NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43 - Hallway Excavation
Next up, let’s check in on our duo of lead performers. Both of them leveled, but one of them has to recover from a nasty stab right now so she is in the caring gloves of our tailor at the moment.
Floating on over to the costume shop, I see that the set of animated clothing is currently fixing the dress that makes up Alouette’s body.
Hey there, you two, just checking in on Alouette’s status, is that okay?
They both assent mentally and I pull up her status.
Status
Name: Alouette
Class: Animated Dance Partner
Level: 6
Creature Type: Animated Clothing
Skills:
Active:
Passive:
Swirling Step - Level 1
Harmonious Grace - Level 3
Some levels and a new active skill that allows movement of some kind, very good! Since I am already here, let's check on our tailor as well since I am fairly certain that they are one of the monsters with a class selection available.
Monster Class Selections (Animated Clothing):
Animated Strangler
Animated Servant
Animated Tailor
Animated Puppeteer
Silk Spinner
Well… do I need to really ask?
Yeah, I thought not.
Class Selection Successful!
Class “Animated Tailor” acquired!
New Passive Skill unlocked!
Level Up!
Yeah, now that I'm that far into it you might need a name as well… oh, you have a request already?
Really? Isn’t that a bit on the nose?
All right, fine.
Tailor it is.
Status
Name: Tailor
Class: Animated Tailor
Level: 2
Creature Type: Animated Clothing
Skills:
Active:
Passive:
-
Needle Control - Level 1
Yeah that skill is self explanatory as well. Ok Tailor, have fun… tailoring? I will see to Juliette next, then.
Swirling about my demesne, I find her near the location of my newest expansion Project.
Sebastian has organized a workforce of mannequins to dislodge the block of stone from its place in the wall and has begun working on a mechanism that would allow the block to be moved more easily.
Juliette is assisting, but at my arrival slips away to greet me.
“Master! Are you here for little old me?” She says, a smirk on her doll-like face.
You know I am, Juliette. We can literally experience each other's thoughts, at some level.
“I know, my lord!” she giggles. “So, this is about my new skill?”
Well, since you know and I know, there is no need to explain.
Status
Name: Juliette
Class: Animated Actor
Level: 16
Creature Type: Animated Mannequin
Skills:
Active:
Passive:
Tragic Passing - Level 3
Appearance of Life - Level 14
Glamour Mask - Level 5
Charming Voice - Level 1
I see. A passive that makes you be viewed more positively by people simply by talking to them?
“That’s right! Is it working, master? Am I becoming more important to you?” she cheekily asks.
I… don’t rightly know if skills like that work on me. But I think not. Anyways, it was a joke, but it might be something to be wary of in the future. There might be skills that can affect me directly or through my domain as well.
Anyways, Juliette is skipping away back to help with Project Secret Entrance.
Sebastian will take some time to get the door ready, but in the meantime we still excavate the hallway beyond.
After some work, the hallway is clear and we get a view of a collapsed room beyond.
It is larger than I expected based on the rest of the structure I know, a sizable room with arched pillars. Another hallway leads off to the side, similarly full of rubble. Based on the direction it is going, It might connect to the stage on the other end of where the dressing rooms currently are located, though there might similarly be another room there.
Well, since the way is clear, it’s time to…
Claim!
A new room added to my domain, my awareness expands again. The more I do this, the less disorienting it becomes, thankfully. This time it just feels like my being is becoming stretched to the side a little.
But I quickly adjust and look over the new part of my domain with my dungeon senses. Oh, there is some interesting stuff in here! Time to get excavating.