When SJ reached the church, she found cleric Lythonian tending to some flowers in the planters at the church’s entrance. Seeing a massive draconian dressed in chain mail armour tending to flowers was strange.
“Hi again,” SJ said as she walked up.
“Oh. Hello again,” Lythonian said, turning and removing his sharp-nailed finger from the earth of a flowerpot. He then placed a cutting into the hole, gently tapping the soil around it. Picking up a watering can, he watered it.
“There we go. Never miss an opportunity to grow new life,” he said, smiling.
“I am ready to visit the crypt. Can you let me know where the entrance is?”
“Of course. If you go around the side of the church. It is at the far end of the graveyard at the rear.”
“Okay. Thanks, I will get going then.”
“Good luck.”
SJ followed his directions and walked to the rear of the church, where she began to head through the graveyard. The trees here were much heavier, and the sun did not penetrate them easily, with only the odd streak breaking through the canopy. This gave the area a sense of foreboding, and SJ shuddered suddenly, imagining skeletons rising from the graves.
The crypt entrance was a large stone entranceway with a steel gate closed and a latch holding it in place. SJ lifted the latch, creating a horrendous grating sound. The scene reminded her of films where she had always shouted at the TV screen, ‘Don’t go in there.’ Yet, she was. Behind the grate was a small entrance tunnel; she saw steps leading down. It was pitch-black inside, although she could make out torches hung on brackets along the wall.
She recalled a torch from her inventory and struggled with the flint and steel to light it. Eventually, the spark caught, and the torch burst into flames, casting its flickering light dancing across the cold stone surfaces of the entrance.
“Here goes.”
“Watch out for the skeletons and mummies.”
“I thought it was supposed to be rats and spiders?”
“Oh. Different crypt, sorry.”
“Really! You say something like that as I am about to enter a crypt for the first time.”
“Need you on your toes. We don’t want you being complacent.”
“Complacent! I am about to walk into darkness and look for rats and giant spiders. Believe me, I am not being complacent. I hate spiders.”
“You should probably equip your claws.”
SJ was feeling so nervous she had not even thought about arming herself. Selecting her gloves, and they appeared on her hands. Stepping into the gloom and holding the torch in front of her, she walked towards the torch in the bracket, lighting it with her torch. The addition of the light eased the nervous tension she was feeling. She stepped to the other side, repeating the process.
In front of her was a set of stone steps leading down into the crypt. Easing herself forward, she began the slow, deliberate descent, holding the torch before her and forcing it to light her path as best as possible. Reaching the bottom of the steps, she entered a small chamber. The air had grown damp and musty, and there was a faint scent of decay. Glancing around the chamber, she could see the sarcophaguses of its dwellers.
There were more torches on the walls, and she headed straight towards them, immediately lighting them and bathing the chamber in their flickering light. Across the chamber was a small corridor that led deeper into the crypt. SJ cautiously walked towards it and heard the echoes of scurrying feet off the ancient stone walls.
“Rats.”
“State the obvious, why don’t you,” Dave sarcastically replied.
SJ tutted in response and switched the torch to her left hand, making a fist with her right, slowly edging forward. The torch’s light suddenly reflected from the tunnel’s darkness, and she caught the beady eyes of a rat staring at her. Its sharp teeth bared in anticipation of feeding on her.
As she entered the corridor, SJ held the torch down and forward, forcing the rat backwards from the flame. She could see it clearly now. It was much larger than any she had ever seen back on Earth. She triggered her Identification skill.
Giant Rat Level 3
Hit points - 12
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Claws
The rat hissed at her as she moved forward, and she suddenly realised she had walked into another chamber. Too focused on the rat in front of her, she had not noticed that more beady eyes looked at her in the torch’s flickering light.
“Damn,” she said, turning quickly and looking for a wall to back up against. She could not chance them surrounding her. Swinging the torch from side to side, she kept the rats at bay as she backed into a corner of the chamber. She caught sight of a torch on the wall further ahead and slowly edged towards it, getting close enough to light it.
The torch burst into flames, and she wished it hadn’t. There had to be at least a dozen rats in the chamber with her. She triggered her identification skill again, and her display flooded with details.
