A recognizable laugh oozed out of the forest surrounding them, continuing for an uncomfortable amount of time.

“Did you really think that we would just let you escape?” came the voice of Felsteg from within the trees. “So nice of you to defeat the first dungeon and collect the loot for us. If you give us all your items and the girl, maybe we’ll let the rest of you walk away. You’ll have to do some begging, though, especially after making us track you all the way out here.”

Honeypot laughed, loud and obnoxious.

“That’s a lot of words for a bloke hiding in the trees. To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from Felsteg and the Fuckwits?”

The man in question stepped out from behind a tree, snarling at Honeypot.

“Watch your words. You may yet live through this, pup. So long as you pay your respects to the alpha-wolf of these parts…”

Orion felt a wave of fury rise as he laid eyes on the person that had single-handedly brought so much misery to this world.

He looked down at Shadow’s prone form. The dagger sticking from his lower neck had the same glow as the one that Felsteg used on him. Shadow’s arm twitched as he fought the paralyzing effect.

Good. He’s only incapacitated—not headed to the temple for respawn.

Honeypot chortled.

“Oh my God. Please tell me this idiot didn’t just call himself an alpha.”

“Care to prove me wrong?” Felsteg was trying to keep his composure, but his voice was tinged with anger.

“Oh, no, I’m not challenging that fact that you’re the so-called ‘alpha’…” Honeypot shook his head in exaggerated dismay. “I’m saying that the entire premise of wolves having an alpha-and-beta hierarchical family structure is a false dichotomy that gym-bros and emotionally stunted dickheads alike have adopted as a means of masking their own insecurities by putting others down.”

Honeypot cocked his head and put a hand to his chin in thought.

“You don’t look very muscular, so if I was a betting man—which, to be clear, I am—I’d wager you belong to the emotionally-stunted-dickhead tribe.”

Felsteg’s face had grown red as Honeypot’s monologue dragged out, though whether that was from comprehension, or lack thereof, was up for debate.

He made a sharp gesture, and Brick and Kauri stepped out from behind trees next to their leader. Felsteg forced a malice-filled smile to his face, while Brick and Kauri sneered. All of them were marked with small, white skulls on their foreheads, the System recognizing the attack on Shadow for what it was.

They stood there with smug expressions on their faces, with a proximity to each other that was most-assuredly well within the bounds of Arika’s Explosion.

Orion and Honeypot looked at each other, then the enemy party, then Arika’s raised hand, then back to each other again. They nodded in agreement and turned their backs, plugging their ears with their fingers. Orion felt a moment of guilt for not being able to help Shadow.

He can’t block his ears, incapacitated as he is…

Arika made a swift gesture with one hand, like unzipping something invisible from shoulder-to-shoulder.

A shock-wave and blast of air hit them as the Invoke empowered Explosion detonated on all three enemy adventurers. The force was incredible. Even in the open area surrounding the dungeon entrance, it felt like being slapped across the back by the hand of a giant.

Orion and Honeypot squinted to keep the dust from their eyes as they turned to survey the carnage.

To their surprise, Brick was still standing. The other two, however, were very much dead. Brick was burned almost beyond recognition, but he was still conscious—his body swaying as he held his shield up to defend his core.

He must have been in a tremendous amount of pain. Orion guessed he had some sort of ability that leaves him with one-health if he’s about to die, or perhaps one that lets him only take a capped amount of health per hit. Regardless, it didn’t seem to reduce the agony inflicted on the poor man.

“Would you like the honors, Arika?” Orion asked, turning to the party’s resident death dealer.

“Why don’t we let shadow? I'm sure he’d love to try out that new ability,” Arika replied, gesturing to Shadow, who was just then returning to his feet.

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Shadow needed no more invitation.

He used Silent Speed, taking off at a ridiculous speed toward the condemned man.

The sight of a human freight train clad in plate armor must have jolted Brick to his senses, because he turned and tried hobbling away. No sooner than he’d started moving, however, Honeypot appeared from stealth and stunned him with Chastise.

A moment later, Shadow was on him.

“Fist of vengeance,” was the last thing Brick heard, whispered into his ear and causing his burned skin to break out in goosebumps. Shadow’s sword descended and sent him to respawn.

“A perfect hit, right in the karate artery!” Honeypot said.

“Uhhhh, I think you mean his carotid artery?” Arika asked.

Honeypot responded with a dismissive gesture.

“Only someone who’s never been hit in the karate artery would say that. It’s the spot where you can touch a man with your finger and knock him out or kill him instantly, like in kung-fu movies.”

He cocked his head as he looked down at Brick’s corpse.

“Evidently, a sword works just as well as a finger, though…”

“He’s messing with you, Arika,” Orion said. “At least I hope he is…”

Arika rolled her eyes in response.

“Ahh, ignorance is bliss.” Honeypot set off to loot the slain men. “You’ll know the pain of the karate artery if anyone ever hits you in it.”

