James woke with a start. His hand automatically reached for his HK416, his weapon of choice while operating.

"You're finally awake," Rocko stated.

James moved into a sitting position, looking down at his empty hand, "How long have I been out?"

Rocko shrugged, "A little more than three hours."

James blinked back his surprise, "Any activity?"

Rocko frowned, "My senses are blocked when you are asleep. I can only see what you see."

James nodded, "Then I am glad I didn't wake up to a rat eating something important."

James stood up and looked around the room again. Nothing had changed since he had sat down, but it was habit. After putting the tarp away, he moved over to the window and checked the walkway to make sure it was clear.

"Do they have anything like grenades in this world?" James inquired.

Rocko thought about it, "They do, but they are not inexpensive. Some Alchemical devices can be thrown, and when they land trigger an effect. One can be a fireball, or choking smoke, that sort of thing."

"We should look into that. That could be handy." James said.

Rocko frowned, "I doubt you would appreciate the cost. Some of the cheaper Alchemical devices start at ten to twenty gold. Anything useful would start around fifty. They are items which thieves and assassins most commonly use."

James looked at Rocko quickly, "You think Ferdinand would have some?"

"Most definitely."

James smiled, "If we are earning as much as we hope from Glezda, then spending money on Alchemical weapons will be worth it. Especially if it can save my life."

Rocko couldn't disagree.

James opened the door and started, deciding to only have his shield at the ready and his other hand free. Moving carefully, he climbed down to the lower walkway without using the stairs. Once he was on the lower walkway, he checked the stairs for any traps and was not surprised when he didn't find one. The pattern seemed to be that there would only be one trap for either of the two stairs leading up to the control room. The third control room had a double trap, so there is no reason to believe that the Dungeon would follow this pattern, but it was nice to see anyway.

Following along the walkway, James suddenly dropped as the grate beneath his feet gave way. James already had his sword hand on the railing, and when the grate gave way, he only had to tighten his grip. Hanging from the railing with one arm, it took a bit of effort to free his shield arm and then use both arms to pull himself over to the other grate. All the while, James noticed a Giant Gar swimming beneath his feet.

"This is getting ridiculous," James gripped.

"Yes, it is almost like the Dungeon is trying to kill you or something," Rocko teased.

"Are you the comedian in this duo?" James asked with a smile.

Rocko didn't say anything but seemed to stare at something behind James. James turned around and got his shield up in time to block a Sewer Rat from biting at his throat. He didn't have the time to use Shield Bash, but he was able to punch the creature in the side of the head before shoving it away from him. The punch did nothing to deter the rat. James then noticed two more rats sneaking toward him. They were much closer than he thought they should have been since he had Darkvision.

James wasted no time engaging the Sewer Rats. They were enthusiastic in charging to their deaths. They fought well while still dying on the end of his sword. Opting to conserve his PSI to avoid having to rest, James fought the creatures with a sword and a shield only. Shield Bash didn't damage them, but it stunned them for a few seconds. Valuable seconds which James used to Thrust his blade into their soft flesh.

Sadly, the Shield Bash had diminishing returns on the same Sewer Rat, but they rarely required more than four bashes followed by multiple stabs before they were dead. But by the time the fight was over, James only had to use one Heal Self III and rest for a few minutes to recover his Stamina.

Congratulations! You have completed the Kill Quest - Rats 25/25

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Reward: 250 experience (+25 for Dungeon Friend)

James smiled at the completion of the Kill Quest and the collection of experiences.

"How come they could get so close to me before I noticed them?" James asked.

"By using Stealth," Rocko explained.

James shook his head, "That doesn't make sense. Stealth can't work if you have a line of sight. If I can see sixty feet in the dark, then I should be able to see the rat within that range standing there. Regardless of Stealth."

"Yes, usually, but part of the Stealth Skill is obfuscation. Your brain will not see the rat because you are not looking directly at it. When they were sneaking up on you, you were distracted talking to me." Rocko explained.

James sheathed his sword, "So, even though I would normally see them out of the corner of my eye, their Stealth was 'obfuscating' their presence."

"Exactly. Had you turned in their direction, you would have had no trouble seeing them."

"Good to know," James agreed.

James looked down at the sewer water and noticed the Giant Gar swim past. "I can't let them live if I want the Kill Quest."

