Nathan joined the others as they looted the dead attackers. He hadn’t had time to participate in the last moments of the fight, but he’d taken advantage of the moment to analyze one of the kobolds.

Kobold spotter

Level 5, Monster

Health 11/11

Damage Resistance: 0

Strength – 8

Constitution – 7

Dexterity – 12

Perception – 12

Charisma – 6

Attack:

Primitive spear – d6-2 piercing dmg

Natural claws – d4-1 slashing dmg

Natural bite – d4 piercing dmg

“I’ve managed to get a full analysis of one of the kobolds. I think the whole group is of the same type, so it should be valid for all of them,” he said as he got near the others.

Margos finished looting his latest kill, the frown on his face betraying the result of the search. So far none of the kobolds had carried anything worth taking. “Any of it useful?”

“Well, yes and no. Nothing we can use to our advantage, but it gives us an idea of how they fight. They are level 5, as Ash mentioned, so they have better stats than most of the goblins we fought earlier. Double the perception and dexterity, although strength and constitution are pretty much on-par. I couldn’t see their stats at the time, but these kobolds can probably be compared to the Goblin warriors, although these guys strike me as better fighters... which might be related to their agility. On the other hand, they don’t have any armor, so that’s something.”

“Yeah, these guys are better fighters, for sure. The goblin thrash mobs pretty much charged without any skill or self-preservation. The warriors were better, but not by much.” RedReaver gestured to the dead creatures around him. “These scaley fuckers are nothing like that. They are... slippery. Fainting and dodging while trying to stay out of reach and prodding with their spears. I can hardly get a hit in.”

Margos nodded as he walked to pick up the torch he’d dropped as the fighting started. “They are small, but fast. It’s fine as long as we only fight a small group at a time, but if we run into a larger group this is gone go much worse than it did in the goblin camp.”

Ashira looked from one to the other with a concerned expression. “What do you mean worse? I thought you won that fight and cleared the goblin camp? ‘A great victory’, was how Bruce described it.”

Margos scratched his cheek. “True enough, I suppose. Depends on how you see it.”

“How so?” prodded Ashira. “Bruce sold me on this quest in part because of how I would be able to team up and learn from some of the ‘local heroes who crushed the goblin intrusion’ with minimal risk. His words, not mine.”

“Minimal risk?” snorted RedReaver but didn’t elaborate.

Margos looked for Nathan to jump in, which he reluctantly did.

“A glass half-full kind of guy –say someone like Bruce– could describe the battle as a great victory against overwhelming odds. He could truthfully say how we successfully held the line as the green hoard threw themself against their betters, while we whittled them down from behind.

“A cynical glass half-empty kind of guy –say someone like yours truly– might describe the battle as a clusterfuck were a bunch of idiots still wet behind their ears intentionally walked themselves into a situation far beyond their skill and experience, with only half of them walking away again.

Nathan deflated a little. “The truth of the matter is that we were in over our heads. That only half of our group ended up in the dirt was probably a best-case scenario. After all, neither Red nor me could have taken another hit, and the only reason Bruce and Lucero made it was because they had the good sense to flee. Luck won the day, nothing else.”

“Christ, Bruce told it as if you guys just walked in kicking ass and taking numbers. Now that I think about it, he suspiciously did downplay his own role as the leader, but still... You lost 4 people?”

“5 I think.” Margos looked a bit embarrassed. “Remember, we were –and are– new to the game and didn’t know what to expect in a group fight of that magnitude. Most of the team hadn’t even fought a single goblin yet, much less 50. The idea was to slowly pull the goblins and deal with them in smaller sections, but that didn’t work at all. If Eclipse hadn’t bullied us into something at least close to an organized group with an attack plan, we wouldn’t have had a chance at all.”

“Nothing to worry about. We are better geared now and have earned some levels as well. Had we fought the goblins now, things would have gone much better,” said RedReaver as he smiled sheepishly and puffed out his chest.

“I guess you have handled the kobolds pretty well, so far...” allowed Ashira, but she didn’t sound convinced.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Which we will continue to do... unless we meet many of them, in which case we will die.” Margos stopped as if he just thought about something. “Well, Red will die. The rest of us are dex-based and can probably outrun him. Them, I mean. Them!”

“If it comes to that. you just run along, little man. My large shield and I will keep your back clear as you cowardly flee back to the village, screaming in terror all the way with your tail behind your legs.”

“I didn’t say I'd sc-” Margos unsuccessfully tried to intervene, but RedReaver would have none of it.

“Screaming in terror, I said!” he repeated as he smiled and laughed.

Shortly after Ashira and Margos joined in, but it was hard to say if they laughed off or with RedReaver.

