Kaelen walked out of the room and approached the next chest chamber. He made his way to the chest in the center, ready to fling it open without a second thought, but then paused and unsheathed his sword.

"Kaelen, what are you doing? Open the chest so we can go!"

Ignoring Vessira, Kaelen swung his sword down with Brutal Swing. His intuition proved correct as blood and guts spilled from the chest. "I thought I felt a breath; looks like I was right."

[Shan'Karu's Mimic slain. Minor rune of agility rewarded.]

Vessira gagged at the gruesome sight. "Ugh, that’s so gross! What made you so sure it was a breath and not just a gust of wind?"

Kaelen wiped the blood from his sword, watching as a door behind the mimic creaked open. "My mother was an explorer before she was enslaved. She told me stories about living chests that would eat anyone who tried to open them. Looks like that one hadn’t eaten in a while, though; it breathed on my hand as I approached, and that gave it away. I doubt I would have died, but I might have lost my hand."

Vessira sighed, turning her gaze away from the gooey mess that had once been a chest. "I guess that makes sense. Your mom sure was something, huh?" Kaelen offered a somber smile. "She sure was."

As he walked through the door that had just opened, he noticed another chest in the center of the room. This time, Kaelen cautiously placed his hand on the base of the chest. Not feeling any strange response, he opened it carefully. Inside, instead of intestines, he found a well-crafted steel cuirass, a pair of steel boots, a black gambeson, and matching black pants. and lastly a nice leather bag with plenty of room.

Kaelen looked around, ensuring there were no enemies before beginning to change his armor. Vessira covered her face and turned away. "Kaelen, you can't just get changed in front of a lady!"

Kaelen glanced at her in confusion while slipping out of his current armor. "Why not? I've changed in front of women plenty of times." He wasn't lying; as a slave, there were no gender-specific baths or changing rooms, so it didn't bother him anymore.

Once he finished putting on the new armor, he placed the leather gear gifted to him by Zharaith into his bag and slung it onto his back. He was starting to look like a real warrior; the outfit reminded him of the mercenaries who guarded the caravans that visited the mine.

"What do you mean you've changed in front of plenty of women? Just what kind of work were you doing as a slave? You hardly look old enough for that kind of stuff," Vessira said, shock evident in her voice.

Kaelen just smiled at her and kept walking. In truth, he was still a virgin; it was strictly forbidden for slaves to have intercourse. Though the rule wasn't properly enforced for everyone, the overseers were oddly strict about him specifically. Not that he particularly wanted to engage in anything anyway.

"Well, I guess it makes sense. You are rather pretty, so it doesn't surprise me. But you're such a strong fighter; I expected you to be a gladiator or a miner or something physical," Vessira said, exasperated.

She landed back on top of Kaelen's head, and he chuckled. "Don't get the wrong idea; I'm just messing with you. I was a miner."

Vessira laid down comfortably. "Okay, that makes much more sense. That also explains why your stats were so high for strength and constitution at level one."

Kaelen kept walking down the straight corridor, and after what felt like hours of navigating endless hallways, he finally came to an upward staircase. "We should be reaching the end soon, Vessira. There’s a staircase."

She perked up immediately. "Really! I’m so sick of this stupid musty dungeon!" Kaelen started walking up the stairs before replying, "You and me both."

Kaelen arrived at the top of the stairs and found a rather simple wooden door. He pushed it open to reveal a room containing only a table. The table was covered with bottles filled with red liquid, a few pieces of food, and a large waterskin.

"Kaelen, those are rejuvenating elixirs! Take them; they're useful!" Vessira urged.

Kaelen quickly shoved the bottles into his bag and took a large swig from the waterskin, feeling the dryness in his throat vanish. He then bit into the bread on the table.

"Kaelen! What if that stuff is poison?" Vessira exclaimed, her concern evident.

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Kaelen looked at the small, worried woman and shook his head. "This place has given me armor that magically fits perfectly and a weapon tailored to my preferences. Why would it provide me with poisonous food?"

She showed clear irritation but didn't respond because his reasoning was sound. "I'm not completely sure but I feel like whatever is after this room is gonna be dangerous so be careful Kaelen."

Kaelen nodded and drew his sword, agreeing with Vessira's assessment. He doubted he would receive free gear without a reason. As he opened the door to the next room, he spotted another giant zombie standing at the far end, facing away from him. This one was leaner compared to the brutish form of the previous giant. It wore a turban and a golden cuirass, accompanied by a matching pauldron and an armored skirt. Wielding two curved sabers, it looked incredibly intimidating.

Kaelen stepped into the room and took a defensive stance. "Vessira, go ahead and hide somewhere. This one's going to be a little difficult." Vessira nodded and quickly found a corner to hide in. "Don't die, Kaelen." He responded with a nod; she didn't need to remind him of that.

