Jared looked over his ammo supply, making sure he had enough for the day. They were gathered outside one of the main entrances to the sewers, preparing to head in.
Bonlanu had joined their party on a trial basis. He didn’t tell them why, only mentioning that he liked partying with someone that had befriended a mimic.
They decided to do a trial run in the sewers to see how they worked as a team and if Bonlanu was a good fit. Before them yawned the entrance to the sewers, a stone archway covering a stairway leading down.
They took a collective breath, then headed down into the sewers.
The first thing that hit them was the stench. The archway must have been enchanted to keep the smell in, because as soon as they walked through, the smell hit so strongly that Jared’s eyes began to water. It was overpowering and omnipresent, a mix of methane, ammonia, and death.
At the bottom of the stairs was a large square landing, with three paths branching off in the cardinal directions. The tunnels were arched, with raised pathways along the sides. The center section of each tunnel was about a meter lower, filled with a murky sludge.
“Well, where do we start?” Jared’s voice echoed through the tunnels.
Bonlanu clapped, a faint green wave shooting out in all directions. A moment later, the wave returned to the Arborial, who pointed down the left tunnel.
“I sense much life that way. I believe it best we begin there.”
Nobody had any objections, so they headed down the left hallway. Bonlanu took the lead, followed by Eleisa, Jared bringing up the rear. As they walked, Jared noticed that Eleisa was getting more twitchy by the minute. She had seemed normal when they first entered the sewers, but she kept glancing around nervously, startling at every small noise.
“Hey El, you okay?”
She replied without looking at him. “I will be fine. My people are most comfortable in the sky, not tunnels. I am…unsettled, but it is not matter. I will adapt.”
“You know, now that I think about it, this mission is kind of the worst matchup for us.”
Bonlanu and Eleisa looked at him inquiringly, and he elaborated. “Eleisa is best with open air to maneuver, and I specialize in long distance strikes against single targets. Neither of those things matches up with the sewers. We’re in an enclosed space where the longest distance possible is less than a hundred meters, and we’ll be up against large amounts of enemies. It’s one of the worst possible situations for us.”
Jared’s companions became somewhat pensive, then Bonlanu offered his thoughts on the matter.
“If you think it unwise to continue, then let us return and find a different quarry; but I do not believe we will be in much danger. I have come down here a small number of times, and all the creatures I have encountered have been weak. Not just in level, but in prowess as well. They rely on their numbers more than is wise, and when they find themselves outmatched, they retreat. This has been true across several different types of creatures. Additionally, one is not always able to fight in one’s preferred situation. Would it not be prudent to learn how to fight in unfavorable situations when the threat of risk is relatively low?”
Jared nodded hesitantly. “You make some good points, but I’m still not sure it’s the best idea. What assurance do we have that things will stay the same? It seems more likely, based on what we’ve learned, that the situation will change, bringing a host of new variables and possible dangers.” Something about the situation was niggling at him, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“If we find we have bitten off more than we can chew, we can always retreat, and Bonlanu will be able to treat any injuries we receive, correct?” Eleisa motioned to the arborial, who nodded.
“I am capable of treating most wounds that are not immediately fatal, and I will serve as vanguard, so you will likely not take many injuries even if we encounter a challenge that is slightly more than we can handle. The benefits of participating in a quest such as this are well worth it, I assure you.”
Even Mimi seemed to want to do it, very lightly tugging him forwards. Under the persuasions of his party members, Jared acceded. “Well, it won’t be the first time I’ve gone into hostile territory underground, and I am much stronger and better prepared than I was then, not to mention we have each other. But if it starts getting dangerous, we’re leaving.”
Eleisa and Bonlanu agreed, and they continued down the tunnel. It wasn’t much longer until they encountered their first enemies.
[Sewer Rat](lvl 8)
[Sewer Rat](lvl 7)
[Sewer Rat](lvl 9)
[Sewer Rat](lvl 11)
…
[Sewer Rat](lvl 13)
A group of overly large rats came scuttling out of the darkness towards them. Jared toggled Offensive Powerhouse to inactive and lifted Mimi, who had shrunk herself to a more manageable size in tight quarters, taking aim at the lead rat. “This is going to be loud.” That warning given, he squeezed the trigger. The explosion of Mimi firing echoed through the tunnels, heralding the death of the first rat. He aimed and fired again, bringing down another rat just before the group reached Bonlanu. But the arborial hadn’t been idly awaiting their approach.
As soon as the rats came into view, he had spoken a word, and the blade of his axe shrunk to about half its original size, and the haft separated about halfway down. Bonlanu caught the separated piece of haft in his left hand, and it lengthened and flattened into a diamond shape. Less than a second after the rats had appeared, was holding a handaxe and kite shield instead of his usual greataxe.
He met the rats with a shield bash, bringing his axe in from the side. He only managed to clip the leg of a rat that was too slow to get out of the way, but his axe sheared through flesh and bone like it wasn’t even there. The rats swarmed around him, seemingly uninterested in anything else, and try as they might, they were unable to get through his armor.