Arika shook her head at Honeypot.

“What the hell did you even say with the wolf monologue? Aren’t you Australian? I thought Aussies used simple words interspersed with colorful swearing? Why can’t you just be the charming simpleton?”

“Arika, in the words of the great Zac de la Rocha, fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.”

“Honeypot…” Shadow said. “You just did what she wanted, though—you used simple words interspersed with colorful swearing.”

“He probably did that on purpose, Shadow.” Orion shook his head. “Your reaction was what he was looking for.”

Honeypot’s smug smile and puffed out chest as he looted the first body was both infuriating and endearing.

Naturally, the body he went for was Felsteg’s

In a matter of seconds, he was decked out in their nemesis’ gear. He wore sleek black leathers adorned with throwing daggers on the hip and forearms.

“Woah!” Honeypot stared at the wicked-looking scimitar in his hand. “This thing gives two Agility and Strength.”

“Really?” Orion bent down to loot the body of Kauri. “That’s a lot of stats, right?”

“It is.” Shadow held up his two-handed sword. “This thing was a rare drop, and only gives me two Strength. I wonder where he got it?”

“Probably with the gold of all the people he killed.” Orion resumed looting Kauri.

“Woah!” Honeypot said. “The armor is a set—it gives two Agility and Stamina as well!”

Arika snorted. “He definitely used all their gold, then. He had to have bought it off adventurers—or killed someone and stole it.” She stood up from Brick’s body. “This guy had a decent shield, but the rest of his equipment is as good as the stuff we bought from town.”

Orion stood as he finished looting Kauri.

“This guy had nothing either. I mean, I’m wearing no better, but compared to Felsteg’s gear…”

“I know Felsteg was a fuckwit,” Honeypot said, “but even for a fuckwit, gearing yourself to the teeth and giving your teammates nothing seems like a dick move.”

“Did he have any magical daggers on him?” Orion asked. “Or do you think the whole incapacitation thing is an ability?”

Honeypot pulled a dagger out, inspected it, and slid it back into place on his forearm.

“Definitely an ability—these are regular ol’ daggers. By the way, I’m all for me keeping this set, but I feel the need to say… is this gear better for someone else? Namely Shadow?”

Shadow shook his head.

“The stats are nice, but the plate armor I’m wearing is better for my class. My damage is increased by Strength.”

“You keep it,” Orion said. “You get up in the action, and can make the most use of it. Besides… it looks very Roguey. It suits you.”

Honeypot smiled.

“As you wish, my glorious leader.”

He held his arms out and looked his new black leathers over.

“You know, there’s only one thing better than seeing your enemy spontaneously combust.”

“What’s that?” Orion raised an eyebrow.

“Stealing the gear off his still-smoldering body and wearing it. These are lovely and toasty. Thank you, Arika.”

“Happy to be of service! I did that for me, though. Any benefit afforded you was purely coincidental.”

“Ah, a woman by my own heart. This gear is ridiculous.” Honeypot gestured at himself. “My attacks will be as effective as my wit with these stat boosts. Just remind me not to piss off Arika, this equipment is evidently not-so-good at defending against an explodey demise.”

They bundled all the spare equipment into Shadow’s inventory and made their way back to town. The walk itself was thankfully uneventful, even Honeypot seeming too exhausted for his usual shenanigans.

They spent the time admiring the scenery and speculating on what their reward would be for not only finding the source of the corruption but also eliminating it.

Orion thought back to the monologue and plans of Doc the Destroyer. It was hard to imagine what a world under the domination of a dungeon slime would look like.

It’d probably make for an entertaining story, if nothing else…

He pondered the circumstance of this world’s creation. The slime boss claimed it had spent millennia gathering power to get to the level of control it had over the wolves.

It added fuel to the flame that was his curiosity regarding this world and the townsfolk that existed on it before he and the other adventurers’ arrival. He felt that there was more to the puzzle that he couldn’t quite figure out, and he’d have to ask around to see what information he could gather.

When they arrived at the western gate, they asked the guards on duty for directions. The guards pointed them toward a door on the inside of the gate and told them they could find the Captain inside. The guards' gazes visibly lingered on Honeypot’s tentacled head, but they didn’t mention it, stoic as they were.

The party found Captain Blanc sitting at a solid-looking wooden table, completely focused on a mess of maps set out before him. He had a scowl painted on his face and seemed to be muttering to himself under his breath.

“Captain Blanc?” Orion asked.

The captain raised his head and looked them over.

He had an intense gaze, and Orion felt as though the man opposite him was staring directly into his soul.

Despite Captain Blanc’s serious demeanor, however, he still paused a moment, eyebrow twitching when his eyes roamed over Honeypot and the still-equipped tentacle hat.

He shook his head.

“You must be the adventurers I’ve been waiting for.”

He sat up and stretched, easily slipping into a relaxed position.

“Well then, out with it. What did you have to tell me?”