The zombie giant finally turned around, adopting a battle stance. "You have made it far, child, but I cannot permit you to go further. If you turn back, you can join Shan'Karu's army of the undead. But if you insist on pressing forward, I will have to show you eternal death." Its voice was low and rumbling, like distant thunder.

"I have no plans on becoming the pawn of some god or dying in a place like this," Kaelen declared, his grip tightening on his sword. "So I'll just have to go through you."

"Hmm, Foolish."

Kaelen steadied his breath, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he faced the looming figure of the zombie giant. The creature towered over him, its golden cuirass glinting ominously in the dim light. With glowing purple eyes and tattered remnants of a turban swaying slightly in the stale air, it looked every bit as menacing as the last.

The giant’s cutlasses gleamed, and with a thunderous roar, it charged forward. Kaelen dropped into a low stance, rolling to the side just in time as the blades sliced through the air where he had just stood. Dust and debris kicked up from the impact, and he quickly regained his footing, heart racing. He couldn’t let this monster intimidate him.

The giant’s voice rumbled like distant thunder. “You cannot hope to defeat me!”

Kaelen focused on his next move, darting left to circle the giant while keeping a keen eye on its movements. With determination, he rushed forward, swinging his sword toward the giant’s midsection. The blade clanged against the armored skirt with a metallic ring, barely scratching the surface. The giant retaliated swiftly, its cutlass swinging overhead, and Kaelen ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Kaelen pressed on, aiming for the giant's leg. He struck again, his sword connecting with its tough skin, but the damage was minimal. The giant snarled, swinging its foot toward him. Kaelen rolled to avoid the kick but felt the wind rush past him as it missed by inches.

The creature regained its balance and prepared to attack again, lifting its blades high above its head. Kaelen tightened his grip on the sword, bracing himself for the next onslaught. The giant lunged, swinging both cutlasses in a vicious arc. Kaelen sidestepped the first swing but felt the second blade whip by, grazing his side and sending a jolt of pain through him.

He couldn’t afford to hesitate. As the giant staggered slightly from its momentum, Kaelen seized the opportunity, rushing in for a quick strike. He aimed for the joint of its armored leg, the blade biting into the soft flesh. The giant howled, staggering back under the force of the blow, but it quickly retaliated, its eyes blazing with rage.

Kaelen dodged another overhead strike, rolling to the side to avoid the lethal arc of the cutlass. He scrambled back to his feet, adrenaline coursing through him. He needed to stay agile; the giant was powerful, but it was also becoming more predictable. He could see it tiring slightly.

With renewed resolve, Kaelen launched another series of quick strikes, aiming for the giant’s midsection. He felt his muscles strain as he swung, the sword clashing against the giant's armor with each blow. The giant grunted and swung back, but Kaelen ducked low, narrowly avoiding the blade’s deadly edge.

Just as the giant attempted another strike, Kaelen rolled under its swinging arm and surged forward, aiming for its throat. The blade plunged deep, sinking into the rotting flesh. The giant let out a horrific roar, but Kaelen didn’t relent, pushing with all his might as the creature staggered backward.

With one final push, he withdrew his blade, watching as the giant stumbled and collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash. Panting heavily, Kaelen stood over the fallen giant, his heart racing and body aching. He had fought hard, and this battle had pushed him beyond his limits.

“Cocky bastard. I’m lucky he didn’t take the fight as seriously as he should have.”

[Shan'Karu's Punished Chosen slain. Greater Rune of Dexterity awarded. Greater Rune of Agility awarded.]

“Wow, Kaelen, you struggled way more with the fatty than with this guy,” Vessira remarked, flying back to his shoulder.

Kaelen smiled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Well, that’s the curse of being sentient, I guess. He wouldn’t have underestimated me if he were just another mindless drone.”

Vessira sighed. “I swear, sometimes you don’t talk like someone with six Intelligence.” Kaelen just shrugged and walked out of the room.

Just outside, he spotted another chest. He checked to ensure it wasn’t a mimic before opening it. Inside was a single earring, golden and shaped like a bird's feather, lined with red crystals. Next to the earring lay a small needle, likely meant for piercing his ear.

Kaelen picked up the needle and turned to Vessira. “Hey, would you mind?” The small woman sighed but complied, taking the needle and carefully poking a small hole in his earlobe. Kaelen then pushed the earring into the new piercing, feeling a wave of energy rush over him. Suddenly, he heard Vessira gasp.

“Kaelen, it’s already healed!” Vessira exclaimed. Kaelen just smiled, realizing he had stumbled upon something interesting.