I looked over their list carefully. Options one and two were incredibly valuable. The outside world did not know what method these gnomes used to settle in the dungeon. They also understood its value, since they had ranked its offers. I hadn’t done that, just given them an overall list.

The sheer value of being able to settle in the dungeon would see a new civilization form. The dungeon civilization. Or the dungeon would react and destroy whoever used those techniques.

But the value was easily worth thousands of platinum. Especially for the Last Bastion on the 20^th layer, since they needed to get their food and other supplies imported. Being able to grow their own food and plants would be huge in allowing them to become fully independent.

The problem was that such a trade was long term and would increase my risk of a fight. The wealth of an adventurer who possessed this knowledge would attract targets. If I could recognize the value, others would be able to as well.

If I were a legend, I would consider it. But I didn’t have the strength to profit from such knowledge. Increasing my strength was needed now, not later. I noted that the gnomes didn’t list the natural treasures of the dungeon.

I wondered if they might have a hidden garden with soul fruit.

“Do you have soul fruit you would be willing to trade?”

“A natural treasure of the dungeon?” Baldeenk asked me and I nodded. “We haven’t learned to cultivate such items. They will remain natural treasures of the dungeon. We are interested in the runic knowledge, metals, Mana Manipulation, Meditation, and Running skills, followed by spell skills in that order.”

“What exactly is Mana Metal Creation? Are you creating metals from Mana?”

“Yes. It is a very slow technique. But it’s how we produce metals for our settlement. Using Mana of gnomes to convert metal we scavenge from the dungeon into a metal that won’t break apart. Using dungeon materials and its Mana creates risks we prefer to avoid.”

Another piece of knowledge that sounded useful, but not right now. I mentally crossed it off as well. It was unfortunate, but I needed to prioritize things I could make use of.

“Divination counter skills? Names and tiers?”

“We won’t share the names unless you want to trade. But there are three tier 1 skills, three tier 2 skills, and one tier 3 skill. Gnomes that leave our settlement are required to have all of that besides some stealth skills,” Safan cut in before Baldeenk could explain.

The gnomes looked at each other and then back at me.

Six skills, but they were probably unique and required special training methods. That the gnomes would part with them was intriguing, but I really had a lot of skills already.

“What about the dungeon analysis? You don’t need to tell me specific skills or information. Just what kind of knowledge are you looking to trade?”

“Information regarding the dungeon’s shifts. There are three key points that we have picked up over the millennia of examining it. It will not help you navigate home, and we can’t say if you already know the information, but we consider it quite valuable.”

“The wand construction and related skills? What does that entail?”

“It is knowledge we have retained from the days of the Eldarin Empire. Useful for quick and powerful spell skills. Saves on Mana and is easy to use.”

They were crafting skills. While runic knowledge would be useful, I wasn’t a crafter. Like the farming and husbandry techniques, it wasn’t something that I could make use of.

Looking back at the list, that only left divination counter skills and comprehensive dungeon analysis as options I wanted to trade for. I suppose stealth skills would be useful as well. Dungeon analysis would be first, then divination counter skills, then stealth skills, then mana metal creations, and finally dungeon farming techniques would be the order of items I would try to trade for.

There was no need to downplay some things or get too aggressive with my trading with the gnomes. While I wouldn’t let them take advantage of me, this was a barter. Being too difficult would only sour relations. I still needed to leave this place.

“Let’s start with comprehensive dungeon analysis. I am interested in the three pieces of information you have about the dungeon. What do you want in return?”

“Three pieces of information, four runic languages and their supporting skills and training methods. Eldarin, Dwarven, Elvish, and Demonic.”

That was a very large request. The gnomes apparently were quite shameless.

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“Three pieces of information for all of that is a bit much. I want you to have Low Vostner and High Vostner runes as well as any other runic languages. Although it is not listed, you must know about such runic languages.”

I knew these gnomes had knowledge of them based on how long they had been hiding.

“We do have information. It is incomplete, but that would be acceptable. To confirm, you will get our three key pieces of information on the dungeon: Low Vostner Runes, High Vostner Runes. In exchange, we get Eldarin, Dwarven, Elvish, and Demonic Runes supporting skills and training methods.”

“Do you know of other runic languages?” I pressed, since that was one of my demands.

“No. That is why we desire knowledge of runes to expand our own knowledge. While we know a bit, expanding our library is important for us.”

“And the three tier 1 divination counter skills.”

“Two tier 1 divination counter skills. Our knowledge of the dungeon is valuable, I can promise you that.”

“Very well.”

They repeated the terms once more and then wrote them down for the first trade.

The next trade was all my coinage for the rest of the divination counter skills. I was getting a tremendous bargain for three tier 2 skills, and one tier 3 skill. It made me feel a lot better about the first trade. In truth, it was hard to say who was getting the worst of each deal, since we both had different priorities.

