My body let me know just how much it didn't enjoy me sleeping in my full kit as I woke up. I groaned while I pulled off bits of my outfit, setting them on the bed. I then hobbled over to the bathroom, relieving myself as the tub filled with steaming hot water. I slipped into the tub as it was half full, letting the heat relax my stiff muscles.

I relaxed in the heat for a few minutes before getting out of the tub and stretched a few of my joints popping. I walked back into the bedroom and got dressed in my traveling clothes and armor. I headed downstairs and grabbed a breakfast of porridge and sausage. I then walked to the attendant and put my key on the desk.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" They asked.

"Yes, how do I take quests? I'm new to the guild." I said.

"Oh, it's alright. All you have to do is go to the pillar and place your hand on it. The system should show you all the quests it thinks you can handle." They answered.

I thanked them for their time before making my way over to the pillar. It was massive, being about fifteen feet in diameter. I pressed my hand to the oddly warm pillar. A system window was pushed into my vision; it had different tabs breaking up the quests. The first was for jobs open to everyone. A number of them were missing pets or livestock; one was a standing request for anyone of the new race to come and be examined by the wizard's college.

The second tab seemed to be for adventures that wanted to stay close to town. A number of quests in this tab were what I'd think of as starter quests, the sewers were filled with rats, goblins were spotted by the road leading west, the alchemist needed more plants, and so on. The third tab looked to be for the kingdom as a whole having quests that mostly focused on guarding people as they went from one city to the next or bringing supplies to forts or remote cities, a few of the quests had to deal with roaming monsters. The last tab was for world quests and had nothing for me at my current level.

I went back to the city quest and took a closer look through them, trying to find any quest that had to deal with a dungeon. It took far too long to find, mainly because I had skipped over the quest related to the dungeon so many times. The dungeon was named The Sewers and was filled with two mobs that one would expect, rats and slimes.

The fun part of the dungeon was that instead of the entrance being in the slums, it was placed in the city center, and I had walked past it at least three times yesterday. I wanted to smack myself but just settled on picking up the two quests.

Quest obtained!

Rat Race:

Goal: Turn in blighted rat heads to the Sherwood branch of the Adventurer's Guild

Location: The Sewers at the heart of Sherwood

Payment: 5 copper per head

Quest obtained!

Slime Time:

Goal: Turn in vials of slime to the Sherwood branch of the Adventurer's Guild

Location: The Sewers at the heart of Sherwood

Payment: 2 copper per vial

I could only guess both were used in alchemy and that I was better off not knowing what potion or salve they went into. I made a note to myself to read the quests instead of just skimming them. I made my way out of the guild and to the general store. There, I bought ten vials for five copper.

With my last-minute shopping done, I headed into what at first glance looked like an inn. It was a two-story stone building with a plaque on the front-facing wall. I was guessing the plaque has rules on it or somehow just let everyone know that it was a dungeon. I walked into the building to find two sets of guards. One set was just inside the room, flanking a steward sitting behind a desk with a massive book in front of them. The second set was standing at the back of the room by what looked like a door leading down into a cellar. I used Analyze on the cellar door.

Dungeon: The Sewers

This is a wave dungeon and is meant for a party of four. The initial level recommended is 1. *Note: This is a wave-type dungeon and can only be left between each wave. You will be asked at the end of each wave if you wish to continue. Each wave increases in difficulty; every five waves, there's a dramatic increase in difficulty.*

My tail twitched and flicked behind as the guards turned toward me. The steward who had looked like he was about to fall asleep sat bolt upright and straightened his jacket.

"Come in. Come in. Ignore these fine gentlemen; they're just here to keep an eye on the dungeon." He said

My eyes darted from one heavily armed and armored guard to the next before I stood upright and stiffly walked over to the steward, making sure to keep my hands away from my khopesh.

"Would you mind explaining what's going on?" I asked

"They found a traveling dungeon close by, and almost all the regular adventurers rushed out to run it before it left, leaving us with basically nothing to do all day but watch the dungeon." He said.

"I guess that makes sense. So, what are the rules?" I asked.

He blinked a few times as he looked at me confused before realization dawned in his eyes.

"You can't read. It's been so long since we've had a new race. I think everyone forgot what to do. Right, the rules. First, there's an entry fee; for guild members, it's one silver per delve. The second is that half the Beast Cores collected have to be sold to the crown for the standard market rate. Those are the two big ones. There are a few others involving groups, but we can skip those.

The other things you need to know is that we have healers on-site, any bill you rack up with them will be covered by your guild, you'll have part of your quest rewards go towards what it costs to heal you until you've paid it and any interest off, you can buy a guide for fiver silver, and lastly, Do.Not.Lie at least one guard per shift has a skill for detecting lies." He explained

"Thank you for your time. I think I'll just delve the one time." I slid him a silver smiling softly.

"Good luck on your delve Adventure."

I nodded to the man, making my way over to the cellar. One of the guards grabbed the door and pulled it open for me. I smiled at them as I walked past and down into the dungeon.

You have entered The Sewers. Rats and slimes have felt an intruder in their domain. Hold fast and weather the tide.

