Chapter 33 Cellar

Kate shined her headlamp down the stairwell, finding more corpses in the way, though fewer than on the ground floor. She listened. There were faint noises in the distance though too muffled to be inside the building. “I think there are monsters outside, but I can’t tell how far away or what kind,” she whispered.

Ethan grabbed the rifle from the ground and put it into one of his bags.

“Nothing down here. At least nothing I can hear,” Kate said.

The cellar consisted of a main corridor with two forks and eight rooms in total. Plus one additional corridor that led to the back exit, though a closed door blocked it off at the moment. The power was out in the station, leaving the windowless cellar near entirely dark.

Kate clicked her tongue and found a few more corpses with her echo location. She deactivated the magic and motioned to the upcoming fork. One way went left, the other right, with the main corridor continuing down the middle. She checked around the corner with Grey taking the other side. “Clear,” she whispered.

“Clear,” he copied.

“What are we, some kind of special forces unit?” Ethan asked, the eye-roll downright audible.

“There’s a reason they do this,” Kate said.

“Communication makes sense,” Grey said. “I did plenty of raids.”

“Raids? Like police raids of illegal parties? I thought you did IT or something,” Ethan said.

“I d… did. I studied. It doesn’t m… matter,” Grey said.

“The storage rooms are down your hallway, let’s check those first,” Kate said, walking past the flustered Grey with her hammer in hand.

“Right,” Ethan said, glancing behind for a moment before he followed. “You said undead. What did you mean when you said the others could become a problem?”

“It means corpses could become undead. Their eyes looked strange. Too intense. Sometimes there are necromancer Classes or necromancy where you can summon skeletons or take corpses, then turn them into undead. Usually unthinking and stupid. The ones we just fought seemed quite stupid too but the policeman could still use his weapon, which means they at least retain some of their abilities from before dying,” Grey said. “They’re stronger too.”

“Not necessarily,” Kate said as she reached the end of the corridor and put down her bags. She prepared her hammer and nodded towards the heavy locked door made of steel.

Ethan rushed towards it and started trying keys.

“What do you mean?” Grey asked, looking her way.

“Adrenaline alone can make you do insane things. If you remove things like pain reception, fear, self preservation, and switch up some instincts, you get a scary combination,” she said.

“Like you?” Ethan said, glancing at her with a grin.

“Find the key, fire boy,” she said before addressing Grey. “Either way, they’re strong. Against humans without a Class or higher Strength and Vitality, I don’t know how they could be stopped. Without modern weapons at least.”

“It’s weird that only those three were undead. I wonder if there is someone around that raised them, or if it’s a natural occurrence,” Grey said.

“Let’s just hope nothing else turns while we’re here,” Kate said. There were a lot of corpses out in the streets. And those two goblins did attack the Wyvern. “At least they seem to attack other monsters too, which means we could make an escape in the worst case.”

“We can also test if the undead thing is something local to this town. There were plenty of corpses left in front of the castle,” Grey said.

Shit. Kate opened her eyes wide.

“Oh,” Grey uttered.

“Not sure if they’re smart enough to climb the walls, or dodge bolts. Don’t shit your pants,” Ethan said. “Got it.” The lock clicked before he stepped to the side. “Hammer.”

Kate held her weapon with both hands, standing next to Ethan as he opened the door. Nothing rushed out and no trap activated. She glanced into the room and scratched her cheek. “Right. Guns. Lots of guns.”

“That’s from the Matrix,” Grey said.

“Don’t explain jokes and references,” Kate said as she shouldered her empty bags. “Just… let them be.”

Grey looked down. “S… sorry.”

“Don’t apologize either,” she said, shining her light into the room. It was rather small.

Ethan whistled when he saw the row of rifles on the opposite wall. He slapped a hand over his mouth when he realized how loud the noise was. “Holy shit.” He glanced behind himself to see Grey enter with his bags. “Are you… sure we can just… take this stuff?”

“They’re dead, Ethan,” Kate said and took one of the rifles. It was a dark gray color, near black. A long shoulder piece and a very long barrel. The added scope made her think it was a sniper rifle of sorts. The thing just barely fit into the longest bag she had. There were two of them. She packed them both.

Grey looked at one of the other rifles, the same model the undead had used. It was quite a bit smaller, two handles and a shoulder piece, equipped with a scope as well and colored in gray. There were five of those in addition to the one from the undead. “Should we take all of them?”

“If there’s space, yes,” Kate said and started to pack them.

The others did so too, packing everything they found in the room. There were batons, cans of what they assumed to be pepper spray, multitools, cleaning kits, and five pistols in addition to the three they had found so far.

