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Chapter Three Hundred: Winding Tracks I

Hoping that he would run into his partner before long, Nick shrugged and began following the decaying metal tracks into the tunnel ahead, avoiding stepping down on the rotten bits of wood that ran between them.

With the fate of his species and home world at stake, he had no intention of delaying their journey long enough to complete the event’s bonus objective.

Thus, his priorities, in order of importance, were: One, identify the animal or beast inhabiting this lair so that he could begin devising appropriate countermeasures. The creatures that the System called flesh-renders. Two, find Sophia, so they would be free to leave as soon as they passed the mine’s exit. And three, keep an eye out for anything valuable that he passed along the way.

Even without his other concerns, Nick had no desire to risk more than he had to, just to obtain an unspecified reward. But he hoped to find something down here that made this diversion worth his time.

He had learned during the tutorial that rewards beyond those offered by the System could be found in dangerous places. Valuables waiting to be claimed by those with keen eyes and a sharp mind. Not all treasure comes in chests, Nick. He smiled at the memory of the sewers of Kastilla, an adventure that already felt like a lifetime ago.

While the stakes couldn’t be higher and the danger was certain to escalate the moment they entered the tower, his situation wasn’t all bad news. At least I’m not alone anymore. And when we reach the base of the tower, there should be lots of people waiting to find a group before entering together.

Nick snacked on a bit of smoked fish he had prepared the day before as he walked, washing it down with a swig from his canteen. He was immensely glad that he hadn’t been separated from his pack, belt, or sword, as they collectively represented everything of value to his name, other than the clothes on his back.

While scanning the path ahead for traps, enemies, and less obvious forms of danger, a part of his mind couldn’t help but wonder about the people who had toiled in the mine through which he trod. It was presumably a remnant from the same civilization that had erected the ruined buildings scattered throughout the bog.

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Who were you and why are you gone? Is the story of this place a happy tale, or another tragedy wrought by Taltos and the System? At least I don’t see any signs of violence. Maybe they just mined out the deposit and moved on, long before the new residents moved in.

Keeping his movements as quiet as he could, Nick gripped his dagger in one hand and the wand in the other, leaving his sword in his pack for now. The long blade required considerable room to swing at full force, and the prospect of hitting the wall or ceiling made the heavy weapon more of a liability than a reassurance in such a confined environment.

Unlike Sophia, Nick preferred to fight with his dagger only as a last resort, but these narrow passageways were a perfect place to deploy his wand. The rocky walls would help to contain and transmit the force of the blast, so dodging the wand would be next to impossible. Thus, he wasn’t too worried about running into solitary beasts down here, not while his wand still held charges and he had enough mana to power his spells.

As long as the System had offered him a challenge appropriate for his level, he thought that he could handle anything short of the lair’s boss without needing Sophia’s assistance. At least that’s what he told himself as he followed the tracks stretching out into the distance, his path outlined by the faint blue glow shining from the walls.

Eventually, the passage that he was exploring came to an end, opening into a long gallery that was wide enough for several sets of tracks to run side-by-side. The ceiling was perhaps half as high as the cavern that Nick had left behind, and the walls were riddled with circular shafts that were large enough to ride a horse through. Before proceeding any further, he came to a stop, put his ear against the wall, and listened as closely as he could.

Nick kept his breathing slow and deep, straining his ears to hear anything moving within the chamber ahead, or vibrations transmitting through the rock. When he was satisfied that nothing was nearby, he drew in a long breath through his nose, sifting the air for the odors of blood, shit, rotting meat, or anything else that would indicate he was drawing close to the flesh-renders’ lair.

He had no idea what manner of beasts called the abandoned mine home. Judging from the name and the fact that the System had warned him against attracting their attention, he was certain that running into them wouldn’t lead to a good time.