Goal:

Defeat the first wave.

Defeat an additional wave. [Optional] [Repeatable]

Defeat a sub-boss [Optional] [Repeatable]

Defeat The King Of The Sewers [Optional]

I quickly read through the notification and pushed it away, getting a better look at where I'd be fighting. I was in a circular room that was about forty feet across. It had four tunnels that shot off from it that were blocked by grates. I was betting it wouldn't be a problem for the rats or slimes. Looking up, I could see a cluster leading from each tunnel that ended right above the center of the room.

I moved away from the center of the room as I pulled my khopesh free, giving the blade a few test swings. Suddenly, I felt very stupid for rushing into my next fight and not taking the time to get used to my new equipment. I'd just have to try better in the future. My ears swiveled, trying to pick up any sounds before finally picking up a light scratching that quickly built-in volume and intensity.

I shift to face the direction of the noise blade at the ready. Five rats that looked to be slightly smaller than I was before my evolution sprinted down the tunnel toward me. I got ready to fight them when I picked up on the same scratching sounds starting to come from each tunnel. I darted my glance around seeing more rats flood into the connecting tunnels.

I forced myself to calm down; panicking wouldn't do me any good. I bounced lightly on my feet before rushing forward as the lead rat slipped past the grate and into the room with me. I fell back on what little I knew of swordplay, hoping the skill would guide me.

I brought my blade down in a diagonal cut, easily cutting through the lead rat's skull. It was so much easier than I was expecting that I put too much power into the swing and had to take a set forward to keep my balance. That was when the next rat jumped off its dead friend's body and leaped at my face.

I let go of my sword with my right hand as I brought my armored elbow up into the rat's bottom jaw, snapping its mouth closed. The rat slammed into my chest, knocking me onto my back. I shoved hard, throwing the rat off me and into one of its friends.

I rolled to the side as Danger Sense yelled a warning to me. I was able to move just in time to avoid the snapping jaws of the last two rats. I kicked out at the two, making them back up as their friends untangled themselves, biting at each other. I hopped up to my feet, scooping my Khopesh up off the ground. I must have dropped it when I hit the ground.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

I backed up, feeling the room closing in. I cast Flame Breath at full strength, letting it wash over and consume the four rats in front of me. Something about the dungeon forced them to try and rush me charging into the flames instead of running away. Right as the last one dropped, Danger Sense yelled at me again. I jumped to the left and twisted around, bringing my khopesh around like a club and knocking away the rat that tried to hit me from behind.

I stabbed into the dazed rat's skull before I moved back, counting nine more rats and five slimes spread through the room. The three lead rats spread out from each other before rushing at me. I used Charge slamming my armored shoulder into the far-left rat. I moved forward and to its side, bringing my blade down and chopping off the rat's head. I moved around the dead body, putting it between me and the closest rats.

I dashed out, rushing to the next rat, bringing my blade up in a rising cut. I left a gash in its cheek as the rat jerked its head out of the way. I growled as I stepped in and brought my pommel down hard on its forehead, shattering its skull.

Danger Sense warning came too late as two rats darted in. One attempt to bite into my waist is teeth bouncing off my armor. The second went lower biting into my left leg and pulled back, trying to pull me off my feet. I reversed my grip and stabbed down, hitting the rat just behind its head.

The rat squealed in pain, letting my leg go before it slumped to the ground. The rat on my other side took this time to adjust its aim and bit at my tail, grabbing a mouth of fur. I twisted around, leaving my sword as anger started to build up in me. I lashed out, slamming my foot into the rat's head, dazing it long enough for an armored fist to slam down, crushing its skull.

I looked back at the other two groups. The rats were hanging back as the slimes inched forward. The slimes were sickly green balls of well slime. I looked around at the slimes and didn't spot a core, which made my job both harder and easier. I moved back, making sure they were all within the area of effect before casting Flame Breath at full strength again. The fire danced as it rushed forward and washed over the group of slimes.

The slimes started to boil before they burst, sending globs of flaming slime ten feet in each direction. I blinked a few times and ended the spell early. I turned my attention back to the last group of rats.

They were about one and a half times bigger than the rats I already dealt with. I moved closer, getting a better look at the rats. Their fur was matted and patchy with open sores that ooze yellow pus. I shuddered at the sight, knowing that I wouldn't feel clean for a while.

The rats spread out in a half circle, trying to get behind me. I backpedaled quickly until my back was pressed up against the wall. Two rats darted in at one. I moved to meet the one on the right, darting towards it. I lowered my shoulder, slamming it into the rat and shoving it back before swinging my blade around in a diagonal cut from my left hip up to my right shoulder, splitting the rat's skull in half.

I twisted around, leading with my sword, forcing the rats back. I watched the four rats wanting to just get this wave over with so I could leave and try again with a team. I tossed my caution to the wind as I used Charge leading blade first. The rat I chose jerked to the side, causing my blade to slam into its shoulders and got stuck in its ribcage.

