Sniffer bolted down the corridor. All thought for his safety vanished when he saw Tiddles's health disappear. He sprinted into the small chamber and came to a sudden halt. The pattern on the floor was glowing brightly now, casting an unearthly pillar of light into the air. As he watched in amazement, the faint form of Tiddles began to appear in the spiralling and now blinding light. His body was spun around inside as the light took on a paler blue colour. Kyto and Lars caught up with Sniffer as a solid form of Tiddles appeared, slowly lowered and deposited on the cold floor.
As fast as the light had appeared, it began to fade. Tiddles’s still form was on the floor, where the pattern returned to its original pale glow. He had clear marks showing on his fur where he had received massive injuries, looking at the blood that coated his fur. Sniffer dropped to his knees by his side, grabbing hold of the beast's monstrous face and holding it, leaning forward, crying into his neck. Sobs wracked his body at the loss of his friend. Kyto and Lars were both crying, seeing the dead form of Tiddles in front of them. The beast so powerful and fearless had been overcome somehow.
The three remaining companions stood for several moments before Kyto stepped forward and placed his hand on Sniffer's shoulder.
"Come, my friend, we must go," he said.
Sniffer shrugged his hand off, not letting go of Tiddles.
"Please," Kyto pleaded.
Sniffer remained locked around the beast's neck for several moments before turning to face them. "Why, why has this happened? This fucking System and the harm and loss it is bringing on us all," he shouted angrily. His face was smeared with his tears, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Kyto wiped at his own eyes, brushing the tears away as he replied. "I do not know, and I cannot say why it has done what it has, but we must be strong. We have to think of the others. Elizabeth the cubs."
Sniffer let out a shaky sigh as he began to stand, his head dropping to his chest. Lars stepped forward and grabbed the man holding him as though he was afraid he would collapse. The grief was a crushing weight on his shoulders. Fresh tears slid down his cheeks as he buried his face into Lars's shoulder. Lars patted Sniffer on the back like a parent would an upset child as he slowly turned and walked him back up the tunnel towards the entrance.
Kyto stood staring at Tiddles's lifeless form for several more moments before turning to follow. They reached the barrier, and Kyto walked forward, not paying attention as he touched it. A System prompt appeared.
Do you wish to leave the Infestation Dungeon? Yes/No
He selected yes and stepped through. Lars still supported Sniffer as they followed, crossing the entrance cavern and heading back to the outside.
The light was still bright in the afternoon sky as the three companions slowly approached where the truck was parked. None of them talking.
∆∆∆
The spikes that tore into his body at the bottom of the pit ended his life in an instant. He had felt his body being skewered, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Even with his increased defensive capabilities, they had pierced him like a spear to a fish. He now stood and howled. The pain, the recollection. The fear, the panic, the thoughts that had flashed through his mind in an instant before death. But how was he now thinking? How was he now alive? He sat down in the darkness of the small chamber, looking around him. There were no signs of the others, but he could see they had been there. Their tracks were visible to him. His display flashed a new message.
You have died in the Infestation Dungeon. Be more careful next time. 8 days, 6 hours, 45mins remaining.
"Well, that was fucking horrible," he muttered to himself. He turned and began to walk slowly, checking his stride before he was sure he was fine, and then began to run back to the entrance. He had to find the others.
∆∆∆
They heard the crashing through the woods behind them before they saw the beast that appeared. Its body was covered in the marks of dried blood where it had laid dead not long before. It now bounded through the trees and came onto the roadside not ten feet from them. A huge stupid grin on its terrifying face. All three companions stood in shock, looks of confusion and bewilderment on their faces. Sniffer reacted first, not saying anything, running at Tiddles, throwing his arms around his thick neck and again began to cry openly into his thick fur.
"How?" Kyto asked, eyes like saucers.
"I don't know. The last thing I remember is being skewered like a Keefir kebab." Tiddles replied.
"Skewered?" Kyto asked.
"I fell into a spike pit while dodging a blade," he replied.
Kyto was unsure how to respond to the now fully alive and healthy beast. He had removed Tiddles from the party on leaving the dungeon, the cross by his name a permanent reminder in their vision of his death, causing too much heartache to remain.
