G crouched against the wall, far from the entrance to the arboretum, holding Crewton to prevent the dog from making any noise or entering the room. As he cautiously moved past the entrance, he heard dozens of large spiders hissing and scuttling across metal floors and walkways above. He noticed webs draped over the plants, which hadn't been there during his last visit. Once a safe distance away, G set Crewton down.
This section of the tunnel had empty carts along the walls, most missing their wheels. One cart, however, had metal wheels and was loaded with a stack of metal filing cabinets. Both the cart and its cargo appeared to be relics from the 1950s or earlier. G and Crewton continued, keeping an eye and ear out for danger. They encountered a couple of locked metal doors with dull iron-colored surfaces and what seemed to be brass doorknobs, but G couldn't open them.
G observed disintegrated paint lines on the floors and walls, leaving behind streaks of grime. The area felt eerie and unsettling.
Crash! There was a resounding crash behind him, startling G. Crewton had knocked over one of the broken carts he had been sniffing. G paused, listening for any approaching spiders or other threats, but heard nothing. Crewton resumed sniffing around as if nothing had happened. G took a deep breath and continued forward.
They passed three locked metal doors before reaching an elevator on the left. The sliding metal doors were present, but the area behind them was solid rock, similar to how the other tunnel had been sealed.
Further down the corridor stood a massive iron door connected to thick iron hinges on their side. A large wheel, reminiscent of those seen in submarine movies, controlled several iron bolts that secured the door. G examined the door, unsure if he could open it, given its size. The hinges seemed to have bearing centers, and there was no visible mechanical actuator or broken motor to assist with opening it. Shrugging, G turned the wheel three times to retract the bolts. He pulled on the wheel, but the door wouldn't move. Spotting a long handle at the far end of the door, G braced his leg against the frame and heaved. The door budged, and he continued pulling until it was about a meter away from the wall, creating an opening wide enough for him to pass through.
G detected a new scent: the musty aroma of fungus and possibly water. He didn't hear anything as he peered through the now-open massive doorway. The corridor continued for a few more yards before transitioning from smooth concrete to a natural tunnel with rough walls and an uneven ceiling. Small stalagmites lined the walls where water had once dripped and flowed down the center of the tunnel. The grey stone, possibly granite, featured milky white calcium streaks on the walls and ceiling. Everything appeared dry now, and G realized he needed to find water.
After ensuring he didn't see or hear anything, G slipped through the opening and cautiously made his way down the natural-looking tunnel. The path curved and widened ahead. Crewton followed, still sniffing at something near the wall as G proceeded. Suddenly, G felt a snap near his foot, and a net engulfed him—it was a trap! He tried to free himself from the heavy netting as Crewton barked and growled. G attempted to will the netting into his inventory, but it didn't work.
From the darkness around the corner, several small humanoid creatures and a much larger one, nearly G's height, rushed toward the net. As G struggled to escape, he focused on one of the creatures. A name appeared just as he got a clear view of the humanoids.
Goblin scout - level 3, mana 10
These creatures are commonly found underground. As the vanguard of the goblin races, they are known to be relentless and ruthless.
While not the most intelligent beings, Goblin Scouts compensated for this with their overwhelming numbers. A horde was likely to follow when one was spotted, and they often served more powerful creatures—willingly or unwillingly—forming a dangerous alliance.
With their low life expectancy, Goblin Scouts were creatures born of survival. They bred at an astonishing rate, far surpassing other humanoid species, ensuring their continued presence in the darkest corners of the underground world. The mere sight of these menacing creatures is enough to send shivers down the spines of those who cross their path.
This short, green creature wore rough, patchwork leather boots and a jerkin. The small humanoid was a little over a meter tall. Its rough green skin featured patches of stringy brown hair on its wrinkled and scarred form. It had a large hooked nose, bulbous cheeks, and an evil sharp-toothed grin as it charged at G's netting, hooting in glee while waving its sword. Its dark, beady eyes were sunken beneath deep, oversized eyebrows.
G shouted at Crewton to get away from the creatures as several of them brandished short, crude hooked blades and started to chase the dog, who was barking at them and backing away faster than they could catch him. G lay on the floor, one leg free of the netting, as the larger creature approached him with three goblins. G stared at the tall hook-nosed creature in its rough-looking leather armor that seemed to belong in a European museum.
Hobgoblin Adept
Level 7
Mana 150
These creatures travel in small tribes and are found in dark forests and underground domains. They are tough fighters, and some can wield magic. They are usually found in the company of other hobgoblins or goblins.
