Drainwater.

Chapter 7 - Drainwater.

True story. As the team moved down the right passage, they began to notice that the passage began to widen slightly. And strange drawings on the walls appeared more and more frequently.

They walked until a disgusting stench hung in the air. There was a fork in front of them. A strong stench reeked from one path. And one could hear the sound of running water.

The other was no different from any of the others. Except for the many bones scattered across the floor. You could see a few human skulls among them.

— D… let's go the other way, will we?

— But it stinks like hell out there… — The mage turned his nose up at the decision.

— You don't smell any better.

Cain already remembered what would happen next. He couldn't resist cracking another joke on the fat man, either.

— Yeah. It stinks a lot, but it might be safer in there than in that strange passageway of bones. Who knows what's waiting for us on the other side of that tunnel. Let's move out!

The deeper they went down the tunnel, the more the stench intensified, and the noise from the gurgling water grew louder and louder.

Everyone was excited. Because if it was potable water, each of them could get drunk and replenish their supplies.

Strange-looking growths began to appear on the walls, remotely resembling algae. And the further they walked, the more of them there were.

When they emerged from the passageway, they saw a torch-lit tunnel halfway down. It curved and went somewhere into the distance. Kane remembered that this path led to the teleportation hall.

But he had never heard of anyone going the other way. I wondered what was on the other side. As Cain peered into the left, dark part of the tunnel. A sudden fear gripped his heart. A strange sense of danger came over him.

There was something there! It was not hostile to them. But all his senses screamed that if he entered even a little into the confines of that dark tunnel. He would never get out of there alive again. Kane seemed to understand little by little why no one was telling him anything about this part.

And the reason was quite simple. There was just no one to tell!

— The water seemed fine. Drinkable.

Hearing the commotion at the underground drain, Cain turned around to see what was going on.

— Stop! Don't you dare drink that water!

At Cain's shout, the warrior frowned and decided to ask in a deep tone.

— Why shouldn't I recover my thirst in this stream? My water supply ran out this morning.

— Come to think of it, haven't you already forgotten where we are? A filthy, stinking dungeon, who knows what's swimming in this stream of water now.

— …

— Not to mention that if you drink this water, you will probably suffer from poisoning. And you'll probably die after a while.

Hearing the paladin slowly explain. The mage was about to fill a full bottle of sewage, and in a panic, he threw it away with its contents.

Regret and fear could be seen in his eyes. His lips had been dry for a long time, making it harder to restrain his thirst.

Cain had completely forgotten that in the past, he himself had spoken out about it. Because of which the whole team did not die of severe poisoning, not even reaching his first opponent. He simply repeated his words, embellishing them a little.

But Cain kept something from them. There was a chance of catching the parasites living in the monsters. Which was worse than death. Thank goodness, avatars were a thing of the past.

— Let's hurry up. I don't think it's safe to stay here. Something could come out of the water.

Occasionally peering into the dark part of the flowing waters, Cain hurried everyone along.

— What do you mean? Ha ha. You got cold feet, didn't you?

— When we got here, I felt somebody's eyes on me. When I turned around, all I saw was a splash of water. So I'm not really sure…

Listening to this, the mage quietly moved from the back row, closer to the warrior. He looked back from time to time.

With a chuckle, Cain did not continue. Everyone already knew it could be dangerous enough here.

— H-haven't you felt it? That strange feeling of someone's gaze while you were still on the ground?

— Like you were being watched by something beyond mere comprehension? Is that what you mean?

— Mhm. Under his gaze, you feel like a defenseless little animal that at any moment could be…

The usually silent and cowardly thief, decided to continue the topic for him. In her sad eyes, you could see notes of sadness.

The team continued down the lonely, poorly lit tunnels. Under the murmur of running water, one thought after another was expressed. Gradually, everyone grew closer together. The cold atmosphere between them slowly dissolved.

Half an hour flew by like that. The stench multiplied. The team couldn't go on like this any longer. The thief and the mage even threw up a few times.

— I suggest we make a pass. I saw a small passage on the way here. We can go back and rest there.

— I second that. Take us to that place. Hold on a little longer, the pass is coming.

The warrior looked hopelessly at the green-haired trio. But he was most surprised by the paladin's calm demeanor. With his lean body, he would probably be the first to collapse without strength. But Cain was holding up quite well, which could not but make the ex-soldier happy.

Slowly, the whole team moved toward the side aisle they had seen earlier.