“I still don't understand why it made you sick. It’s exactly how I always cook it, and it doesn't bother me!” Clover said, packing up the last of our supplies. A confused pout pulled at the corners of her lips.

She'd been grumbling about it all night, and I'd given up on explaining the problem. The next time we stopped for a meal, I'd cook. Maybe seeing non-burnt food would help her realize the issue. If nothing else, she might like the flavor more.

Putting that aside, I shouldered my pack and nearly sighed in relief. Thanks to the potion she'd given me last night, I was energized and ready to go. I didn't want to imagine trying this otherwise…

The stairwell loomed against the far wall, leading down into the next area. Thankfully, no monsters had joined us overnight, but now it was time to bring the fight to them. If the rest of the dungeon had spiders like the last one, it was going to be a miserable week for me. Why did it always have to be spiders?

The thought vanished as Clover brushed past me, finally snapping out of the funk she'd been in since she poisoned me.

“Alright, our goal is to finish at least the second level today. If we make it past that, even better.”

I nodded and went to follow, but as we reached the doorway, she shot out an arm to press against my chestplate. I stopped and raised a brow.

“Did we forget something?”

She shook her head and pointed at our feet, where one stone looked just slightly different than the others.

“No, but we almost triggered a trap. We'll have to be careful of those as we go.” She stepped over the hidden pressure plate. I copied her, eyeing it warily.

I'd have to remember that on the way out. Unfortunately, we didn't have anyone capable of disarming it with us.

“Thanks, I'd prefer not to see what happens if it gets triggered,” I muttered. She waved off the thanks.

“I have a high perception, so I'll keep an eye out for them.” She glanced at my side before continuing. “Why haven't you used the spell to bless your sword yet?”

I gripped the hilt instinctively. “To be honest, I forgot I could do that now. I've always been a melee fighter, so spells aren't…”

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“...what you're used to?” She finished with an amused smile.

I nodded. “I'll work on that while we're down here.”

Focusing on the familiar warmth I associated with the spirit, I imagined it coating my weapon and spoke. “Chosen's Blessing.”

A flash lit the stairwell, and once it died down, I unsheathed my now faintly glowing blade with a nod.

“Alright, now I'm ready when you are,” I said.

Clover hummed and led the way, her mace glowing as she muttered her spell. Between the two of us, the torch almost wasn't necessary.

The hallway stretched before us, cobwebs and the occasional bone decorating its length. Soft blue light glowed from the opening ahead of us, and Clover slowed, her grip tightening on her mace.

“That's probably some kind of monster, so be ready.”

I loosened my shoulders and looked ahead, waiting for our first glimpse at what else this dungeon would throw our way.

We crept through the opening and hesitated, taking it in. This room was much smaller than the previous one. Unlike the top layer, it had a door in the back right corner that would lead us to the next.

I guess it was too much to hope that each level would have only one room. It would have made things easier, but dungeons tended to be the opposite of easy.

Clover gestured toward the opposite corner and nudged my arm, bringing me back to the present. “Looks like we're dealing with Glowcaps.”

I turned toward the source of the light and considered the monsters. They were giant brown mushrooms with vibrant green moss collecting on their heads. Smaller, glowing blue mushrooms grew from the moss, lighting up the entire chamber. There wasn't anything in here other than them and the door, which meant I was safe to analyze them without worrying about an ambush.

Glowcap

Level 3

Hit Points: 15/15

Mana: 5/5

Status: Healthy

The second was the same, and they hadn't noticed us yet. Their glowing blue eyes were locked on a decomposing corpse leaned against the wall and…was that drool leaking from their mouths?

My stomach rolled, and after a nod from Clover, I jumped in before they could feast.

My sword drove through the first one with ease, but…it didn't bleed or flinch. It stared at the tip of my blade, now poking out of its chest, with an almost curious air. The second turned to me, and I jumped back, eyeing them warily.

“Any advice, Clover?” I called over my shoulder, only to freeze as a blur of honey-gold hair lunged past me.

Her mace collided with the one I'd stabbed. This time, instead of staring curiously, it recoiled with a warbled sound. The second one copied it, tensing and lowering its head to attack.

I spun and brought the sword down its middle. This time, it cut easily, the monster falling into two pieces. No blood or organs spilled out. In their place was…more mushroom.

Apparently these monsters were truly just giant, mutated fungus. Maybe I could even make soup from them…

I shook the thoughts aside and turned to check on Clover. I barely made it two steps before the Glowcap collapsed in two halves, and when its body touched the floor, everything around me exploded in a cloud of glowing, pulsing spores.