Oooouuuuch.
Everything hurts.
Not to mention I’m cold and wet.
Frigid water covers most of my body, only my head, shoulders and arms above the surface. With a groan I pull my face away from the rough stone and drag myself free from the water. The ragged cloth dress I hadn’t thought anything of until now feels like it weighs more than I do. Rolling over onto my back I begin feeling out the space.
The walls, floor and ceiling are composed of coarse rock. The space is rather small, less than two meters tall and three wide. Freezing water covers more than half of the floor, constantly flowing past me. The only sounds to be heard are produced by this stream as it rushes on and splashes over rocks.
Ugh, even just breathing hurts. I wonder how much damage I actually took.
[Health 1/10]
Yikes! I’ve come way too close to dying way too many times already in this crazy place! At least I’m not being chased right now but that doesn’t mean I should relax. I should find somewhere to hide properly as soon as I can.
Struggling to my feet I steady myself against the wall and take rapid shallow breaths, breathing deeply just hurts too much. I don’t really want to head back towards the waiting hounds so I follow the water, limping deeper into the tunnel. I listen and carefully feel out every surface as I go, not wanting to stumble unprepared into some new threat.
A minute or two and a bucket of sweat later I find a decent spot. The tunnel splits into two. The stream pours down the left passage while the path to the right is much less damp but that’s not really what I’m interested in at the moment. In the wall to my right just before the fork there’s a small alcove mostly hidden by the natural column formations.
Squeezing into and curling up in the tight space provides a slight but much appreciated sense of security. I shift around a little to get as comfortable as possible and extend my tendrils into the tunnel on the off chance that something comes by. Finally I settle in for my first real rest since I woke up in this world.
I can’t tell how much time has passed when I wake up. Even if there was an indicator it’s not like I would be able to see it. Without moving too much I begin checking the tunnel with my tendrils. Finding nothing I sigh quietly. I guess free meal delivery is too much to hope for here. It’s impossible to say for certain if anything even comes through this way. Checking my health I find it went back up to three while I slept. I assume I’m going to need to eat something if I want to get back up to full.
Getting out of my hiding spot takes some struggling and squirming, my dress and armor getting caught here and there. Upon freeing myself and standing up I pause to consider my options. First I could go back and take my chances in the forest; I don’t like that option. Second there’s the path to the left, checking with my tendrils there are definitely stairs carved into the stone but with the water pouring down over them I like that option even less.
That only leaves the path to the right, which is giving me a really bad feeling which I also don’t like. In the end it’s the only path I can’t find any logical reason not to go with, so I start down that way. I can hardly base my decisions on a bad vibe can I?
[New quest available]
[Quest available:
Dungeon slayer: You’ve stumbled upon a dungeon! Home to monsters and treasure, survive and you’re sure to thrive! Destroy the (data unavailable) Dungeon. Rewards; exp. Accept quest?]
On second thought maybe I should. Sigh, accept. Just exp? No hidden rewards or anything? I hope this is worth it.
[Quests added to ‘quests screen’]
Gods I hope it’s not insects, or rats, I am not desperate enough to eat either.
I continue down the tunnel, advancing slowly with my tendrils ahead of me. The shape of the tunnel slowly becomes more regular and the walls change from stone to dirt. Roots have broken through the ceiling in some spots and hang down into the tunnel. I slow to a stop when I notice a crackling popping noise from up ahead.
Is that a campfire?
Reaching ahead the tunnel opens up into a larger chamber. Crouching and getting close to the wall I quietly move forward while snaking my tendrils into the open space. Under the sound of the campfire I can just make out a soft squeaking.
Moving my tendril closer to the noise I find a small fuzzy leg. There’s a sudden stop to the squeaking as I tighten my grip on the limb. The startled silence is broken by a shrill screech as I drag the creature into the tunnel. The sounds of tearing flesh and terrified squeals stop after just a couple uses of rend.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[You have defeated a level 2 pitiful monstrosity young ratfolk, you’ve gained exp.]
[You’ve reached level 3! Skill selection available]
Yup, this seals it. The universe hates me. At least I got a level, I’ll worry about the skill selection later though.
I drop the mangled corpse within arms reach and send my tendrils out to check for more of the creatures. With my tendrils against the ground I can tell there’s another one in the room but can’t quite tell where.
