Delve Redux
The caverns stretched wide as they pushed onward. Monsters lurked in the shadows, but thanks to the [Illusionist], the group remained unseen. The air hung heavy with the damp smell of ages, punctuated by the drip-drip-drip of unseen water and the skittering of unseen claws on cold stone.
Janus identified each monster as soon as he spotted them. They were mostly [Rat Hounds] and [Carrion Crawlers]. None of them had been above level 20. He clung tightly to the rope with both hands. As far as he was concerned, it was his lifeline.
The [Carrion Crawlers] were a disgusting mess of legs and misshapen teeth. Mandibles protruded menacingly from their faces, adding to their ghastly appearance.
On the other hand, the [Rat Hounds] looked just like dogs from a distance. But it became clearer up close where he could see the strange shape of their snouts and their winding, whip-like tails.
He was surprised by how long the journey was taking them. He hadn’t expected the nest to be so far out of the way.
I guess that’s why the delvers haven’t found it yet.
“Stop. We should be close.” Fao said from ahead.
It was hard to tell if this section of the cavern was any different from what they had already passed through. Each minute the group paused waiting for Fao set Janus even further on edge. He figured the burly gangster must be checking his map again.
I wonder how he can even see the map in here.
After another minute, Fao seemed to make up his mind.
“Alright, it should be right up ahead.”
Janus crept along, following Fao’s voice. The group came upon a rusted metal grate covering an opening into another open area.
Inside was strange in comparison to the rest of the cavern. The ground and the walls were smooth, and the room was neatly circular. That wasn’t holding Janus’ attention, however. In the center of the room he could just barely make out a hulking figure. He quickly identified it.
[Three Headed Rat Hound - Level 25]
The monster rested beyond the grate, towering over a tangle of bones and refuse situated in the center of the chamber.
“We can’t get through this grate without makin’ a bunch of noise.” Said Fao. “The damn thing is probably enchanted, anyway. Those Talon bastards are smarter than I thought. This keeps that monster in and keeps us out at the same time.”
Janus stepped forward, almost tripping over the obscured Jacks in front of him. He closed his eyes and willed for his mana sight to activate. He opened his eyes and could see the enchantment flowing through the metal.
“I might be able to do something.” Janus said.
He placed his hand near the grate and tried to pull mana from it. At first, not much happened. But after a few moments, he saw the enchantment losing strength. Mana was pooling in his palm and he simply let it disperse.
“The enchantment should be gone.”
“For sure?” Fao said. “Get in there with your saw, Hal. Cut the grate out. Make it quiet.”
Janus could hear subdued shuffling as the others moved out of the way and Hal pushed forward.
“Ah, fuck! Watch your step man!” Fao’s voice rang out as a shout, but he quickly reigned himself in, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Drop the illusion, Harry. I don’t see any Talons around.”
Suddenly, everyone was visible. Janus could see Hal standing at the grate with a wicked-looking saw. The tool had a red glow along the edge as he cut through the grate. Before the grate could fall from its fastenings, Fao lunged forward and caught it. The two gangsters lowered it down softly.
“No chance we don’t make noise takin’ this dog thing out. We gotta be fast. In and out before the other monsters hear us.” Fao said.
Or the other gang.
Everyone stepped into the circular room. The creature’s torso rose and fell in a rhythm. It appeared to be sleeping. Janus wondered if monsters even needed sleep.
Fao, Hal and the other two Jacks stepped forward. Harry and Janus stayed back.
Fao was just a few steps away when it stirred. In an instant, it was on its feet, letting out a three-toned howl that echoed through the chamber.
So much for quiet.
Janus used [Power Enhancement] on each of them and focused mana into Fao’s arm. He was careful to control the amount of mana so that Fao wasn’t hurt.
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The fight was chaotic and lacked any sense of dignity. Only Hal wielded a weapon, albeit just the saw he had previously used. The rest of the group resorted to punching and kicking the towering, three-meter-tall beast. Janus remained vigilant, ensuring his enhancements bolstered their efforts. The [Three Headed Rat Hound] proved ferocious, one of its heads seizing a gangster by the neck, lifting him high, and shaking him violently. The unfortunate man plummeted to the ground, disappearing without a trace.
Harry must have hidden the man with an illusion. Janus looked to his side, but the [Illusionist] had already moved. The monster was distracted with the three remaining gangsters, so Janus crept towards where the other had fallen. Before he could reach the man, Harry suddenly appeared. A diffuse green light projected from his palm.
Nobody had told Janus that Harry had any healing spells. The sight was a small relief. He turned his attention back to the fight and let Harry work. His enhancements had fallen off and he refreshed them. Over time, [Power Enhancement] was draining more of his mana than he would have liked.
[Your party has defeated an enemy: Three Headed Rat Hound]
[Your Power Enhancement skill has gained 1 level]
He hadn't anticipated the fight ending so swiftly, but considering the monster was only level 25, it made sense. As the creature's corpse gradually dissipated, a fang remained in its place. Fao swiftly seized the item and pocketed it. He dropped a small round object near the pile of bones and gestured for everyone to vacate the chamber.