Bonlanu laid about with his axe, and though his blows were slow enough than most rats could dodge, it cleaved the rats he did manage to hit without so much as slowing. Eleisa leapt in to help, impaling one rat after another in her spear with quick motions. Jared kept picking off the rats that were furthest away, and after a few moments of fighting, less than half of the rats still drew breath. Seemingly noticing this, the rats retreated into the tunnel and were gone.
[Sewer Rat](lvl 7) Slain!
[Sewer Rat](lvl 9) Slain!
[Sewer Rat](lvl 13) Slain!
[Sewer Rat](lvl 10) Slain!
Your party has gained EXP
More out of curiosity than anything else, Jared collected a tooth, claw, and eye from a couple of rats, examining them.
Sewer Rat tooth (Ubiquitous, Shoddy) – The tooth from a common Sewer Rat. Effects: Minor disease
Sewer Rat claw (Ubiquitous, Shoddy) – The claw from a common Sewer Rat. Effects: Minor Disease
Sewer Rat eye (Common, Average) – The eye from a common Sewer Rat. Potential Effects: Minor Low-light vision
That was new. He hadn’t been able to see what effects different items might have before. He guessed it was due to his new Skill, Afflicting Shot. Deciding to test it out, he mentally activated the Skill.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Please choose an effect you would like to store:
* Minor Disease
* Minor Low-light Vision
He chose Minor Disease, and the claws in his hands began to glow faintly.
Minor Disease (4/100)
Nearby materials with the same effect detected. Would you like to destroy them as well?
“You guys aren’t going to want any of the rat claws or teeth, right? They have a disease effect.”
When his party members answered that they didn’t, he accepted the system prompt. The claws and teeth in his hands glowed a little brighter, then exploded into motes of light, which gathered in front of him. The claws and teeth on all the dead rats did the same a moment later, joining the small glowing orb. When all the motes of light had joined together, the resulting orb sunk into Jared’s chest.
Effect Gained: Minor Disease (209/100)
Effect Upgraded: Moderate Disease (109/1000)
Effect: Moderate Disease (109/1000) - Infects the target with a disease, which may be resisted if the target has high PHY. Disease will disorient and deal moderate damage over time.
Skill Afflicting Shot upgraded from (Unskilled II) to (Unskilled III)
Interesting. It seems that if I destroy more materials with the same effect, the effect gets stronger. Neat.
“Is anybody injured?” Bonlanu looked each of them over before they continued, making sure no stray cuts or bites were present. A cut inflicted with disease, even a minor one, was not something they would want to leave untreated. When Bonlanu was satisfied, they dumped the bodies in the sludge and proceeded down the tunnel. They encountered a few more groups of rats over the next several hours, each handled as easily as the first. Destroying all their claws and teeth, Jared was able to get Moderate Disease just over halfway to the next level.
Afflicting Shot (Unskilled III):
* Moderate Disease (521/1000)
It was early afternoon when things took a turn. They had just fought off the latest group of rats and Jared was about to destroy their teeth and claws, when he felt something above them in the tunnel. Spinning, he raised Mimi but was unable to find anything. Still, he was sure he felt a presence somewhere in the darkness above.
The hell?
A moment later, there was a meaty thud, and Eleisa yelped in surprise. Jared turned just in time to see a second many-limbed creature impact Eleisa, knocking her off balance and sending her and both her assailants into the sludge below.
The brown liquid wasn’t more than a meter deep, so Jared caught flashes of Eleisa flailing and fighting, as well as a couple of black spidery shapes clambering on and around her. Every time she tried to get to her feet, she was dragged down again by some force that Jared couldn’t see. It didn’t take him more than a second to come to the conclusion that he wasn’t going to be able to draw a bead on Eleisa’s attackers, so he pulled his knife and jumped in after her.
The sludgy water only came up to just above Jared’s knees, and it was moving slow enough that the current posed little hindrance. He rushed over to Eleisa and yanked one of her attackers off her. He immediately regretted it, as the creature immediately started attacking him with its razor-sharp limbs. He tried to drop it, but his hands had adhered to the creature on contact, like it had been super-glued to him. He struggled with it for several seconds, his forearms and face getting cut to ribbons by the creature’s wild thrashing. Then, he felt something pull itself onto his shoulder and an explosion filled his ears, nearly deafening him. The creature in his hands fell limp, indicating its death.
He looked to his right, finding Mimi, still in her smaller gun form, sitting on his shoulder, a whisp of smoke trailing up from her barrel. He gave her a thumbs up in thanks as he surveyed the rest of the scene before him. Bonlanu had apparently killed the other attacker and helped Eleisa to her feet while Jared was distracted, as they were standing next to each other on the raised ledge.
Jared awkwardly hoisted himself back up, his hands still stuck to the creature. His arms and face had several long cuts that felt like they were simultaneously burning and freezing, and his leather chest piece was hanging from him in several pieces. He could barely think through the pain. He was dimly aware of large footsteps drawing near, then he felt a warm wave flow through his body before settling on his injuries.