Nathan waited until they were finished before he circled back to the results of analyze. At that point all of them were ready to continue. “As I was saying, kobolds of this level should be fine, but if we meet higher-level kobolds in great numbers, we should really reevaluate our options. With some more stats and higher health points, they could become formidable fast.”

“Isn’t it a bit weird that kobolds are more dangerous than goblins, even though they are the same level? Shouldn’t levels be a representation of how dangerous they are?” asked Margos thoughtfully. “Personally, I’d much rather fight a goblin warrior than a kobold.”

“I suppose, but I think it depends on your own style as well. The difference of 1 DR doesn’t matter that much if you potentially do 10 or 12 damage, as someone with a large sword could do, but if you only have a small knife...” Nathan nodded in the direction of Ashira, “then that is suddenly 25% of your potential damage gone. I can see how that is balanced against some increased stats. As for the weapon handling, maybe that isn’t covered by the levels? A level 1 player could very well be much better at fighting than a level 10 player, without it being represented in either player’s stats. Perhaps it is the same for mobs?”

“Could be,” agreed Margos. “Truthfully, it would be just my luck to meet a goblin weapon master when I think I’m in for an easy fight. Do you think there are elite or veteran mobs as well?”

“Time will tell. For now, let’s focus on the enemy in front of us. Just don’t underestimate them based on their level, is all I’m saying.”

They continued to backtrack and reached the elevator without any further issues. Without the need for words, they stepped into it and pushed the down button.

Nathan let out a breath he didn’t know he held when it started to move. He’d silently feared that it had been sabotaged or deactivated it, but it seemed his fears had been baseless. A short-lived relief, for even though they most likely would be able to climb back up with the help of ropes or the elevator cables, it would be dangerous and time-consuming.

His worries would surely resurface when it was time to extract, but for now he pushed them away, other worries taking their place. Was that movement, or just a flicker from the torch? The vertical elevator shaft didn’t have any light sources, so the shadows danced and moved around them, obscuring anything... or anyone.

In his mind he could easily see how a group of kobolds could hide themselves along the wall, ready to jump onto or into the elevator as they passed.

Nathan readjusted the grip on his spear, ready in case something was to suddenly detach from the wall. He gave his surroundings the full attention they demanded, as the group steadily moved further down into the dark.

When they moved away from the first tunnel, a second light source could be seen at the side of the shaft further down. Perhaps there was also another light further below. Something red? It was hard to say for sure, but that didn’t stop them from trying.

Not sharing Nathan’s premonition and oblivious to any potential danger, the rest of the group had their attention on where they were going instead of where they were. Ashira even leaned out and pointed towards the light, exposing herself to any ambushers.

Nathan pulled her back from the railing with a scowl. “Keep your guard up”, he growled.

She looked surprised but obeyed. RedReaver and Margos also took the hint and stood a bit straighter.

It wasn’t needed, as the elevator continued unimpeded until it stopped level to the lip of the second tunnel. A tunnel very much like the last one. Almost identical. Except for one obvious difference.

Clear tracks could be seen in the sand, moving in all directions. Literally.

“Are you seeing this?” Nathan asked the others as they stepped off, dropping down on one knee to take a close look. Their reaction revealed that only Ashira had.

Margos dropped down beside him, bringing his torch close to the ground. “Lizards. There’s a lot of them. Overlaying each other. No way to say how many are from the same creatures.”

“If you are curious, we can always count them afterward,” boosted Red from where he’d taken up position in front of the group, but Nathan could hear he was nervous.

Ashira paced back and forth a bit, her gaze moving back and forth between the dark tunnel in front of them, the tracks and the dark behind them. She let out a small hallow laugh as she talked. “I’ve never actually thought much about the psychological aspect of dungeon diving, but this is nerve-racking with potential enemies on all sides. Right now, this feels more like a horror game than an RPG. And even though I know it’s a game, I can’t stop my heart from beating like a jackhammer,” Ashira let out a small hallow laugh as she talked. “I can only imagine how it would be if we were actually risking our lives. Walking into unknown danger from which we might not return.”

“If this was real, we wouldn’t enter a mine like this without thorough intel, and even then, we would be walking much slower while fortifying fallback positions as we moved. There would be more of us, and we would have drones, cameras and communication. That part is not similar at all,” Nathan answered absentmindedly as he traced out one of the footprints with a finger.

After a while, he continued in a lower voice. “But the fears and the uncertainty... The ‘what-ifs’... Knowing that one move –one decision– can be the difference between life and death. That is much the same. Habit and training can prepare you for the unknown and blunt the indecisiveness that makes you freeze when you should move. But the fears are always there, hiding just below the surface, ready to pounce and engulf you if you let them.”

Nathan looked around at the others with a sad, almost manic smile. The reflection of the torch danced in his eyes, giving them an uneasy twinkle. “It is... exhilarating!”