“More magazines,” Grey said as he looked at an open box. He closed it and put the thing into one of his bags.

“What about ammo?” Kate asked.

“In here maybe?” Ethan said, standing in front of a large metal locker in the corner of the room. It was higher than Ethan and bolted to the wall and floor. “Can’t find the key for this one though.”

Kate walked over, ready to use her hammer. She grabbed the handle and pulled. Hmm. She put her left leg against the wall behind and pulled with both hands. Something bent and broke, the metal door of the locker ripped open with a screeching sound. “There you go,” she murmured, looking at the cases of ammo, labeled with what she assumed to be the caliber. She grabbed a bag and started to move the cases.

“You just… ripped it open,” Ethan murmured.

“Strength,” Kate said.

“Maybe I should rethink my magic stuff,” the fire mage said.

“Too late now,” Grey said. “Say that again when you can summon meteors from the skies.”

“Y… you think I’ll be able to do that?” Ethan asked.

Grey shrugged. “No way to find out but getting stronger. Just focus on your main stats.”

“Do we have everything?” Kate asked a few minutes later.

“I think so,” Ethan said.

“Then let’s check the next room,” Kate said before moving on. She read the rest of the messages in the corner of her vision while listening for noises.

‘ding’ ‘Mindless Ferocity reaches lvl 19’

‘ding’ ‘Shattering Step reaches lvl 4’

‘ding’ ‘Toll for the Living reaches lvl 16’

‘ding’ ‘Courage of the Unarmored reaches lvl 15’

‘ding’ ‘Two Handed Weapon Fighting reaches lvl 15’

‘ding’ ‘Heightened Hearing reaches lvl 10’

‘ding’ ‘Echo Location reaches lvl 3’

No Class levels from that fight. Next one I suppose, she thought as Ethan unlocked the next door in the corridor. She raised a finger to her mouth and listened. Steps and growls. Something had entered the station on the ground floor. “Open,” she said in a whisper, checking the room with her hammer and headlamp before she motioned the others inside.

Kate closed the door behind herself and pointed at Ethan. “Lock it again, we’re not alone anymore in the station.”

“What did you hear?” Grey whispered.

“You’re blinding me,” Ethan said to the man.

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Grey moved his headlamp to the side, illuminating much of the larger room. Steel grating split the room in two, the other side packed with boxes and shelves.

Ethan locked the door. “Hear what came?”

“No idea,” Kate said, setting down her bags. She was glad for her increased strength. The sound of the ammo bag being set down made her raise her brows. “We’ll deal with it when we leave.”

“If we just wait, it might leave on its own,” Grey said. “I think this is an evidence room. I can see more guns.”

Ethan walked to the grated door and started trying keys again, finding the right one after a minute.

Kate stood next to the entrance with her hammer in hand, her right ear to the wall and her other one held closed. Other than a few snarls and fast steps, she couldn’t hear anything. Whatever it was, it was moving around. More than one.

“More than one thing, moving around fast,” Kate whispered when she joined the others.

“Holy shit,” Ethan said in a whisper, an open bag on the shelf in front of him. He dipped his finger into the white powder and tasted it. “Oh, Jesus thine name is holy.”

“We’re not taking that,” Kate said.

“What do you mean, we’re not taking that? There’s weed too. You took games and books, let’s take this stuff too. It’s fun,” he said.

“It’s dangerous,” Kate said, hearing closer noises now, even from the distance to the door.

Ethan considered as he closed the bag. “Dangerous? Like the morphine we have in the trunk? Or the sleeping pills? Just because this stuff is illegal doesn’t mean it’s any worse than what’s sold over the counter. Compromise, we take it and let Melusine decide. I’m not an addict, Kate, but a joint here and there hasn’t killed anyone. And I bet your killing machine mode would go into overdrive if you sniffed a bit of this stuff beforehand.”

“Being a Berserker is enough. I don’t need to be a coked up Berserker,” Kate said. The suggestion was ridiculous but she couldn’t exactly find a logical fault in it. They were fighting magical monsters, with their lives on the line. Drugs weren’t high on the list of her worries. “Pack it.”

Ethan grinned and did as she asked, the trio looking through the boxes and weapons.

Everything useful went into the bags, the sounds outside now more numerous, some closer. “Quicken the pace,” Kate whispered.

“Don’t touch that,” Ethan said, a hand on Grey’s arm. “I think that’s a self made explosive. You don’t want to find out how well the person knew their business.”