The hobgoblin spoke in a rough, gravelly voice, "That is the one the queen's consort desires. Capture him. Kill the animal." G heard the grunt-filled speech oddly through his familiar, Tocai, which was translating it for him somehow. He stopped struggling and looked over at Crewton, who was being cornered by five goblins. He thought about dismissing his companion, and as Crewton leaped to the side, dodging a goblin's grasp, the dog disappeared in a puff. G knew from personal experience that catching Crewton when he didn't want to be caught was nearly impossible, but he wanted his friend safe.
He glanced back at the goblins and, more importantly, at the hobgoblin casting a spell. G's eyes grew heavy, and darkness overtook him. The last thing he saw was a notification popup.
Notice:
You have failed to resist the sleep spell.
Then there was darkness, and he dreamed of spiders and goblins leaping at him from never-ending shadows. He woke with a start to find himself lying on the cavern floor, hands and feet bound. He looked over at the hobgoblin, who was grunting and barking orders at the goblins busy gathering the netting and supplies. He couldn't understand the hobgoblin now for some reason; it was just grunts and barks. G realized the creature was wearing his leather biker jacket. He also noticed his hat and familiar were no longer on his head. Panic set in as he turned his head on the hard stone to look around. He saw his hat near him on the half-charred corpse of a goblin who had worn it. The corpse was still smoking, and the other goblins were giving it a wide berth.
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Did Tocai do that? Whoa, he hoped the goblins didn't start attacking it. Tocai had clearly burned the dead goblin severely, and the others didn't seem interested in taking his hat. The hobgoblin yelled again, and G looked over as it smacked a goblin on the back of its head and pointed at a pile of furs, commanding it to perform some action.
The group was hastily packing to leave, and a sense of urgency filled the air. G attempted to move his hands behind his back but found it impossible. He tried to will the rope binding his hands into his inventory, but it remained unyielding. It seemed the spatial ring wouldn't remove something tied tightly around him. If only it had worked.
G then heard something that sent a shiver down his spine: the tapping and skittering of spiders. It wasn't just one spider but the sound of dozens approaching. The noise grew louder, and one of the goblins looked up into the cave tunnel behind them, fear evident in its eyes. In a split second, a horde of dark black spiders surged from the darkness. For a fleeting moment, G felt a twisted sense of relief at their arrival, thinking they would distract the goblins.
But his relief turned to terror as one spider, then another, bit his struggling form on the ground. A searing pain coursed through him as the poison took effect, causing his body to convulse violently on the floor. Panic filled the air as both G, and the goblins realized the deadly threat that had joined them in the cavern.
Notice:
You have been poisoned. Damage 2 hitpoints per seconds for 10 seconds.
You have been poisoned. Damage 4 hitpoints per seconds for 10 seconds.
Hitpoints 18 of 22
He screamed in pain as the goblins and hobgoblin started screaming and fighting the spiders that charged out of the darkness. One of the goblins ran off down the tunnel away from the incoming swarm. The others turned to fight.
G struggled to get out of the bindings on his wrist and feet. Nausea struck him, and all of the nerves in his body screamed as if they were on fire.
He saw several of the goblins go down and twice as many spiders get damaged or destroyed in the melee.
The pain was excruciating now as his arms and legs started to swell, and circulation was cut off by the bindings holding him.
It didn't take long. He watched in anguish as the last four hit points left, and his health bar went all red.
Notice:
You have died!
There was darkness, and he was swimming in darkness. It was a cool and empty space. He could think, but the images that flittered by didn't stay long enough for him to recognize his thoughts. Then a light reached out and engulfed him.
G awoke screaming on the cot in the storage room. Ah spiders!! He slapped his body where he had been bitten, trying to sit up. G stopped as he realized there were no spiders. He felt sick, tired, and he had a migraine that pulsed every time his heartbeat. He gasped a deep breath of air as if he had just emerged from a lake of water after a deep dive. He was sitting on the cot in the storage room. He took several more breaths, he felt weak, and several popups flooded his vision.
Woe and Misfortune adventurer!
You have died.
Rejoice, adventurer, for you have been reborn!
You have been given a second chance through celestial magic of the highest order. Do not squander it. Live, learn, reflect!
Notice:
To die is to fail, and to fail is to lose. You have lost one level and all spells and abilities gained from it.
Crap, thought G. A whole level?
Congratulations!
You have made it to level 1 twice.
Perhaps you should avoid death next time instead of embracing it with open arms!
Reward: Your level is your reward. Why would you be rewarded for behavior that is antithetical to accomplishment?
G laid his head back down on the cot, feeling irritated by the message system. It seemed like whoever designed it had a twisted sense of humor. Who would send a message like that?
He felt nauseous for a moment and opened his character screen. He had 11 hit points and 240 mana now, with all his bars full. He checked his inventory and saw that the Soulbind crystal had two charges remaining.