Would you like to invite Tiddles to the party? Yes/No
Kyto selected yes.
Tiddles's details reappeared on the display for them all to see, supporting the fact that they had not all just lost their minds entirely through grief.
"So, you were brought back to life?" Kyto said.
"I don't think you can die in the dungeon. You remember the cryptic message about it in the Codex. Dungeons are not for the faint-hearted, as death in a dungeon takes an unnatural form. Only experience of death will show you its true nature."
"That is fucked up," Kyto said.
Sniffer had still not let go of Tiddles and was clinging onto him as though he was trying to crush him. "Can you tell Sniffer I need to breathe, please?" Tiddles said with a grin.
"Sniffer, you are choking Tiddles," Kyto said.
Sniffer let go immediately, pulling away from Tiddles and looking at the beast. "Don't you ever scare the shit out of me like that again? Do you understand me?" he said sternly at Tiddles.
Tiddles leaned forward and licked Sniffer on the side of his face. "Oh, for fucks sake, boy, your breath stinks worse than Geblex dung," he replied, laughing.
It was unnervingly scary how the effects of such an emotional rollercoaster could turn from tears of grief to joy in an instant and the mood changes that the body went through. All three of the companions felt invigorated with the return of Tiddles. "We now know that if we die, we return to that chamber. What did you find in there apart from a pit." Kyto asked.
"I was going down the second tunnel when I met my demise. The first tunnel wound down to a door with writing on it. I had never seen the text before, but I could read it. It said Dungeon level 1." Tiddles replied.
"That sounds better than a terrifying pit full of spikes," Kyto said.
"I would not recommend the spike pit; it was very unpleasant," Tiddles said, chuckling.
"We should go back really and check on this first level," Kyto said.
"We only have a few hours of light left," Sniffer added.
"I do not think the Geblex are coming back out," Tiddles added.
"What do you mean?" Kyto asked.
"It seems strange that we have a timer on the infestation dungeon. I think the Geblex are inside until the timer runs down, and then they will be released," he said.
"That may be the case, but we cannot be sure," Kyto said.
"There is only one way to find out," Tiddles replied.
"Now you say that if we are inside the dungeon, and it seems to operate as a separate area and is scaled to parties, I bet they are not even in the dungeon itself," Kyto said.
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There were so many unknown questions about the recent changes and the System that everything they suggested was purely an assumption until proven true. However, most of their predictions had seemed pretty accurate. They never would have considered resurrection even a reality previously. The fact that Tiddles stood with them after they had all seen his lifeless body only an hour earlier was unbelievable in all their considerations.
The companions decided to collect the truck, return to the mine, and wait for the last light before deciding. If, as soon as it went dark, Geblex appeared, they would leave in the truck and return with the remaining guard force assigned to help them. It did not take them long to get to the truck and drive the short distance to the mine. The way was pretty easy by the roads, and it was not in as poor a state of repair as many were. They parked up and sat, facing away from the entrance and ready to leave at the first signs of the monsters. Lars handed some of the dry rations to the companions, and they sat silently chewing on them. As the light faded, the nervous tension increased, and Tiddles moved into the entrance tunnel to get a better view. They sat in the darkness for a few hours until Tiddles returned, reporting no change inside.
"So, it seems you were right," Sniffer told Tiddles after Kyto explained.
"I am not just a beastly face," he replied, smiling his grotesque grin.
"You do realise how that smile makes people feel," Kyto said.
"I know it brings calm and serenity to all who glow in its magnificence," he replied.
Kyto scoffed and pushed him on his shoulder, but the beast did not move an inch. He then placed two hands on him and tried to push him, but it did not matter how hard he tried. Tiddles just stood there, looking at him. "Have you quite finished now?" Tiddles asked, raising a beastly brow.
"I hate to think how heavy you are now," Kyto replied.
"I am not heavy. I am well built," he replied.
The companions moved back towards the tunnel and again entered, cautiously listening and slowly moving back towards the chamber. Nothing had changed; there was no sound apart from those they made.
"Let's enter again," Kyto said as they approached the small tunnel. He walked forward, placing his hand where the barrier seemed to be a System message flashing in his vision.
