Chapter 285

“Token of Eros?” Vanetta said. “Eros, as in...?”

She sent a sideways glance to Natalie. The expression was a little too curious, and it gave Natalie a sudden suspicion that Elida might have shared some information about who she was, or at least hinted at certain things about her class. Which annoyed her, but also smoothed over some explanations, should they become necessary.

Instead of answering the hidden question, Natalie bent forward and scooped the coin off the ground. She held it in her palm in such a way Vanetta could also inspect the item.

It was made of dark-pink metal with a light purplish tint. She didn’t think it was erotite. The coin was large, around two knuckles in diameter, and thin relative to its size. The side facing them had a detailed rose engraved on it. Flipping it over, a less appropriate design was revealed: a nude woman’s bust. Natalie’s cheeks heated up. That confirmed it meant Eros in that way.

Token of Eros

Description

The primary currency used in the City of Eros, most often found in the fallen ruins of Elysium. Cannot be carried outside of the dungeon.

“Uh,” Natalie said. “Wow.” She didn’t think she’d heard of an item that refused to be removed from the dungeon before. And what did the rest mean?

“Ruins of Elysium?” Vanetta said. “That’s what this place is called?”

“Guess so?”

“What’s the ‘City of Eros’, then? Where is it?”

Natalie shrugged. The more important question, she figured, was what happened in a place called The City of Eros.

“And currency for what?” Vanetta asked, perplexed. “It can be used to buy something?”

“No clue. But I bet they’re worth collecting. Did the other Wraith drop one?”

Vanetta jogged to where the other monster had died. Sure enough, she scooped up another of the dark-pink coins. She carried it back to Natalie, and the two of them inspected the new bit of metal. The front face had the same image of a rose, and the back also had an inappropriate design—except this one male rather than female. Vanetta hastily flipped it over, embarrassed.

“Well,” the rogue said. “This is strange.”

“Very,” Natalie said—though she couldn’t say she was half as surprised as Vanetta was. Unfortunately, these sorts of bizarre developments had become all but her standard.

Lust was influencing this floor, without a doubt. But how exactly? What did this token mean? And the alluded-to city?

“I don’t think our plan has changed,” Vanetta said. “We need a vantage point. Maybe we’ll be able to see the city in the distance.”

Natalie nodded. If nothing else, they had been given a vague goal. Collect more Tokens and find the City. Even if they didn’t know the use or nature of either, it was obviously what the dungeon wanted from them.

Tucking the token away, Natalie raised her hammer and led the way.

A few more encounters with those ghostly beings ensued, and each one dropped a Token of Eros, sometimes multiple. Some of the Wraiths were humans, but some were beastly: the third fight included both, an axe-wielder on horseback that was especially difficult to take down.

When they had reached the crumbling tower, they were the owners of three and four Tokens respectively. Each Token had a different image engraved onto the back, all sensual in nature, and some less appropriate than others. Whatever Vanetta thought of the lewd images, she didn’t voice aloud.