“Hide us, Harry,” he said, “I dropped the [Purifier]. We gotta get out of here.”
Everyone bled out of view as Harry hid them once more. They were slowly making their way back when Janus heard a shout.
“The nest is gone!”
The Talons must have heard the commotion of the fight and hurried back. It seemed likely that they were attempting to level up in the nearby caves as Janus and the Jacks had destroyed the nest.
He took this as a cue to speed up, worried that Harry’s illusion might have an effective range. Suddenly, the rope was jerked from his hands. He wanted to cry out to the others, but he worried that the Talons would hear him. Instead, he scrabbled forward with his hands out. To his dismay, he couldn’t find any of the others.
“Guys?” he ventured, his voice a subdued whisper.
In a panic, he glanced around looking for anything notable. Anything to give him a hint about which way to go.
I should have remembered the turns we took on the way in.
Uncertain of the distance to the exit or the correct direction, Janus found himself navigating through the chaotic layout of the cavern. Its myriad twists and forks only added to his sense of dread. Nevertheless, he pressed forward.
Up ahead, Janus spotted the familiar white glow of a [Torchstone], a beacon of hope in the darkness. Its illumination offered him a sense of direction and location within the caves. However, the light from the [Torchstone] only grew brighter as a figure approached.
The man wore a jacket with a crow’s foot stitched across the front. Janus remembered the emblem from elsewhere in the station. The symbol for the Talons.
Thankfully, Harry’s illusion was still in effect. The man hadn’t spotted him. He gingerly paced forwards, intending to slip by, but his foot crunched down on loose rock. He inwardly cursed himself as the gangster turned towards him.
“Someone there? Hello?”
Janus remained tight-lipped as the man drew nearer. A flicker of confusion danced across the gangster's face as he came to a stop nearby. He was staring right at Janus.
And Janus wouldn’t let the man act first. He identified the gangster.
[Duelist - Level 17]
Just as the man pulled a short sword from his side, Janus reacted, pumping as much mana as he could into his foe’s torso. The gangster faltered, dropped his short sword, and clutched at his chest.
Janus hurried forward, swiftly covering the gangster's mouth with his hand, and wrapping his arm around their neck. Despite the gangster's superior physical strength, he was incapacitated by pain, unable to resist. Janus maintained his hold until the gangster ceased struggling.
He quickly drew the extra mana out of the unconscious man’s chest. They were still breathing, and Janus intended to keep it that way.
Janus turned and headed down the cave the gangster had come from. He felt his way along in the darkness and cursed himself for not taking the gangsters [Torchstone]. He had been worried about the light attracting unwelcome attention.
From ahead, he could hear some whispering and then a soft call.
“Janus, you back there?” It was Fao’s voice.
Janus followed the sound. He was about to speak before another voice cut him off.
“He’s there,” said Harry.
“Good. Let’s get out of here then,” Fao replied.
Harry let his illusion drop momentarily so that Janus could grab onto the rope once more. He didn’t plan on letting it leave his hands until they were back in Crow Station.
“I left a guy back there. He’s unconscious, but they’ll find him sooner or later. It wasn’t far from this exit,” he explained.
“Damn, they’ll probably find our entrance. We need to move,” said Fao.
The group picked up their pace, lightly jogging through the old delver tunnel. After some time, they stopped for a break.
“We should be good for a few minutes,” Fao announced.
“Stars! We did it, man!” said one of the others.
“Quiet! Sound travels far in these tunnels.” Harry admonished.
“I’m just trying to have a good time, chill out.”
Janus was grateful for the break, but wasn’t sure if they were being followed or not. He would have preferred to press on, even though his lungs were on fire. Thankfully, the break had been brief, and the group moved out once more.
They moved at a slower pace now that they had made some distance. Harry kept the illusion running, but the other loosened up a little bit.
Suddenly, the ground began the shake.
“Ah. I think it’s an earthquake.” said Hal.
“We need to get out of this tunnel.” Janus replied. “It doesn’t have any supports like the newer ones. An earthquake can trap us in here.”
The group seemed to get the memo and picked up their pace again. The earth continued to shake and Janus could feel a series of booms from up ahead. A sharp crack rang out through the tunnels, and he slammed his hand to his ears. All he could hear was a high-pitched ringing noise.
Stars! What was that?
Harry’s skill must have dropped because everyone had become visible. The [Illusionist] was crouched on the ground, head in his hands. After a few moments, the group began to recover. Janus worked his jaw, his ears were still ringing.
Harry looked around. “Sorry guys, the noise broke my concentration.”
“We’re pretty much at the finish line. Don’t sweat it. We’ll need to be hidden when we leave, though. Don’t want the delver’s to see us using their tunnels.” Fao replied.
A few minutes later, the exit was visible in front of them. Janus stepped up and entered the sequence to open the seal.
As the seal opened, Janus couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Delver's Guild lay in ruins, the ground torn asunder into a great ravine that split the Backwash into two halves. Creatures swarmed amidst the wreckage, adding to the scene of chaos and devastation.
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