As party leader, would you like to take your party into the Infestation Dungeon? Yes/No. Time remaining to complete 8 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes.
He accepted yes and walked forward. The remainder followed him into the mouth of the tunnel. Nothing had changed. It was the same as before, and they walked down the tunnel to the small chamber area where the soft glowing symbols lay on the floor.
"Right tunnel," Tiddles said as he walked forward.
They followed Tiddles as he walked down the slight incline until they arrived at the solid-looking wooden door. Kyto read the text out loud.
"Dungeon Level 1", he said, walking up to the door and placing his hand on the large bolt that held it closed. Picking the bolt up, it squealed amidst the group's silence and scrapped against its metal housing as he drew it backwards. He then took hold of the large ring that was hung on the door and pulled the door towards him. It was heavy but moved easily as if freshly oiled, swinging open to reveal a stone corridor. This corridor was smoothly cut, and the stone blocks that made the sides looked newly constructed, bearing no signs of age. "Here goes," he said, stepping into the corridor.
"I will lead," Tiddles said, activating his skill and disappearing into the hall's shadows as he moved ahead of the group.
They slowly moved along the corridor, Tiddles being extra cautious where he placed his paws as he went. There did not appear to be anything that he could see, and they followed the corridor for a couple of hundred feet as it continued in a perfectly straight line into the depths of the earth.
"I hear something. Wait here," Tiddles whispered.
Kyto put his hand up to stop the group, and Tiddles disappeared ahead of them. A couple of minutes passed before he returned, thankfully. Kyto, having been staring at Tiddles’s health bar, worried about a similar occurrence.
"Opens into a room up ahead. There are several Geblex in there, nothing we cannot handle easily enough. Then, there are three other doors leading off it. It looks like they are supposed to be a guard force or something, but they are all standing around a fire eating something that has been roasted." he whispered.
"Small Geblex force, nothing too large, not ready for us to attack," Kyto said to the others.
Sniffer and Lars nodded. Tiddles turned and slowly moved forward, the three of them following. Kyto began to stream at Tiddles, filling his mana pool. Tiddles looked back, nodding in thanks. Kyto's familiar was casting a bright light, so he cancelled it before they got to the room. They reached the room entrance and looked in. The room was about fifty feet square, and in the middle was a burning fire pit, the smell of cooking meat providing a different smell compared to the mouldy dampness of the Geblex themselves. There were fourteen Geblex in the room, none paying attention to the entrance corridor. The thick smoke from the burning fire and cooking meat disappeared as it reached the room's ceiling, which was fifteen feet high. The smoke should have filled the room, but whatever the System had done, it did not follow standard science rules.
Lars tapped Kyto on the shoulder, indicating the left side. Kyto nodded and then tapped Tiddles, pointing right. Sniffer would go for the middle. They all had weapons, Lars switching to his blades and Sniffer a machete he had brought rather than the pistols. The sound of guns being fired in the enclosed space would be ear-shattering. The Geblex stood croaking to each other as they tore chunks from the roasting meat. Kyto's stomach twisted as he noticed that one of them was holding the forearm of a person and was chewing into the burned and tattered flesh that remained on it, the person's hand visible in the firelight.
Kyto was surprised that they stood so close to flames, knowing their susceptibility to catching fire, and he had an idea. He tapped Tiddles and pointed at the fire and then spread his hands out as if indicating for him to scatter it. Tiddles nodded in what he hoped was understanding before Kyto began to count down slowly with his fingers.
5
4
3
2
1
Tiddles bolted the instance Kyto reached one. He instantly flew like a bullet across the distance to the Geblex, crashing into the back of three of them as their croaks erupted at the intrusion. Lars moved to the left, immediately heading to attack the Geblex on that side, and Kyto and Sniffer moved in centrally. Kyto held the axe in his hand from the previous battle. He felt as though it was a good omen, so he had kept hold of it since.