Rocko nodded, "That is true. That is why the quest is there. To make you take unnecessary risks."

James leaned on the railing and watched the Giant Gar swim around. He wanted to blast it to death using PSI Bolt, but he only caught enough glimpses of it to know it was there, not enough to target using the Power. He could use the PSI Ball Power, but it is as expensive and not as effective as the PSI Bolt Power. He didn't want to lower himself into the water again. The smell was bad enough. Deciding on a course of action, James decided to try it. Reaching the nearest Sewer Rat, he severed its left haunch with his sword. Putting his sword and shield aside, he lay down on the grate and dangled the haunch over the water. Dipping the haunch into the water a couple of times, he tried to make sure his arm was far enough from the water's surface not to get bitten by the Gar when it came for the rump.

Suddenly, the Giant Gar broke the water's surface and latched onto the haunch of rat meat a few inches from his hands. Instinctively, he pulled his hands back and cursed loudly. They disappeared below the surface again with the rat meat before James could launch a PSI Bolt. The second attempt was better, as James decided to go fishing instead. Using some of his rope, James attached one end to the hilt of an iron dagger he had and the other end to the railing. Then cutting another haunch free, he stabbed the dagger into the side of the haunch and then used a pile hitch to secure the rat meat to the rope.

Dangling the meat over the water, James laughed, "If I get the Fishing Skill as a result of this, I am definitely taking it."

Rocko shook his head, "You shouldn't waste your time on such things."

"Fishing is a great way to relax. Catching something is just a perk." The Giant Gar leaped out of the water at the haunch of rat meat and snagged it. James wanted to rope to run out a bit, giving the Gar time to swallow the flesh and the dagger simultaneously. Trying to pull on the rope was more challenging than he expected, and the rope reached its end, and the line on the railing went taut. The metal railing groaned but held. The Giant Gar thrashed at the end, trying to free its prize before the line went slack.

"Do you think it let go?" Rocko asked, looking into the water from the edge of the walkway.

James started hauling in the line. He only allowed for twenty feet, and he had almost of it back when the Gar leaped at him, the chunk of rat meat still in its mouth.

"Son of bitch!" James shouted, falling backwards.

Rocko laughed, "Ah, is James afraid of a little fish?"

"Chuck you farly!" James sneered as he grabbed the rope and started pulling again. This time, he kept a foot on one of the railing supports. The rope came taut right away, and James tied off the rope due to the strain.

"Those bastards are strong."

"You think the hook is set?" Rocko asked.

James shrugged, "Maybe not completely, but I figure I can wait a bit and let him tire himself out."

James didn't have to wait too long before he was able to pull the Giant Gar closer to the surface. He could see that the dagger was not as deeply embedded into the throat of the Gar as he would have liked, but it would have to do. James had brought fifty feet of rope with him and was loathe to cut it. Using the other end, he made a lasso and attempted to catch the tail of the Gar. If he could do that, he would be able to pull the Gar out of the water.

The experience was frustrating, but he didn't want to give up. Finally the lasso worked, and he now had the fish by both ends. Using the railing, he was able to haul the tail of the Gar out of the water and have its creature dangle from the railing. Even so, the head of the Gar was still in the water. Extending the rope over the railing and over to the other side of the walkway didn't make much difference until James said 'fuck it, and used his sword to stab it repeatedly. The Giant Gar thrashed and even caused the railing closest to its tail to snap, but the other end remained secured. The Giant Gar had a lot of Health, but its belly was exposed, and James was persistent.

Kill Quest - Kill 3 Giant Gar - 2/3

James sat on the metal walkway, his head bowed and his eyes closed. When he checked his notifications, he was surprised that he didn't get the Fishing Skill.

Strength +1

Melee - Unarmed

Perception +1

But no Fishing. Finally moving, he stood up and stretched out his back. He had collected his rope but cut off the last couple of feet that entered the mouth of the Gar. One look at those sharp teeth was enough to discourage his need to recover the dagger or the last bit of rope.

"Not getting your fishing hook?" Rocko said with a laugh.

"No, not liking those teeth," James conceded.

"I have to say, James, this will make one hell of a fishing story!"

James smiled, "At least it didn't get away."

"No one will believe you when you tell them how big it was." Rocko smiled.

"That is what he said."

"Lame!"