Chapter Twenty-One: Did I Do Something Wrong?
As soon as I returned, my gaze flew to the exit to the next floor. The second floor loomed as a more significant challenge, a test of skill and strategy that I couldn't afford to underestimate. I’d have to see which weapons I could use as a rogue and figure out how to make my way through it. I shook my head to clear my pointless rambling. It was highly likely clearing every mob on the floor would grant me a death boon or two, and a death boon was a permanent buff; it would always be worth it.
Upon entering, I spotted two giant rats nonchalantly lounging atop a crate as if they owned the place, seemingly unaware of the danger I posed to them. It almost seemed like they were relaxing, like they knew I had beat the floor boss and thought they were safe. I thought of Rattigan, and wondered if I should just say I came in peace, but before I could do anything to prevent it… The scene shifted dramatically; the once relaxed rats snapped to attention, their beady eyes locking onto me with newfound aggression. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, my right dagger arcing through the air in a swift slash aimed at the nearest rat. Inexplicably, my blade whistled past the rat, slicing nothing but air, a futile gesture at the start of the battle.
The rats, seizing their chance, lunged with startling speed. The dice rolled, clattering wildly on the hard stone floor. At that moment, time froze, and I dodged back while saying a prayer of thanks to the god of luck.
[Giant Rat 1 has missed. Giant Rat 2 has missed.]
With a swift, determined arc, my right arm sliced through the air, the dagger's blade whistling as it aimed for the rat. My muscles tensed in anticipation of impact. The die rolled.
[You deal two damage to Giant Rat-]
“Gah! Die!" I screamed, frustration surging as my dagger merely wounded, rather than killed, the infuriating rat. I cursed under my breath. I kept getting bad rolls, likely using up all my luck with the dodges. I clenched and unclenched my jaw–my strategy to conserve my dagger's durability was teetering on the edge of failure. The rats snarled, and the first rat looked instead a lot like a carcass about to be spit-roasted. However, as one, the rats lunged again, and time froze. The dice rolled.
[Giant rat one has missed, and Giant rat two has missed]
“Hey Crystal, I get it; they missed,” I snapped, irritation lacing my voice. “Let's save the play-by-play for the real threats, like magic attacks, alright?”
As time returned to normal, I swung at the first rat again with my right dagger. The die rolled. The dagger met its mark unerringly, severing the rat's head with a gruesome efficiency as it rolled away, leaving a stark, crimson trail on the ground. The rat's corpse oozed blood into the already foul-smelling but ultimately thin layer of sewage that coated the ground, making the air even more pungent and the floor slippery beneath my boots.
My breathing slowed, and I allowed myself a moment’s reprieve. I had been shocked more than scared when the rat landed on my back, but I shrugged the emotion off.
My right dagger, now teetering on the brink of uselessness, had a single point of health remaining. I had been hoping to kill both with the durability I had left from a single dagger, but that wouldn’t be the case. Depending on how many enemies were left on the floor, I would have to dig into my bag for a different weapon.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I felt a sudden weight on my left shoulder, and a surge of panic gripped me as the rat's claws dug into my skin through the leather. Time hadn’t slowed until it landed for some reason. Instinctively, I swung my dagger in a wide arc with my right hand, desperately attempting to dislodge the rat from my shoulder. The die rolled.
With a final, jarring snap, the iron dagger broke.
Not even waiting for a second to pass, I threw my left dagger into my right hand and slashed at the rat, which was still on its back. The die rolled—As the adrenaline rush faded, I crouched, taking a quick rest. I hadn’t stopped to rest through any of my runs so far. I was going at a pretty non-stop pace, but only a few hours had passed since I ‘woke up.’ My eyes closed as I leaned back against the wall. I sighed, Again? I really need to stop doing that.
“Hey Crystal, any idea why I keep sighing so much?” I didn’t bother opening my eyes while I waited for her response.
“Hey, Crystal?” I said, talking to the air. This time, I opened my eyes, glancing upwards at the red, pulsating light. It was starting to be a source of comfort, but something was wrong. “Are you there?”
[Yes, Rod?] The crystal’s response was terse, and thinking back since the boss, she hadn’t been talking much. Maybe I messed something up.
“Did I do something wrong? I asked you a question, and you didn’t respond. In fact, you haven’t been commenting on much of anything other than the battles lately. Whatever it was, I'm sorry.”
[You have done nothing wrong.] Crystal didn’t elaborate further.
“Okay, well, is there any way to fix this?”
[Nope] I sighed heavily, again, making my simmering frustration boil to a point as she abruptly ended the conversation. But I was determined not to let Crystal's capricious mood affect my dungeon run.
“Crystal, I’ve been meaning to ask. How do I–”
[No. You said I talk too much. So I’m being quiet.]
"What? You just told me it wasn't my fault. That's a lie!" I exclaimed, a mix of confusion and indignation in my voice. "After all the trouble you gave me for lying earlier..."
[I didn’t lie. It wasn't what you did but what you said,] Crystal said, heat in her voice. I couldn't believe it; an inanimate object was trolling me.
“Alright, then. I’m sorry. Can you please get back to talking normally? We have a lot of things to discuss before moving onward,” I said, trying to sound as apologetic as I felt. Some part of me worried that my tone might be too abrasive. Is that who I am? Abrasive and rude? An angry, always boiling pot who sighs all the time?
[Apology accepted,] Crystal said, her voice softening like thawing ice, a subtle shift from the sharp edges of her earlier words. [Now, choose your question wisely: health, food, sleep, or stats. Remember, you only get one here.] Her voice cracked like thin ice that was thawing too fast, each word laced with a stinging hurt. As she spoke, the red light radiating from her pulsed brighter, a visual echo of her pain, forcing me to shield my eyes from its intensity.
“What are you doing, Crystal? I said I was sorry.” I stammered, confusion knotting my brow.
That’s how apologies worked, didn't they? Just like Dad, constantly smoothed things over with Mom with those two words. A flash of a long-lost moment flickered in my mind, solidifying into another memory core. I didn’t think they could form this late after a battle, but here we were. I reached out and touched the core. Argument forgotten.
{Memory core 6/??? Beware of the price of Penance.}
{Would you like to view the memory?} {y/n}
It was that same dark voice that I heard before I viewed my first-ever memory.
I hesitated. I hadn’t heard that voice since, so I wasn’t sure why I was hearing it now. But I needed to know more about who I was. I needed to know why I was executed.
“Yes, I’ll view the memory.”