I spun leaving my khopesh inside the dying rat and burned more stamina as I used Charge again, doubling the cost for using the skill back to back. I aimed at the far rat and slammed my shoulder into its side. I heard ribs snap as I drove the rat back. I grabbed its fur hopping over it before I slammed my gauntleted fist into its snout as it tried to bite me. Its teeth shattered against the forged steel. I pulled my arm back before slamming it into the rat's head twice in rapid succession, feeling its skull fracture and then shatter under my blows.

I looked up, scanning the room for the last two rats. I found one rushing towards me but didn't have time to find the last rat. I paid quadruple the normal price to use Charge a third time and slammed into the charging rat. Its head hit my chest, knocking the wind from me but stunned the rat. I interlocked my fingers, wheezing for breath before bringing them down hard on the stunned rat's head, caving it in.

I stumbled as I turned around, expecting to see the last rat only for Danger Sense to warn me that the attack was behind me. I ducked down, moving to my right as the rat jumped over its friend, its jaws open wide. I was able to shift just enough that the rat's jaws missed my head and bit into my bicep and yanked me down.

I hit the ground hard, groaning in pain as the arrows in my quiver were knocked loose, spreading out in front of me. The rat bit down harder and started to shake its head back and forth. To my relief, my armor held strong against the abuse. I snatched up an arrow in my left, bringing it around and stabbing it blindly into the rat's head again and again and again until it finally let go of my arm. I quickly rolled to my left as the rat aimed for my head.

I hopped back to my feet in time to meet the rat's lunging bite. I shoved my left forearm into the path of its jaws. I was able to stay upright by dropping my tail to lower my center of gravity. I reached down, pulled out the dirk I just remembered I had, and stabbed it up into the rat's throat. I pulled the blade to the right, cutting through its windpipe and juggler. The rat held onto my arm glaring at me until an unknown time later it went slack, and I was able to pry my arm out of its mouth.

I started to shake, missing my dirk's sheath a few times before I was finally able to get the dirk back in its sheath. I took a few deep breaths and shoved down my emotions. I could have a nice long breakdown after I was back in the guild. I stumbled over to the rat with my khopesh sticking out of its chest. I had to plant a foot on its head to pull the blade free. A quick use of Analyze confirmed that only the last five rats were labeled as 'Blighted'. It was a messy process, but I got all five heads stashed away in my inventory before looting everything and collecting my spilled arrows. Unfortunately, the one I used as a makeshift dagger was broken. I pulled up my inventory to see my rewards.

Inventory:

Health potion [Low-grade] 1 Heals 50 points per vial.

Rabbit meat 20 lbs

Salt ~1lb

Hunter's Bow

Blue velvet outfit

Cloak 1

50 ft rope

10ft pole

Sewing kit

Leather working tools

Tent

Bedroll

Hatchet

Waterskin[full] 1

Empty Vial 10

Blighted Rat Head 5

Vile of Slime 5

Rat hide 10

Currency: Copper Coins 30 Silver Coins 3 Gold Coins 58

I started laughing as I saw that the slime came in its own vials. It explained how I got them so cheap. My laughter went from bitter to manic as I was finally starting to see just how deadly this world was and that there was no checkpoint for me to respawn at. It took me a while to calm down. I focused on the things I was doing right and what I knew would help keep me alive in the future. I opened my notifications.

Congratulations, you have learned the Heavy Armor skill. EXP has been awarded for learning a skill without a trainer.

Congratulations, Basic Greatsword has leveled up. +1 to Strength.

Congratulations, Dodge has leveled up. +1 to Agility.

Congratulations, Natural Weapons has leveled up. +1 to Strength.

Congratulations, Charge has leveled up. +1 to Strength.

Congratulations, Danger Sense has leveled up. +1 to Wisdom.

Congratulations you have defeated 10 Giant Rats of various levels. Decreased EXP has been awarded for defeating a lower-tiered opponent.

Congratulations you have defeated 5 slimes of various levels. Decreased EXP has been awarded for defeating a lower-tiered opponent.

Congratulations you have defeated 4 level 2 and 1 level 4 Blighted Rats. EXP has been awarded for defeating an opponent.

You have leveled up!

Goal updated: Defeat the first wave [completed]

Would you like to fight on? [Yes/No]

I pressed no.

Assessing dungeon run [■■■■■■___]

Assessment completed. Goal[s] completed:1

Reward: 5 silver coins.

I smiled softly at the level-up but decided to put it off for now. I looked around and saw a staircase that wasn't there before in the middle of the room. I headed up the stairs and waved at the steward moving over to him.

"No Beast Cores today but I didn't get far. I wasn't expecting a wave-type dungeon." I said, shaking my head.

The steward looked over at a guard who nodded before speaking.

"That's fine, I'm sure you'll do better next time."

I just grunted and waved goodbye. I headed straight to the guild, paid the attendant for a room for the next week, and headed upstairs. Once in my room I moved to the bathroom dropping parts of my armor as I walked. I sank into the hot water and scrubbed the blood, dirt and grime out of my fur.

I drained the bath before gathering up my armor and weapons, giving each a good scrub down. I checked the edge on the khopesh and dirk surprised to find they were still in good condition. I placed my gear on the table next to the bed before falling into it and wrapping myself in my tail and the threadbare blanket.