Kate raised a brow at the man’s knowledge but she supposed it was useful in their situation. To think the pyromancer throwing around fireballs was the one warning them about explosives safety.

“We could use guns to deal with the monsters,” Ethan said.

“If they’re undead, I don’t think it’ll be very effective. After what we’ve seen,” Grey said. “Maybe if you hit their head, but even then, I don’t know.”

“We don’t have time. And none of us know how to use them. Just pack everything useful, then we wait and see what they do. If they’re even undead,” she said.

All their bags full, Kate motioned the others to shut up as she listened. Sniffing sounds. Snarls. Uneven steps. Nothing tearing into flesh. They’re not eating.

Something scratched against the door.

Kate readied her hammer, Grey held the handle of his sheathed sword, Ethan standing at the back, glancing to the side before he grabbed a battered riot shield from the ground.

They stayed silent, their headlamps shining towards the door. The scratching became louder. Might be the light they’re reacting to.

Something heavy hit the door, the frame rattling slightly.

Kate motioned the others to get out of the way.

Another impact. And a third. One of the hinges bent slightly.

I’m not the only one with Strength enhancements.

Kate activated Mindless Ferocity, her hands gripping her hammer as she crouched slightly.

The door flung open, hitting the wall with one hinge ripped away.

Too many, she thought and activated Furious Dance.

Kate’s world narrowed as she rushed forward, her hammer striking the large wolf that had broken through the door and rushed her way. Its body showed cuts, a part of its head already missing. The impact ripped away another bit. Flame flew past and exploded in the hallway, goblins set aflame as flickering light reflected off blue eyes.

She struck the ground, Shattering Step shaking the stone before Kate swung her hammer into the massive wolf two more times, breaking its spine and skull until it stopped moving, then she turned towards the green creatures, one already rushing her way. She used her whole body to swing her hammer in a horizontal strike, the undead jumping at the last moment as she had expected. The heavy strike burst its head, blood splattering against her chest and the wall to her left, the rest of its body falling to the ground. She heard slicing noises from the blade of her ally, more fire exploding as she rushed into the hallway.

A large wolf jumped her way. She rushed towards it, hammer held towards its open maw. The two impacted each other in a tumble. Its jaw was ripped open, the hammer stuck halfway inside its head before its weight won out, toppling Kate below.

She could feel the claws cutting into her shoulders as she unsheathed one of her knives, slamming it into the head of the wolf with a sickening crunch. Once, twice, three times, then into its side where she stabbed and pulled, leaving furrows of bleeding gashes, the creature unable to bite at her with the hammer stuck in its maw, the claws digging deeper with blood and ooze dripping onto her face, until it finally stopped moving. She spit out blood, seeing a goblin with blue eyes move to the side of her, a dagger in its hand slashing down towards her face.

Hunting Leap activated, her boots hitting the ground under the wolf before both herself and the large furry corpse were moved backwards, the goblin cutting into the wolf instead of her.

Kate hit the ground hard, pushing off the heavy corpse with a groan. Her vision focused as she got up and readjusted her headlamp. She grabbed for the hammer still stuck inside of the wolf’s head when the goblin reached her. Dodging back, she unsheathed a knife of her own. She tried to avoid the creature until she hit the back wall of the corridor. A heavy kick slowed the creature for a moment but it pushed on relentlessly and stabbed its dagger into her leg.

She growled, not using her magic. The goblin struck again but not before she got close and sunk her knife into its face, the impact dull and heavy enough to lift the creature up. It still moved as she pushed it down and stabbed it with another knife, three times in its chest until it was dead. She let go of both her knife and the creature stuck to it, grabbing her hammer before she moved forward with an annoying limp, the smell of blood all permeating.

A bit of energy returned to her but she was bleeding. She knew that much even in her battle haze. Sounds from ahead, slashing, snarling, burning flames. The ground was littered with bodies. Kate cracked the head of a running orc, avoiding the awkward strike of his sword before he impacted her body and brought her down with him. The creature punched at her face, pounding her head against the stone floor before she used Bewildering Wave. The blue eyed monster reeled back for just a moment, enough for her to slam her hammer into its face again with a wild horizontal strike. More bones cracked, blood splattering to the side as she grabbed a dagger and stuck it into its neck. She screamed and pushed the large beast away with a kick, enough distance now to strike fully with her hammer. The spike dug deep into its head, leaving it tumbling with its arms looking for something to strike. Kate got away and stood up, her vision blurring slightly as she ripped out the weapon and raised it high. She struck the stumbling orc on its head, bringing it down to the ground where it no longer moved.