She quickly tallied up the totals, swinging the torch at ground level and keeping them away.
Giant Rat Level 3 x 3
Hit points - 12
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Claws
Giant Rat Level 2 x 2
Hit points - 8
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Claws
Giant Rat Level 1 x 7
Hit points - 4
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Claws
The hissing and scratching of their claws on the smooth stone floor sent a shiver down her spine.
“At least most are only level 1,” she grimaced.
“You could stomp on those to kill them. The level 3s need a poke, but nothing you can’t handle.”
SJ nervously surveyed the chamber and decided to throw her torch towards a group of the level 1 rats. The group squealed in shock as the torch landed amongst them, two of them being caught by its flame as it bounced and rolled to a stop. Still burning and casting its glow in an orange circle. SJ tensed, ready for the others now that she no longer held the torch.
One of the level two’s attacked first, running towards her, its sharp incisors on full display. She kicked out as it approached, catching it almost perfectly and sending it flying backwards across the room. It landed with a squeal and a thud and unsteadily tried to climb to its feet, its health almost zero. After seeing the impact of one kick, SJ’s confidence was boosted, and she began systematically kicking at the rodents.
A level three ran towards her, and she punched as it leapt, piercing through its body with ease with the badger claws, its body impaled on its blades. She flicked her wrist, sending the dead body of the rat across the room. Two of the smaller rats now ignored her and gorged on their deceased relative.
“Not picky eaters, are they.”
“No,” SJ replied, fighting back the bile she could feel in her throat.
She continued to fight, kicking and saving her punches for the larger rats. One of the level 3’s jumped at her from the side and bit down hard into her buttocks, and she yelped in pain as its incisors dug in, her health dropping by three hit points. Swinging her arm behind her, she grabbed it in her gloved hand and tore it free from where it was hanging. Squeezing it and then throwing it across the room. It landed heavily but not dead. As it staggered to its feet, hissing and making for her again.
She had killed eight of them now. The one level three, which she had just thrown, a level two rat, and two level ones remaining. All four ran at her at once. She stepped back and brought her leading leg around in a sweeping motion. Catching the closest and sending it careering into the one next to it. Another of the level ones dying from the impact. The two and three jumped at her. The two managed to get a hold of her dress’s sleeve. Luckily, it did not reach her flesh. The injured level three that had bit her bum this time ended up with four badger claws pierced through its body.
She flicked the three away and stabbed the remaining level two rat before turning towards the level one, which had been hit by its companion when she swept her foot. It lay on its side, one of its legs visibly broken, squealing at her. She stepped forward and stamped down on it, ending its miserable existence.
“Well, that was fun,” Dave piped up.
“Not really. But at least they are dealt with.” SJ quickly checked the experience she had gained from them.
The level 1s had only granted her four experience each, rather than their base ten. The level 2s had given her twelve from their base twenty, and the level 3s twenty-four from their base thirty. In just a few minutes, she had earned 124 experience.
“I can understand how that berserker reached level 4 in a day fighting a rat’s nest. They give pretty decent experience.”
“Experience is matched to level. I thought you would have realised that by now?” Dave asked.
“I had, but this just confirmed it.”
“The only time it doesn’t is when the rarity of a creature changes, in which case the experience can vary dramatically.”
SJ now had 161 of the 400 experience required for level 5. She bent down, looting the corpses and retrieving her torch. She lit two other torches on the walls, bathing the whole chamber in light. The rats’ loot was poor.
4 x rat tails, 4 x coppers
SJ immediately discarded the rat tails from her inventory. She didn’t care if they had a use, not being able to stomach carrying them.
“Next chamber,” Dave said excitedly.
“Give me a minute,” SJ replied, pulling her waterskin from her inventory and drinking. The water tasted refreshing. She put it away again and rubbed at her bum where she had been bitten. Where the rats had bitten through her dress, you could not tell. The dress self-repairs automatically fixing it.
“Ok. Let’s go,” SJ said, holding the torch in front of her again as she walked to the next corridor. As she entered the corridor with the torch ahead of her, she shivered as she saw the repugnant silvery threads of horror dangling from the corridor ceiling.
