the formation of an expeditionary force, which will leave for the Savage Garden tomorrow afternoon.

“I won’t lie to you. This is a treacherous mission. One certain to be rife with unknown threats. But the rewards for participating will be top-tier. In addition to being paid directly for your services and helping to ensure our collective survival, pristine dungeons are invariably stocked with rare resources and sealed chests containing gear that is superior to anything else you are likely to get your hands on.

“To have a chance of succeeding, we must send most of our elite forces, leaving Puppet Town’s defenses substantially weakened at this critical moment. Make no mistake, the expedition will be incredibly hazardous. The fatality rates for first delves are always far too high, until counter-tactics are established and specialists brought in. We don’t have the time or resources for any of that. But we can’t afford to lose many of our strongest members either, which means we’re going to have to play this smart and not make any mistakes.

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“We need to get there, conquer the dungeon, and get back before trouble comes knocking at our door. With that goal in mind, we’re forming three core teams that will comprise our expeditionary force. One group will enter the dungeon, clearing it zone-by-zone until the boss’s chamber is accessible. The second group will provide support from the entrance, treating wounds, restocking supplies, and sending updates back to town.

“The third group will work from inside Puppet Town’s walls, crafting, strategizing, speculating, and researching. They will send out reinforcements, analyses, and fresh supplies as needed. If you are interested in joining any of these groups, please stand beside one of the numbers that are posted across the green.

“The dungeon group is for cored members only. Uncored residents are welcome to join either of the other two, although be aware that entering a high-threat biome will come at a considerable risk to life and limb. Once we see what we have to work with, we will divide each team into crews and assign them specific roles.”

With that, Dialla stepped back from the mic and waited to see how many people joined each group. Since they had been approached directly and had already agreed to go, Trapper’s crew split up. Edge and Jumo walked over toward the team heading inside the dungeon, while the rest of the hunters joined the team that would operate outside the entrance.

It was clear that the mayor had already reached an accord with the most powerful members of the settlement. She was just waiting to see how many people signed up to fill auxiliary roles. Thirty minutes later, everyone who was willing to volunteer had moved to their designated area, and Dialla continued her briefing.

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to have your support during this make-or-break moment in Puppet Town’s future. I want everyone in teams one and two to meet back here a few hours before we set out at noon tomorrow. We can discuss the details of your roles then. Use tonight and tomorrow morning to complete your own preparations. I know that you’re all worried about Setna, but this is the quickest that an endeavor of this scale can be arranged. Setting out on a quest like this unprepared will only compound the potential for tragedy.

“Before we call it a night, I want to introduce you to the man who will be leading the expedition. He’s one of the town’s stage-two warriors and a senior member of the beast, monster, treasure, and resource-hunting associations. There isn’t anyone who I trust more with this vital task or is better-suited to dealing with the dungeon’s boss and any other problems that might arise during the expedition.

“Gram, could you please come up here and say a few words?” With that, Dialla stepped back, and a middle-aged man climbed onto the podium. Edge had never met Gram before, but everyone in town knew the man by reputation. Gram was a powerful warrior, and the only person to have reached the highest echelon in four different hunting organizations.

He wore a suit of dark red leathers and carried a war staff that doubled as a walking stick. “I’ll keep this brief, since most of you are going to be sick of my voice by the time we reach the Savage Garden. My name is Gram, and I swear to you that we will emerge from this trial victorious. No matter what stands in our way, be it monster, man, or beast, we will overcome any adversity. Claim this invaluable opportunity for ourselves and enrich our collective future.

“I want to salute our brave volunteers, and let you know how deeply I appreciate the support from the rest of the community.” Gram went on to give a brief but rousing speech. When he finished, the assembled masses began to cheer.

Edge cast his gaze across the roaring crowd, taking in faces filled with hope and fear. With pride and determination. They stayed that way for a good five minutes, pouring out their emotion in an endless river of sound.

Eventually, the cheering died down and people began to disperse. Their excitement was tempered by an air of solemnity. They knew that not everyone who left through the gate tomorrow afternoon would be walking back through it.

The crew made their way back to the lodge, each hunter lost in thoughts of their own. When they arrived, Edge explained what had happened with Sakura, including her offer to support him moving forward. As promised, he kept the part about her convict status and Unique core to himself, since they weren’t his secrets to share.

Everyone in the crew recognized Sakura by description, but no one knew anything about her. While they would keep their guards up and reserve their judgement, the hunters were tentatively optimistic to have someone with such a unique skillset supporting them behind the scenes.

When they were done talking, the crew spent a few hours packing up provisions and loading them onto the wagon. Then everyone went to bed early, ready to face the trial that would begin with the rising sun.