"Damn!" As I read the scroll, that disappears a few minutes later, much to my relief.

I ended up stealing a burning stick from some homeless people to build a fire. A half-hour later, I have hidden away, roasting the rat I gutted and skin. Well, I skin the rat as well as I can with a sharp stick. Not crazy about eating a rat and being hungry. I'm not going to be picky about what I can eat. Considering I was starving and ate worms earlier. After an hour of smelling the rat cooking and walking around my area watching for enemies that might smell the meat cooking. I finally ate a small part of my large rat because of my diminutive stomach from starving to death. I did not want the throw up from overeating. I did eat small amounts over the night. Water was accessible, considering there is a community well nearby. I found a broken waterskin that can hold a cup and half of water until I can buy or steal a good one. I cut the rest of the rat into strips of meat for later and hope I can get some smoke meat later. It may take me a while to remember how to make a smoker, but I will get there, I hope.

I explore the sewer about twenty feet in both directions and the two side tunnels that goes north for about fifty feet. The tunnel under the wall has a portcullis with a heavy spell in the north tunnels. Getting close to about ten feet from the portcullis, you can feel the buzz of the magic. Watching a stick floating down the stream and get into the ten-foot area, it vaporizes the stick. I knew not to mess with it. It looks like the bars can be raised on the top of the wall, which will make it difficult to get into the nicer districts. So going that way will be a no, for now.

Making a makeshift spear from an old spear shaft that was splinter off near where the blade was, help more than hinder me from killing rats. After the thirtieth rat died, I dinged at level four and raised my spear skill from zero to rank three.

'Ding Level four Thief! A thief may only be better than a rogue someday. You may become a master thief.'

The scroll that appears scared me for a moment as I watch it fade away.

Leveling gave me a +1 to dexterity, +1 to charm. +1 to three new skills. I put one into lock picking raising it to (+4) +1= 5, burglary by one, 7 (+4) = 11, and bought stealth by one, (+4) = 5. Also, gain a +.5 in backstab, which bring me to x3 damage. It also gave me hide in shadow at 20%. So this is much like a game I tried a few times over the years and grew bored with, as it seems to be dull after killing or stealing a few times.

I gain back one on my Physique from eating meat to get healthy and from leveling. Getting my health back up even though I am starting to hate rat meat. I did lose a malnourished buff. I didn't notice that impairs my stamina. So I no longer have hindered my stats. I May have to steal some onions and potatoes if this world had some. I need to make a stew, getting tired of a burnt rat. The area where I am kills the rats. I started cleaning up from the stairs to the water edge in the middle is ten feet wide and about five feet deep, using my spear to touch the bottom. And the smelt from the water makes me want to gag a few times. From the debris, I found the skeleton remains of someone with a rotten backpack. Inside the pack, I found a small knife that had the wooden handle rotting off. After finding a wooden crate while exploring around the city block, I box up the skeleton figuring. I can put it near a cemetery I overheard a few people talk about nearby. After boxing up the skeleton, I made a makeshift handle for the knife. Gaining a skill called woodcraft with my dexterity that shows up as a five on my skill list.

The next few days, I people-watch as everyone moves about and tries to survive. Farmers walk or hop on carts that travel the ten miles of slums to work the fields across the plains. Some people enter the south gate to clean up the better district for little money. Some head east to the smuggler wharf early in the morning to board one of the fishing vessels to fish or clean fish at the dock when a ship returns. Logger and men guarding them head to the south to log the great forest that stretches who know how far south. And some head north out of the western slums into the mines to the north in the mountains. Some are gone for a day and others for a week or more. One thing I know is the rich here get richer, and the poor barely survive. Every morning before sunrise, people head out to work only to return at sunset. Even then, some never made it back. Demon beasts, orc raids, and even elves wounding or kill people that log too deep in the forest. The rumor is that the Council has made a deal to log only the outer edge of the woods with the elves. The Council can log marked areas in return for foods and exotic plants and trees given to the elves. Every few weeks, the area logged will become forest overnight, renewing the area for logging. Anyone found deeper within the forest is killed.

One of the gate guards has a couple of children spying in return for food. A few of the women on the alleyways prostitute themselves out. Most times, they end up being raped or killed. Although, one girl did kill her attacker and went back to the alleyways to make more money after stripping the man of everything and leaving a naked body behind. The one larger alleyway nearby is protected by one man with one arm called Roger with some help from a couple of men. They seem more like protectors than a gang. To the south, a few blocks away, are the Trio brothers, as I call them. That runs several alleyways and has a small gang. Still, they do not mess with the one-arm man.

Two nights later, I decided to sneak to a nearby cemetery called the Saint Thomas Holy Ground. Saint Thomas was once a priest of the god of death killed during a large orc raid. He serves a god call Drogal. Drogal is much like Hades from Earth. Everyone fears god that everyone will meet in the end to be parcel out to the different gods upon death. The cemetery is one of the only places outside of the city walls that had walls. At least fifteen feet tall that cover an area of about a hundred acres. I learn from watching and listening that there are catacombs beneath the cemetery that adventurers go in and destroy undead. Again rumor has it that the cemetery is a dungeon. I shiver from the thought of undead walking around. Give me a good book to read and Bach playing in the background to killing the undead any day of the week. Watching the gate to the grounds as two guards walk past it before going around the block. I was about to run out and deposit the crate near the entrance when I heard three boys nearby whisper.