“Why does it have to be a spider?” SJ said rhetorically.
“That is like asking why the sky is blue or the grass green. Spiders are always found in dark, damp corners in Amathera. I am pretty sure it is no different to Earth.” Dave replied.
“I know.”
“Then why ask about it being spiders?”
“I was being facetious.”
“Oh. I see. Very good. You are learning well. I prefer sarcasm over facetiousness.”
SJ sighed deeply. “I would never have guessed.”
“Oh. I see what you did there. You do learn quickly, don’t you? My Legionnaire is growing up so fast.”
Rolling her eyes in disdain, she continued forward, listening to the webs frazzle as she melted them. The spiders living or making these webs could be no larger than normal spiders on Earth. As she entered the next chamber, she realised this next spider was not so small. Stretching across the whole width of the chamber was a massive web. It hung from everywhere. Its strands were easily as thick as SJ’s finger, and she glanced around the room quickly, looking for the monstrous spider that must have spun it.
She could not see anything, her torch not casting light far enough to penetrate the chamber’s depth. She walked towards the large web. Grateful its maker wasn’t present. She held the torch out, letting its flame burn into the thick strands. The strands caught and began to burn brightly, not frazzling as standard webs did. Slowly, the flame spread across its surface.
SJ stared as the maze of strands continued to light and nearly missed the movement out of the corner of her eye. She spun around and started to back away immediately, triggering identification. A massive arachnid had lowered itself from the ceiling above and now stood no more than twenty feet from SJ. Its eight eyes gleamed in the light from the torch and burning web.
Giant Spider Level 5
Hit points – 52
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Pierce/Spit
Special – Web
Its eyes glinted with malice as it skittered towards her. Its fangs looked covered in venom.
“You said poisons are after level 5, right?” SJ said, panicky.
“Yes. Poisons do not affect those under level 5.”
SJ stood ready, torch in front, fist clenched with claws facing towards the monstrous horror. It reminded SJ of Shelob from the Lord of the Rings. It lunged forward with its legs reaching out with deadly speed. SJ dodged, stepping sideways, narrowly avoiding its strike, swiftly counter-attacking and striking with her blades, slashing at one of its legs. Her blades cut through easily, severing the limb from below its second joint, yellow ichor leaking from the wound. The spider screeched in anger and turned back to face her. It had lost a fifth of its health with the strike.
It hissed, rearing on its back legs, and thrusting its remaining three forelegs at SJ. She jumped backwards again, only just moving out of range as it dropped to its legs and skittered forward. Again, she struck, clawing at its limbs, and rather than sidestepping this time, she dove forward, sliding underneath its body. It tried to strike at her as SJ slid, its fangs just missing, clacking together in anger. SJ thrust her blades upwards into the abdomen of the beast, more ichor being released. Coating her arm in the sticky yellow substance. She thrust the torch she still held at its body. It screeched but did not catch fire.
The spider was now turning above her and moving away, and SJ slashed at one of its trailing limbs again, managing to cut through it with ease. With the damage to its legs and abdomen, it was now down to under half its health. It turned, and rather than skitter to attack, it spat a ball of green venom towards her. SJ tried to move away but had not been expecting a ranged attack, and it caught her on the arm holding the torch. Crying in pain, dropping the torch, an immediate burning sensation flooding her brain.
“Nasty. Acid spit.” Dave said. “You don’t want another of those hitting you.”
SJ glanced at her arm, seeing the melted material of the dress slowly begin to repair above the melted skin of her arm, where the acid had struck. She could not carry the torch in her left hand now, her arm feeling weak and useless and her health dropping to half, only 14 of 28 remaining. The acid strike had taken almost half her health in one hit and incapacitated her arm.
“Come on. You piece of troll dung,” SJ screamed at the spider. It hissed and clacked its mandibles together, charging at her. She sidestepped again, sweeping her right arm down and through another leg. It now had three injured legs and, even though still upright, was not as fast or as agile as it had been. Taking advantage of its state, SJ moved to attack. As it went to turn, SJ thrust her bladed hand forward and pierced it in its thorax. It thrashed in pain, hitting SJ with its head and sending her backwards onto the chamber floor. Its health was now down to under a quarter.