The surprise attack threw the three Geblex into the fire. All their displays began to flash with messages, and Sniffer nearly lost his footing. Surprised by the sudden relay of information, he cancelled them and continued forward. His stride was roughly unbroken. His machete raised, ready to strike. The Geblex, who had landed in the flames, had immediately wailed their horrendous croaks of pain as their bodies began to burn, and the spit that had been resting above the fire was knocked over onto the floor behind, spreading the fire embers across the room. The Geblex on that side jumped backwards out of the way of the burning coals. The Geblex eating the Risen arm turned in surprise as Sniffer approached, swinging the machete at its face. It threw the arm up defensively in response, and the machete struck the arm and shattered the weakened bones from the flame shearing the hand off. If Sniffer had not been hyped with adrenaline, he would have probably thrown up at the grim sight.
He swung again. The Geblex could not defend itself this time as the machete cut deeply into its shoulder. It wailed in pain and struck out at Sniffer with its clawed hands, dropping the arm. Sniffer felt the claws rip at his jacket, tearing into the fabric and leaving gashes but thankfully not contacting his skin. He swung again and, this time, struck the Geblex in its face, cutting deeply into the side of its head, opening up its mouth to three times its normal size as he tore it across with fear, anger, and adrenaline combined. Sniffer was not a brawler and was not used to being in a toe-to-toe fight. He did not even notice the Geblex at his side as it jumped at him, clawing at him until he felt its claws tear into the side of his face. He screamed in agony, his display flashing red, and he felt the warmth of his blood flowing from the open wounds. He turned, trying to force the monster from him, but it was too close to be able to push it away and move the machete to attack it. He struggled with the monster, deflecting its rabid attacks as it clawed at him, backing away, and he tripped on something, falling backwards onto the floor. The monster landed on top of him, croaked, and wailed as it tried to bite and claw at him. Sniffer held its arms away as best as he could and moved his head as it lunged to bite. He held onto it for what seemed like an age before it suddenly went limp, and its black blood began to fall from its face onto his own.
He gasped and panted, pushing the monster off him, seeing Lars turning away and moving towards another Geblex. he lay looking at the room as he felt the wounds on his face begin to knit together and heal. "Sorry," Kyto called from where he stood twenty feet away with a Geblex body lying at his feet. He watched Tiddles tear the head off one of the remaining Geblex while Lars swiftly dispatched the other. His moves were swift, the speed he struck being hard to see with the naked eye.
In a few more moments, the battle was over, and the remains of the fourteen Geblex were dispatched around the room, charred remains of those that had burned and the remains of the fire scattered. The light had faded with the fire spreading, and Kyto called his familiar to brighten the room. No sound came from the doors that led from the room, and they took a moment to gather themselves. Lars patted Sniffer on his back after Sniffer thanked him.
Sniffer felt the side of his face, where the claws had ripped into him, feeling the healed and fresh soft skin that had now replaced it. The area where he had had a beard previously was now bare as hairs did not grow back with healing, and he could feel the slight gap.
"I need to stay behind you guys. I could not heal you immediately because I was too busy fighting one of them who attacked me," Kyto said.
"Lars, you were attacking so fast," Sniffer said.
Lars shrugged in response.
"I think it is the party buffs. Lars is normally a brawler, so I think it has boosted his speed," Kyto said.
"I wish I knew what it had boosted for me," Sniffer said.
"We may find out yet," Kyto replied, turning to look at the doors.
"It does not matter how many times I kill these foul things. The taste never gets any better." Tiddles said, shaking his head.
"They still taste like shit, apparently." Kyto relayed.
"Which way now?" Sniffer asked, gathering himself together again.
Lars had walked over to where the spit had been knocked over and bent down at the remains of the body they had been roasting. He pried at the body with a knife point for a minute before turning back to them, holding a burnt but visible guard insignia. He then looked around the room, finding the hand that Sniffer had chopped from the arm. He bent again and then turned, holding a golden-coloured band of metal, pocketing it with the insignia.
He turned and signed to Kyto. 'One of the missing.'
Kyto did not need to relay the message. The look of sheer anger on Lars's face showed all his thoughts clearly.
The impact of the burned man’s remains now weighed on their shoulders, and they took a few moments to gather themselves.
"I say the door on the left," Tiddles said, walking towards it.
The three were identical, with nothing visibly distinguishing them or hinting at what may be behind them. Kyto walked forward, reaching out for the handle.