Allies

She rushed into the room where she heard Ethan call out for help, her limp gone now, her vision clear once more. Good.

Kate moved in and saw a large burning wolf biting into the awkwardly held riot shield, scraping sounds from its claws and teeth trying to get past. She turned her hammer and slammed it spike downward into the spine of the large monster. She ripped the weapon out with as much pull as she could manage, striking it again twice before she turned around to address the human running towards her.

A woman in her thirties, blue eyes and a wide cut visible on her stomach, holding a small blade.

Kate angled her hammer and jabbed the metal bit towards her head with all the strength in both her arms. The impact broke in the woman’s face with the sound of bones cracking, stopping only halfway into her skull as she slowed, kicking and thrashing with her arms, the knife slashing at Kate’s jacket. Kate stepped to the side and ripped out the hammer with a wet squelching sound before she let the undead fall onto the wolf, her knife still slashing downwards. The wolf moved slower, pushing away the undead woman as it limped towards Kate with a broken back.

A heavy strike to its large head broke and dented it, a second one crushing its jaws, the third downed and killed it. The undead woman had stopped moving as well.

Ally?

She saw the man was still moving. Which she deemed good.

Monsters.

Back in the corridor, she could still hear slashing sounds from near the stairs. Rushing there, she found a few humans with missing arms and heads, a goblin cut in two, and a direwolf with all its legs missing, the creature still moving. Kate raised her hammer and killed the undead.

She found her other ally at the base of the stairs, injured but focused and standing. Two unarmed humans rushed down towards them.

He moved aside to give her space.

Kate grinned, her bloodied hammer and his sword striking into the coming undead with precision and strength alike, the creatures killed with far too many blows. Something roared upstairs, the last two undead, a human and an orc turning around before they rushed up and around the corner.

The human was flung back, his back broken against the wall before he slid down. Another roar resounded as something yellow filled up the corridor at the top of the stairs, the orc swinging his sword at the large leathery wings before his head was crushed between the large maw.

Kate was pulled to the side by her ally when the creature turned to look their way, its maw opening before a torrent of brown sludge sprayed forward. Everything it touched started to sizzle, even the stone wall.

Monster.

Silent.

Wait.

She stayed in cover behind the wall and listened, holding up a hand towards her ally.

Kate heard the creature walk down the stairs, its wings scraping against the ceiling. It growled.

She growled back, her magic activating this time.

Fear.

Kate motioned to her ally and rushed out of cover. She found the large scaled and elongated horned head of the Wyvern right before her, rows of bloodied teeth, yellow reptile eyes and the rotten smell of its breath as it widened its jaws. Holding up her hammer, she blocked the bite and held on, her body lifted up before she was flung against the wall, all the air punched out of her chest. She rolled down the stairs before another spray of the strange substance could engulf her, still holding on to her hammer.

Kate came up to find her ally standing below the creature, his sword stuck in its long neck. He let go and moved aside in a strange motion when the creature tried to strike him with its talons.

She rushed up the stairs while the Wyvern roared, her hammer coming in with a horizontal strike. The impact made her arms shake but she held on, the Wyvern’s leg cracking backwards before it buckled, spreading its wings inside the stairwell to keep itself steady.

Kate rotated her weapon and struck again, the spike biting into the scales before she ripped it out again. A sphere of fire impacted the creature’s head when it opened its maw. Again she struck. Her ally removed his blade and sheathed it, the following cut biting into the monster’s thick neck.

Another fireball hit its head, the flames joining in with the moving lights of their headlamps.

Kate used Hunting Leap to jump on the monster’s back, not much space in the small stairwell. She came down with one of her knives, the metal scraping against the scales, failing to gain purchase.

She let go of the blade and used her hammer instead, striking in horizontal motions at the neck and head of the creature whilst trying to balance herself on its back.

Her ally dodged out of the way when the monster released another spray of its acid. With the third strike, she got a good angle. The spike of her hammer broke through the scales on the Wyvern’s skull.

It screeched and hit the wall of the stairwell, falling when it tried to stabilize itself with its broken leg.

The rapid motion ripped the hammer out of Kate’s hands, still firmly stuck within its head. She unsheathed her last knife and tried to move to its head, a fireball exploding on its right wing.

She saw the tip of a blade come out of the back of the monster’s skull. Letting go of her knife, Kate grabbed the blade and pulled, first with one hand, then with two. The cut got larger until it reached from the front bit of the Wyvern’s skull to halfway down its neck. She watched the blade disappear and fell, landing with both of her feet on the stairs as the large dragon-like head hit the ground.

Its wings twitched a few more times before it stopped moving.