SJ knew one good strike with her blades could finish it, and she would not give up now. Roaring, she climbed to her feet and ran at the spider, not waiting for it to strike. Anger getting the better of her, she struck out recklessly. The spider was not used to being advanced on and tried to skitter backwards from her onslaught. Not stopping, SJ slashed through another of its legs. It only had one leg now supporting it at the front, and it struggled to maintain its balance. Eventually, it began toppling over as it tried to move back.
As it toppled, it rolled onto its back, and SJ took advantage, diving forward and driving her blade deep into its thorax. The spider thrashed under her briefly before its legs stopped, curling inwards as it became still. SJ breathed heavily, surveying the scene. The giant web still burned slowly. Sliding off the creature’s abdomen, she moved to pick her torch up. Wearily, she stood over the spider, looking down at her prey victoriously.
“Great job,” Dave said.
“Thanks.”
“That slide under its belly worked a treat.”
SJ grabbed her injured arm. The burning sensation had stopped in her arm, but it still felt weak and useless, hanging limply at her side. She pulled up her dress’s sleeve to see the patch of skin that the acidic venom of the spider had melted away. She winced as she looked at it, the grotesque green colouration from the acid still visible.
“I am guessing this will heal?”
“Yes. Although magical or acidic burns can take a little longer to heal.”
“Urgh. Okay.”
SJ reached down and looted the corpse of the dead spider.
2 x web silk, 1 x spider venom acid, 1 x silver
“Oh wow. That was some decent loot.”
“Very nice, and your first tailor profession items as well.”
“The web silk?”
“Yes. It is great for use in some recipes.”
“Recipes? Don’t you mean patterns?”
“Same thing. They are known as recipes here, though.”
“That is good to know. I expect that I can sell the acid venom?”
“Yes. Trap makers seek it. It is one of the weaker acids, but it is still strong enough to shock someone trying to break into something they shouldn’t.”
“That does not sound fun.”
“If you had specialised in trap making, it would have been perfect for you.”
“I still prefer my subterfuge skills, thanks. I am sure navigating the world without identification would be much harder.”
“That is very true. Many do not have the skill, although people purchase it at higher levels.”
“Purchase skills? You have not mentioned that before.”
“You have enough to learn without worrying about purchasing skills yet.”
“I am interested now. How does that work?”
“Some enchanters can enchant scrolls with skills. It is quite a rare skill and an even rarer specialisation of enchanters. Those proficient at it, though, can make a fortune on the auction house. The capital cities hire several high-level enchanters permanently to help grow and support their armies.”
“Armies?”
“Yes. Armies. We have spoken about battles between Good and Evil.”
“I know, but I had not considered armies.”
“There is much that you have to learn, and as you grow, I will teach you, my child,” Dave replied, dripping with sarcasm.
“I should leave and go and see the cleric.” Again, SJ could not remember his name.
“You can’t yet.”
“Why?” SJ frowned.
“The quest is not completed. You have not had a notification, have you?”
“No.”
The sticky strand struck her, making her squeal in surprise, hauling her upwards and off the ground. She had been so busy talking to Dave that she had not even noticed the new enemy hanging from the roof. As she was drawn upwards, all she heard from Dave was, “It did say spiders, plural.”
SJ had dropped her torch and reached up with her clawed hands to cut the strand holding her, but she could not exert enough pressure from the jolting motion jostling her. She saw the dripping fangs of the spider that had caught her as she neared and triggered her identification skill.
Giant Spider Level 7
Hit points – 80
Mana points – 0
Attacks – Bite/Pierce
Special – Web/Cocoon
“It is a level 7.”
“Not good. It was nice knowing you. I will see you back in the white room,” Dave replied.
As she approached the spider, its legs extended and began to spin her around, coating her in more of its sticky strands. She slowly felt the strands encasing her body, her legs pinned together. As she continued to spin in its grip, the remainder of her body was covered until it reached and encased her head, her arms now pinned at an awkward angle.
SJ felt the piercing sensation in her arm within moments, lapsing into unconsciousness.