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"Are you sure there is food in the guard shack?" Whisper one of the boys.

"I'm telling you, they have food! I have been watching them the last few days. It takes them about one bell to come back to the shack. They wait for about two bells and do their round again. When the bell tolls out midnight, they eat their food and drink some ale." another boy in a higher voice spoke.

"What! They have ale?" said another boy who spoke louder.

"Ssh! Quiet, they might hear us!" The first one hiss.

Shaking my head, knowing these three boys will cause trouble. Although the thought of something other than rat meat does sound good. I got about ten minutes to get to the shack and drop the crate before the boys do something. Moving farther away, I cross the street about a wagon width wide next to the cemetery wall. I could have left the crate here, but I want the food in the guard shack. Using stealth, I move up and drop the crate next to the shack in the dark. Peering in, I can see a table that needs a lot of repair and four open wooden crates to sit on. Sneaking inside, I can spot a cloth wrap bundle on the table and the smell of fish in the air. Against the wall is an old spear that is a hundred times better than mine. Well, anything would be better. Grabbing the bundle and the spear, I turn and crash into the three boys. Two of the boys yell, and in the distance, I heard the guards yelling. Leaping over the boys, I took off across the road into an alley.

One of the guards, bless his heart try to chase me down. It took ten twisting alleyways to lose him at an intersection. Any farther, we both would be in direr straits. The trio brothers' territory starts near here. The territory that I am in now allows people through their area for a small toll. So I sneak a different route back to the cemetery to make my way home. Luck would have it. I spotted the three boys leaning against a wooden wall gasping for air. Opening the bundle and in the dark, I can see three fish sandwiches and a drinking pouch with my elf's eyes. Opening the drinking pouch and smell ales, I corked it and took two of the sandwiches out. Bundling up the bundle. I step out of the alleyway near the wall where the boys are hiding.

"Good plan," I whisper and watch as all three boys gasp in shock. "You three can share the two of the sandwiches for your effort."

"Why should we, its probable poison." one of the boys steps forward with a club at ready as he whispers back. The three boys all look to be about ten to twelve years of age. What little my eyes pick out is that all three are arm with wooden clubs. Wearing rags like myself and seeing how thin they are, I felt a bit of pity for them. A bit not enough pity to give them my sandwich.

Looking around and see some dirty cloth nearby, I bent and put both sandwiches on it and back up.

"Your choice," nodding my head northward. "Over to the north is the wall. If you want some work, I can pay in rat meat if you like. I stay near that near the gate area in the center. Maybe a copper coin or two if I have any, but I figure you need food for now. I need spies to keep me posted on what others are doing in the area. There is a lady that sells rat meat on a stick. Show up near there, after tomorrow, around noon bell, and I will tell you what to watch for in the area unless you are working for someone. Then don't come." I said and back off and disappear into the night.

It took me an hour before I realize I was lost in the maze of houses. If not for the fact I can see in the dark like it was twilight, I might have become hopelessly lost. Halfway back, I felt the hairs on my neck begin to rise, pushing against the nearby wall to hide better in the shadow. I watch the alley and the junction ahead. Once in a while, I peer behind me in case I was being followed. After a few moments, I felt a chill, along with fear gripping my heart. My mind whispering for me to run away, only I force myself not to move as a dark form step out into the junction in a cloak cape. The humanoid form is about ten feet tall, but hunch down, it was only about six feet. For a brief moment, I saw red glowing eyes as he raises up and sniffs the air. What the hell is that?

'Ghoul level 10' a scroll appears before fading away.

Two more cape forms that are smaller move past the ghoul hunch over, and head away from the junction.

'Ghoul level 1' appears twice from seeing them slip away in the shadows. The large ghoul hunchs down and starts to move, only to stop and look in my direction sniffing the air. Damn fish sandwich! The ghoul turns and disappears down the alleyway that the other ghoul traveled.

I waited about a half-hour after the large ghoul moves away before crossing and head as fast as I can for the stairs to the sewers. Slipping down the steps, I sat down and shook while eating my fish sandwich and moan at the taste. God, I mess southern fried fish sandwich. Almost like my mother used to make for me. Staring at the door in the dark, I need a stronger door here to keep things out. As I stare at the rotten door at the bottom of the stairs, some twenty feet below ground.

Another scroll appears. Sneak +1. Parkour skill acquires +1. Persuasion skills acquire +1.

Name: Jack Mclac

Race: half-elf

Age: 17

Thief level four

Physical 4/5

Dexterity 8

Mental 6

Charm 6

Hit points: physical + mental + level x5 = 50

Skills

pickpocket (Dex/2) (+4)+4 =8

Burglary (Dex/2) (+4)+7 =11

Blunt weapon (Dex/2) (+4 +1) =5

Piercing weapons (Dex/2) (+2)+1 =5

Lock picking (Dex/2) (+4)+3 =7

Traps (Mental/2) (+3)+1 =4

Climbing (Phy/2)(+2) +1=3

Stealth(Dex/2) (+4) +2 =6

Parkour(Dex/2) (+4) +1 =5

Persuasion (Cha/2) (+3) +1 =4

Woodcraft (+4) +1 =5

Backstab x1.5 (+1.5) = x3

Hide in Shadow 20%