After a few moments, he realized he was naked. All his items were still in his spatial inventory, but he had no clothes. The memory of being captured, the spiders attacking him, and the goblins flooded back. Tocai! He needed to find his familiar. He knew Crewton was safe, but he couldn't help but worry.
G noticed a blinking red icon.
Death Debuff: -1 to all stats and skills. Time: 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Feeling sick, G wondered if he could change the term "Debuff" to something more fitting, like "bad stuff happened." He felt dizzy again, so he rolled up a wool blanket into a makeshift pillow and tried to sleep. Three hours wasn't too long, but he didn't want to venture out until the debuff wore off. Despite his best efforts, sleep eluded him. He eyed the bag of weed, then decided against it. With his luck, it would only make things worse.
Trying to distract himself, G started going through the filing cabinets. They were old-style, with individual drawers stacked on top of each other. He didn't find much, but he did come across a small cotton satchel of iron tools with wooden handles. There was a light coating of rust on them, but they might be useful. He stored them in his spatial storage and continued rummaging, finding nothing else of interest.
Finally, the debuff ran out, and G stood up, determined to find his familiar and, hopefully, his body. He had to get past the arboretum spiders again—those damned spiders. He crouched into a sneaking stance and opened his character screen, only to see an image of his naked self looking like a flasher in Central Park. Maybe he did need the blanket as a poncho. He closed the screen and moved forward, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
G didn't encounter any spiders along the way until he reached the entrance to the arboretum. He was against the far wall of the tunnel, just as before, but now he could see spiders around the withering bushes. There were five of them at the edge of his visual range. He hurried down the hallway, eager to find Tocai and, hopefully, his clothes.
When he reached the half-open vault door, he noticed silk threads and what looked like blood on the floor, suggesting something had been dragged toward the arboretum. He cautiously proceeded, keeping an eye on the ceiling and ground level for any more tripwires. The goblins had been waiting for him, and he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
G discovered his corpse and hat near the remains of the goblin camp, which was now a nightmarish scene of desiccated corpses drained of blood and half-eaten by spiders. The stench was unbearable. He found his body, the only elf among the dead goblins, but his leather jacket was missing. He retrieved his hat from a dead goblin, and Tocai immediately began scolding him.
G offered a half-smile and said, "Yeah, I missed you too, Tocai." He explained that he couldn't return until the death debuff had worn off.
Tocai grew quieter and asked G not to leave him again, explaining how scary it had been in the dark. G examined the hat, which looked clean and smelled fine, before putting it back on his head.
G inquired about what Tocai had done to the goblin wearing his hat, and Tocai explained that he had cast a Mana Bolt, which killed the goblin. G was surprised but glad to know that Tocai could cast spells when needed.
Before looting his corpse, G made a slow, full circle around the wider part of the cave tunnel that the goblins had used as a camp. No spiders were visible or audible, but the smell was terrible. Once he was sure the area was clear, he returned to the corpses, hurrying now. He wanted to leave before any other creatures came searching for the bodies. He had learned the hard way in Yosemite that leaving food out attracted all sorts of unwanted visitors. Everything came to your tent for a midnight snack, like bears, raccoons, and foxes.
First, G looted his corpse, which proved to be surprisingly simple. He placed his hand on his body, thought about looting it, and a list of his clothes appeared. Most were still wearable, despite some bloodstains and a few new finger-sized holes.
He then moved on to the five goblins and looted them, acquiring a few pieces of leather armor, seven copper and two silver coins, and a couple of short, hooked swords as well as a longer one. After finishing with the goblins, he turned his attention to the spiders.
G pulled out his knife and attempted to loot the dead spiders scattered among the desiccated goblins. Each time he tried to harvest them, he received a message:
This corpse is too damaged to harvest.
It seemed he couldn't harvest bodies that were already harvested or too heavily damaged. However, he did get a popup:
Through hard work, you have learned how to skin creatures. Skinning +1.
Though he hadn't succeeded in skinning any spiders, he had learned that he couldn't harvest them if they were too damaged. G briefly considered skinning the goblins but quickly dismissed the thought, unwilling to cross that line.
With a deep breath, he returned to the metal doors, squeezed back inside, and slowly shut the massive door, turning the handle to lock it securely. G then cast Summon Companion, and a pale blue light appeared, transforming into Crewton, who materialized gradually.
G realized the spiders would be a problem if he ever needed to return, and he didn't want to fight his way through an even bigger nest of them. Many of the spiders had already died fighting the goblins, and G devised a plan.
Crewton approached to sniff him, and G looked at his friend, saying, "Come on, Crew, we have a date with some spiders."