[You have consumed a new creature. You’ve gained 1 bio point]
It’s gross. It doesn’t exactly taste bad but it is easily the most disgusting texture I have ever experienced. Ah, there’s the other one, yay…
The creature is backed up against a wall jabbing at my tendrils with what I think is a spear trying to keep them at bay. Fortunately it’s either too frightened or too dumb to call for help. Wait a second, did I just do a horror movie trope without even realizing? Ah, not important I guess.
In a flash of motion I lash out from both sides and grab the creature. It goes down just as easily as the other.
I guess now all there is to do is enjoy the meal…
[You have gained 1 bio point]
[You have gained 1 bio point]
So gross. At least I’m full and have a few bio points to spend. Not just that but the pain is already receding. Checking my health it’s gone all the way back up to eight. But anyway getting back to the bio points, I guess I’ll just upgrade my tendrils again? They’re still my biggest asset right now.
[Would you like to spend 3 bio points to bring shadow tendrils to +3?]
Bracing myself I confirm and try not to freak out when I completely lose feeling in my tendrils.
I don’t like that!
Once feeling returns I stretch them out and check my surroundings again. Nothing has changed behind me and the room just ahead is now clear of monsters.
Walking into the chamber I can feel the heat radiating from the fire and hear it crackling peacefully, the sound echoing in the confined space. Something about it just puts me on edge and makes my skin crawl. I give it as wide a birth as I can in the small chamber. Getting to the far side and finding another passage out I quickly put more distance between myself and the flames.
Even being within a few meters of the fire was incredibly unpleasant. It’s weird but just another thing to take note of and worry about later I suppose. For now I need to keep moving, something might have heard the disturbance.
Reaching out I can feel that the tunnel splits ahead. One path bending away to the right and an opening leading into another chamber to the left. In the chamber I can hear more squeaking but it seems to be accompanied by a scratching sound.
Is it digging? Maybe trying to expand the nest? Well, it’s not like it matters much in any case, it’s, unfortunately, going to be my next meal. As disgusting as these things are I need the bio points. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
I’m so unhappy with it that I forget to be careful and just lash out at the source of the noise. Locating the creature I grab hold and activate grapple. My tendrils seem to harden slightly across their whole surface and begin trying to compact the rat. It screeches and squirms but can’t escape my grip.
A sound from a second source snatches my attention and I swing my tendrils, and passenger, in the direction it came from. Both collide hard with another fuzzy body. Before I can figure out how to manage the new situation I feel a piercing pain in my thigh.
Falling to a knee I activate rend and tear my tendrils away from the first rat before swinging for the one that stabbed me.
[You have defeated a level 3 pitiful monstrosity young ratfolk, you’ve gained exp.]
[Rend has reached level 2]
One tendril makes contact and I grab it, starting to squeeze while I feel around for number two. Finding them still dazed from the impact I pick them up as well. A couple moments and a use of rend later they both stop struggling.
[You have defeated a level 2 pitiful monstrosity young ratfolk, you’ve gained exp.]
[You have defeated a level 1 pitiful monstrosity young ratfolk, you’ve gained exp.]
[Grapple has reached level 2]
Maria you are an idiot. Did you already forget where you are? Waltzing in without a care. As punishment for being so foolish you’re going to eat all three of these rats. AND LIKE IT! I’m going to be scolding myself for this again later but for now… yum… blegh...
[You have gained 1 bio point]
[You have gained 1 bio point]
[You have gained 1 bio point]
Nope, can’t pretend that isn’t awful. If I have to eat any more of these stinking things I think I’m going to hurl. Just need to remember, it’s for the bio points, it’s to keep you alive when you pull stupid stunts like that.
I think that’s enough mental scolding for now. Before I go though, I might as well dump my bio points. Not really sure what I want to go with at the moment but if I think long term, I’m going to want to improve everything eventually, so… just pick whatever? How about my arms, my strength stat is horrible but hopefully I can compensate with the upgrade.
[Would you like to spend 3 bio points to bring arms to +2?]
Yep, let’s go for it.
Give it a second…
Alright, now that I can feel my arms and my leg has stopped bleeding It’s time to get moving, this dungeon isn’t going to destroy itself. Question though, how does one destroy a dungeon? I don’t have to like, collapse it or anything right? Not sure how I’d manage that. Well not going to find out standing around here. There aren’t any other ways out of this room so let’s take a... feel? Let’s take a feel down the other way.