Decision made and unable to find any other useful mushrooms, Cass ventured out of the Safe Zone.

She could feel the exact moment she exited the system-designated safety. The sourceless warmth in her core evaporated, like walking from a heated house into a blizzard outside. The hairs on her arms and the nape of her neck stood on end.

At the same time, the staff in her hands became more comfortable as Staff Mastery re-engaged. A certainty wrapped her that she could handle the weapon and anything that tried her while she held it.

She dropped into Stealth, choosing to ignore the ways the System was altering her perception of the world for the moment.

The entrance and exit to the Safe Zone was a narrow corridor with ground that sloped down from the Safe Zone. The Starlight Lichen glowed in loose swirls, barely illuminating the passage enough for Cass to see. The other fungus and mosses did not extend far beyond the Safe Zone’s cavern.

The tunnels were far tighter here than they’d been when she’d run from the Herald. Where those had high ceilings and wide lanes, these were only a head or two taller than she and only wide enough for four to walk abreast.

Cass glided down and deeper, the tension rising with every step.

Before long, she had arrived at a crossroads, where two passageways intersected.

“Where from here?” Cass asked Salos.

Left, he said without missing a beat.

Cass did as he said.

The dark surrounded them, broken only by the swirling lichen and the occasional glowing mushroom. The air was dead still and stagnant. It smelled of rot and decay.

They came to another crossroads. Cass peered down each of the dark corridors. All of them disappeared into the gloom, lost in the dark.

Go right here, he said.

Cass took a step.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye.

She froze.

Slowly, her head turned back to the leftmost path. Her heart thumped in her chest.

What are you doing? Salos asked.

Cass didn’t answer, her eyes fixed down the corridor.

Was it just her imagination? Was it nothing?

Had those been eyes glinting in the dark?

No. No.

There was nothing there. Atmospheric Sense didn’t feel anything breathing down that way. The air was still. She was alone.

She did not want to stay here.

She scurried down the right pathway without looking back.

Salos directed her through a series of turns.

Right. Straight. Right. Left.

Barely anything grew down here. There was nothing to distract herself with. Just the dark, and the growing feeling something was following her.

It was silent, not even the sound of her footsteps followed her, silenced by her Stealth skill as they were. Yet, her certainty that something was behind her only grew with every turn.

Was that the glimmer of eyes behind her? Was that the soft gust of air moving around a body? Was that the scuff of a foot on stone?

No. No. No.

But maybe?

Straight. Left. Left.

She glanced over her shoulder as she walked, pressing Identify to find whatever it was.

Stone

Starlight Lichen

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

It didn’t find it. Because there was nothing there? Because Identify was too low a level? Because whatever it was was hiding?

She kept walking paying extra attention to the cues Stealth was giving her. Was it possible to walk quieter? For the draft to obscure her more? For her to melt into the dark?

Another crossroads.

She wanted to hurry along, but Salos was silent.

She glanced over her shoulder. There was nothing in the corridor behind her. Had she lost it? Whatever it was. Should she risk hurrying Salos, or would that give her position away?

Her heart was hammering in her ears. She glanced over her shoulder again. Nothing. Still nothing.

She could not stay here.

“Salos,” she hissed. “Which way?”

One moment, he said. I do not remember this junction. I believe this is new. Which, if it is, we should go straight.

“Great, let’s go straight then.” Cass glanced over her shoulder again. Was that a human-shaped silhouette ducking back around the bend behind her?

Her hair stood on end. Had her voice carried? There wasn’t time. She started walking again.

Wait! Salos yelled. It is also possible I miscounted the turns, in which case we should turn around and backtrack two junctions.

Cass shook her head. Backtrack? To where that thing was lurking?

She glanced back. A glint of light flickered just out of sight. Eyes?

Nope. She didn’t want to find out.

“I’m sure it's a new tunnel,” Cass whispered, walking even faster.

Salos hummed to himself in thought. Maybe, maybe.

Cass ignored him, powering down the tunnel.

She needed to calm down. So what if there was a monster behind her? It was behind her. It wouldn’t catch up. And if it did, she’d just fight it. Easy enough. She was strong, or something.

She’d killed lots of stuff now. What was one more stalker monster?

She glanced over her shoulder again. There was nothing there.

Of course, there was nothing there. It was just her and the dark and the pair of eyes there over her shoulder.

She spun, willing Stealth to hide her even as she blasted Identify down the corridor behind her. She didn’t see anything.

Stone

Starlight Lichen

Identify has increased to level 3.

Nothing. It still said there was nothing. And yet, Cass had never been more convinced something was following her than now.

Stealth has increased to level 7.

Her stomach flipped.

“Salos,” Cass whispered, hardly daring to make a sound but needing an answer more than anything. “Can Stealth level up if you practice without hiding from something?”

With a lot of effort on your part and if it is significantly below your average skill level and primary level, sure. Maybe if you’ve discovered a new technique or principle relating to the skill.

In practice? Generally, no. It is most effective to level it up by sneaking around a known threat that is actively looking for you.

“So, it shouldn’t have just gone up just now?”

Salos answered slowly, It… could happen.

The two of them stood in the center of the tunnel stock still.

Nothing moved. Cass barely breathed.

It’s probably nothing, he said after that endless silence. His voice didn’t quite shake. Like I said, it can happen. At these low levels especially. You’d probably been due for another level for a while.

Cass nodded. He was probably right. There wasn’t anything behind them.

Just keep going, you’ll be at the Temple before you know it.

Cass nodded and continued down the tunnel, suddenly glad she wasn’t going to be exploring these tunnels at length to find a way out that way.

Still, she walked with all the speed and Stealth she was capable of, and every time she’d convinced herself it had been her imagination, she thought she saw the glimmer of eyes in the dark behind her.

But on she went, following Salos’s instructions, turn after turn, deeper and deeper into the Deep.

Ahead, there was a light. Cass found her feet speeding towards it, her heart soaring, even though she knew intellectually that it couldn't be sunlight ahead. They were underground after all. They’d only been traveling down. The light had a blueish-purple tint to it.

Sure enough, it was only a glowing fungus.

Periwrot Mold - a glowing mold common in dark, wet environments.

It filled the end of the tunnel, completely covering the far wall. The wall that wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Salos?” Cass whispered. “This is a dead end.”

So it would seem, he agreed. Two options I can think of. Either one of the tunnels we turned down was new or this is a cavein and this particular way is blocked.

“Absolutely impossible you got the directions wrong?” Cass snorted.

Of course not.

Cass rolled her eyes. “Sure, what now?”

You give me a minute.

Cass tapped her foot nervously, turning her back to the glowing mold to face the dark tunnel she’d come from.

All was still. All was quiet.

There was nothing there. If there was something there, now would be the moment for it to come out, while it had her cornered. But it wasn’t coming out, therefore, there was nothing there.

She nodded to herself. Nothing there.

A tap floated down the corridor. Cass’s blood ran cold.

It was a quiet sound. Barely more than a shuffle. Perhaps a stone bumping against another. It could still be nothing. A draft pushing a small stone across the stone floor. Sure, the air was dead still…

Another tap. And another.

Cass’s hands clenched around her staff.

Eyes flickered in the dark, just outside the light cast by the mold. Lots of eyes.