After that, we traded skill for skill. The stealth skills they knew for the skills I knew and their training methods. While their training methods might not be as good as the ones developed by the College of Advancement, they had worked on them for thousands of years and were key aspects of gnomish society.

I got nothing else off their list of trade items, unfortunately, but I wasn’t unhappy. While I was going to trade a lot of skills, I could hold on to them for a long time. I had asked about tracking skills, but they didn’t have any to trade. I didn’t dare ask about curse skills or soul skills; otherwise they might think I was trying to break their curse skill.

Someone would fully write up the agreement and send it to the Chief Spokesgnome and the rest of the Councilors for approval. We had signed a tentative understanding, but it needed to be approved by the leadership of the gnomes. Since Baldeenk and Safan had both agreed, this was a formality, but an important one.

I had wanted to learn their dungeon knowledge right away but had to wait a couple of days.

“There is one more matter. The issue of pets. Tame monsters,” Baldeenk said.

Ozy and I formed our bond through a ritual. I don’t know the ritual or would risk replicating it.”

“I see. That is unfortunate. Taming monsters could have been useful.”

“Bah. The danger is too great. We have tried such things in the past. Foolishness. We aren’t adventurers. We are gnomes. The agreement we have is quite good. It will infuse fresh avenues of learning and improvement across our settlement,” Safan countered.

“Perhaps. But using monsters to fight would be useful for gnomes that scavenge outside our settlement. It would open a way they could fight while remaining hidden. The beastkin wouldn’t know that the monsters were our pets.”

“I concede your point. It is an ingenious idea, but rituals are absolutely forbidden. Although not forbidden, they exemplify why some topics are forbidden.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to offend, just to show that my situation was hard to replicate. I know the College of Advancement was looking into taming monsters in other ways, but without an egg as a natural treasure, such pursuits are too difficult,” I replied.

“A shame. But that is good to know. Unfortunately, natural treasures are incredibly difficult to find,” Baldeenk said.

“You wouldn’t know of a skill called Treasure Sense, would you?” I asked.

“No, but that sounds useful. Where did you hear of it?”

“The beastkin. One of them wanted to trade half a million orange cores for such knowledge.”

“Half a million orange cores?! That is insane. You have cores you can trade?”

“About thirty thousand orange cores,”

“You didn’t mention them?”

“Honestly, it slipped my mind since you live in the dungeon. I would trade them all for mana metal creation.”

“That many cores risks upsetting the economy. We would need to manage them carefully.”

“But it would reduce pressure on gnomes leaving the settlement. You know that Mana cores are always in demand. We can ration them out or use them as a strategic reserve,” Baldeenk said.

“Thirty thousand for that knowledge is too low. It is a core skill and has been used for high-tier crafting,” Safan said and there was silence.

“How much were you thinking?” I finally asked.

“Half a million, but once you leave you may not return,” Safan said.

I looked over at Baldeenk who nodded.

“It is a key condition for allowing you to visit. We aren’t a place that anyone can freely come and go from. You aren’t a gnome. That would create a problem in how we operate. I am also sure you don’t want a deal that requires you to grind monsters slowly. We need to trade something else to make up the difference.”

“I want permission to go with him,” a gnome entered the project warehouse and boldly declared.

“Lanner Thunderdust, this is the meeting of the Gnomish Committee on Cultural Exchange not some shop you are trading at,” Baldeenk said, glaring.

“Ah, the troublemaker. You want to leave? Impossible,” Safan declared imperiously.

“But this place never changes. I will go with him. I want to learn to fight. To gain levels. Become strong. I might be a gnome, but I am not weak,” Lanner said.

“And you have learned all the wrong skills. Spells, weapons, wands. No stealth. Limited counter divination. That’s why we can’t send you out with a cart! You are impossible,” Baldeenk said angrily and was huffing.

“But we are free gnomes. I want to leave!”

He looked at me. All the other gnomes looked at me.

“I have one major objection. You lack experience, and I would be responsible for you. The dungeon is not a happy place. You would fight for years, with no chance to return home. And when I return to the Eldarin Continent one day, there is even less chance,” I replied.

“I know. But I am not a gnome that will hide away. I can fight. I have an arsenal of wands I can use. If they won’t pay you to take me with you, I will work for free.”

“You would enslave yourself?” Safan asked, frowning deeply.

“I would make the choice to follow someone who knows what they are doing. This human, um… your name?”

Lanner looked at me. We were about even in height while I was sitting.

“Justin Burnstock,” I said.

“Human Justin Burnstock… I am a gnome of excellence that can’t be contained. I will battle my way to greatness and become a gnomish legend like our ancestors!”

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