Several seconds later, Jared’s cuts had sealed themselves, and the pain had faded. He sat up, finding that the spider-creature had been removed from his hands as well, its body placed next to that of the other of its kind on the ledge. He looked up at Bonlanu, who was stepping back, the branches on his head drooping slightly.
“Thanks. I’m glad we had you here. Otherwise, that could have been really bad. Are you doing okay?”
Bonlanu nodded. “I am uninjured. My mana reserves are low, however. It may be prudent to retreat for the day.”
Jared agreed, but before they left, he examined the bodies of the creatures, harvesting everything of use. Now that he was looking at them closer without threat on his life, he found that they were diabolical amalgamations of creatures. He couldn’t decide if they were cute or creepy.
Their bodies were roughly the size and shape of a large, black housecat, and each had five dark eyes on their heads. They had four normal legs that ended in clawed feet, but four more legs erupted from their backs, curving down and ending in sharp points, like a spider’s legs. They had no fur or hair, just a solid black shell encasing the whole body. Consulting his notifications, he found the name of these creatures.
[Lurking Shadeweaver](lvl 18) Slain!
Your party gains EXP.
Your party member levels up!
Skill Big Game Wrestling has been upgraded from (Unskilled I) to (Unskilled II)
He spent the next few minutes collecting everything he could from the corpses, which ended up being more than he had thought.
Shadeweaver claw (Uncommon, Great) - The claw of a creature skilled in weaving shadows. Effects: Shadewalk, Minor Shadowcurse
Shadeweaver blade (Uncommon, Great) - The bladed limb of a creature skilled in weaving shadows. Effects: Shadewalk, Minor Shadowcurse
Shadeweaver chitin (Uncommon, Average) - The armor of a creature skilled in weaving shadows. Effects: Shadeskin
Shadeweaver eye (Uncommon, Great) - The eye of a creature skilled in weaving shadows. It has been enhanced, giving additional effects. Effects: Moderate Low-light Vision, Shadesight
Shadeweaver spinneret (Uncommon, Average) - The organ of a creature skilled in weaving shadows that produces shadeweave.
Shadeweave (Rare, Excellent) - A rare material produced by elusive creatures of shadow. Similar to spider silk, it has been woven with shadows, giving it similar properties. Highly sought after for use in crafting clothing and armor that aids in stealth.
He was curious what all those effects did, so he used Afflicting Shot to destroy one of the claws, giving him access to the one that sounded the most immediately useful.
Effect Gained: Shadewalk (1/100)
Effect: Shadewalk (1/100) - Attacks shift slightly to the plane of shades, causing them to ignore a portion of the target’s armor and resistance to damage.
Skill Afflicting Shot has been upgraded from (Unskilled III) to (Unskilled IV)
While not being as immediately useful as he had imagined, it would still be a very useful effect.
He gave the rest of the materials to Mimi for safekeeping, rejoining his companions. He was ready to get out of the sewers.
As they made their way back through the tunnels to the exit, Jared once again took notice of Eleisa. She was now even more on edge, and at times he could have sworn she was trembling. He couldn’t see any physical injuries on her, but she was obviously shaken.
He came up next to her so as to not startle her when he spoke. “Hey, you okay?”
She took a shaky breath, then shook her head. “I know that I advocated for us to continue, but I do not think I would be sorry if I never saw this place again.”
Jared chuckled. “You know, I would agree with you there. Let’s get out of here and get some rest. Then we can find ourselves some monsters to hunt out in the open.”
She smiled weakly at him. “I will support that idea.”
They made their way out of the sewers without issue, and went straight to The Raven’s Rest. After a nap, Jared went looking for Bonlanu. It took some searching and asking around, but soon Jared found him in a small park on the west side of the city. He was sitting underneath a tree, obviously meditating or something similar.
“Hey Bonlanu, can we have a quick chat?”
The tree-man responded in the affirmative without opening his eyes, so Jared sat down next to him. “Thanks for the healing back there. I don’t know if Eleisa and I would have been able to manage those injuries very well on our own.”
Bonlanu was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion. “I do not deserve your praise. I persuaded you and Eleisa to enter the sewers, knowing the risks. I believed I would be able to protect you from any threats. I was wrong, and as a result, both you and she were injured. Additionally, your injuries were shadowcursed, so I was almost unable to heal you. I have dishonored you, my Grove, and myself.”
Jared was stunned at the previously jovial man’s regret. It took him a few moments to collect himself enough to form an answer. “It is true that you encouraged us to take a risk, knowing that the rewards would be worth it. But we decided as a group to proceed. We accepted the risks, and in the end, none of us were permanently hurt.”
“I fear that Eleisa is not completely well.” He turned to look at Jared, his eyes like deep pools of sorrow. “And I fear that I am responsible. I cannot heal injuries of the mind, only the body.”
“I don’t think you have much to worry about. We all make mistakes, and sometimes we get hurt, and sometimes other people get hurt. Both Eleisa and I have made mistakes that caused each other harm, and we both rolled with it. She’s stronger that you might think.”
Bonlanu hesitated, then nodded. “I hope, for her sake, that you are right.”