Chapter 25 - Dungeon Deviants

After the training with Lex, I made my way to the dungeon. Heading back into the dungeon, I felt a lot calmer than ever before, especially on the first floor. The mobs were of no concern and my sense was showing. It wasn't anything huge, but my intuition was better, and some of my movements were clearer. The goblins, moles, and rats were easy to take down.

With my constitution, even if an attack got through it didn't do much. It still hurt, and that was what worried me as I pulled a blindfold from my pocket. Lex and Rashid had liked the idea while Tenna had called me insane, but I could tell none were really worried. I had Boost in case of an emergency.

I would have liked to do it with one of them watching, but after they'd picked up Eloria from the clinic she helped at, they headed to the third floor. I could have tagged along, but until I was ready, I wasn't going in.

I felt nervous as I began to walk, but the first fight eased some tension. The rat managed to bite me, but I quickly realized and killed it. I was using passive sense, and as I went, it definitely helped, though not that much. It wasn't this huge thing yet like it would be at higher levels, but it did help.

Surprisingly, the moles which were the strongest mob did the least damage. Two times I was able to sense them seconds before they burst from a wall or the ground. Another time, I was able to skewer one mid-leap at me.

The goblins were tricky, but I ended up using them a lot. I came across a group of four and killed all but a stone thrower. I let him throw stone after stone and essentially trained in the dungeon. He didn't run but just attacked and screeched. When I was done I ended him. In the next group, I kept a goblin with a club alive, and let him swing. I dodged some and got hit by others. He screeched at every successful blow, but stopped when his head detached from his body; courtesy of my blade.

On and on I went, and it was awkward when I came across other adventures. I immediately pulled down my blindfold when I did. I only ever said training, then left, not wanting to start a conversation. Oddly enough, a few seemed to know who I was, calling me "That guy who beat Xavier."

I ended things at the boss, and this time there were no other goblins. I was hesitant, but I had Boost and could end things quickly. He came at me, and I ended the fight after only two minutes. He scored numerous cuts on me, and a shield bash to my face which hurt like hell. My sense actually helped as I felt my unease grow as I continued the fight blindfolded.

I was lucky I had potions or else I'd been bleeding for a bit. Those bones on his shield had nearly got my eye. It had been a bad idea, and I wasn't that skilled at the sword. He would have done some serious damage. My constitution wasn't so high that I could stop a blade so easily. Enough strikes and I was done.

As I was on my way to leave the dungeon, I heard screaming. I immediately ran towards it. It was the first floor, and I could save a noob easily enough. What greeted my eyes wasn't a noob, however, but something that shouldn't have been there.

A giant mole was stuffing its face with the corpse of an elf, a common elf. There were different kinds, but most in Winsby were common elves. I was very confused until I remembered the mobs on the third floor. Weren't their giant moles on the third floor, just like this one? What was doing here? Could mobs even go from floor to floor?

"Help, please!"

There was another elf with a badly damaged leg and a human who was unconscious and next to a large hole.

I drew my blade and shouted at the mob. "Hey, ugly, quit stuffing your face."

Its eyeless head turned to me, and it let out a screech before slamming its hands on the ground. It was the size of a wolf, and its claws were big, too big. I took a deep breath and activated Boost before dashing forward. To my horror it swept its claws along the ground, spraying dirt at me. It hit my eyes, and I leaped to the side, feeling that it was the right choice.

I swiped the dirt from my eyes and turned to see the mole had almost got me. This thing was both as aggressive at the first-floor moles and as smart as the second-floor moles. I hit another boost as came at me. I dodge a swipe and took a finger from its left hand, but once again it showed its intelligence. It sept its long nose, or was its head? I wasnt sure, but it hit me and sent me to the side.

I tried to turn it into a roll, and I did, but when I was back up, It was in front of me. It swiped and though I stopped back, its claws found my flesh. I let out a shout and hit three most boosts which I should have done from the start. The adrenaline helped me move past the pain, and I was sliding underneath it in a matter of seconds.

I pushed my blade up and dragged it along its underside. It let a horrible screech as its stomach was torn open. It tried to squash me by dropping which worked. My head and my torso didn't manage to get out before it fell atop me. Blood, guts, and viscera splattered onto me, some getting into my open mouth. I quickly began to squirm and push at it. It took some time, but soon I was out.

I fumbled for a potion, a higher-end healing potion. Just like Lex, I'd realized having an emergency potion was good. I waited, panting. Seconds before the timer ran outs, I swallowed it. I fell onto my knees and gasped. I hated Boost so much sometimes. I just knelt there on my hands and knees, ignoring the elf who was trying to talk to me.

"Give me a fucking minute!" I said. He shut up quickly, and I waited for most of the pain to pass. I got to my feet shakily and turned to the elf who looked like a mess. His face was covered in dirt tracks. His eyes were full of tears and fear. I walked over. "So, what happened?"

He opened his mouth, but I watched as his eyes turned to the half-eaten corpse. I felt something and backed up just before he vomited on himself. After which he promptly passed on.

"Oh, come on."

I looted the corpse, and it ended up dropping the dead adventurer's badge which it must have eaten. I won't lie, I felt sick looking at the corpse and had to swallow down some bile. It was horrific, and only my history with gore movies and the dark web allowed me not to vomit. Not to mention, all the killing I'd done since I'd come here. I wasn't strong enough to lift both the elf and the human, so I had to drag them to the exit.

I called for guards and a pair came over and thanked me before calling a man and a woman in a robe who took the unconscious adventurers. Those were the healers on hand, and I felt happy and pity for the adventure. They weren't free if you were of a low rank, and if you didn't have the money, you had to work it off.

With what they'd been through, I doubted they'd want to renter anytime soon.

"Excuse me." A man in a blue robe walked over, accompanied by a man in armor. He looked like the other guards but had a symbol on his chest plate. A captain?

"Can you explain what happened?"

I told them about the giant mole and fight which worried them greatly.

"Another deviant," the robed man muttered, more to himself. "Fascinating. I wonder…"

"Is that normal?" I asked. "Mobs moving floors?"

"Not at all," the captain said, annoyed. "That's the third time this month. First the draig on the fourth floor, then the steel spinch on the tenth, and now a wolf mole on the first?"

"Keep quiet, captain," the robed man said quickly, glancing at me. "No need for panic. Let us thank this man…?"

"Jericho."

"Jericho." He smiled, though it was more of a business smile. "Thank you for the rescue of your fellow adventures. Take this as a reward, and keep what you saw and heard to yourself, ok?"

I took the five gold he handed, and nodded. He left with the captain after a veiled threat while I looked down at the gold. He'd just bribed me, and I had gone along with it. Which was the smart thing. Going against him would have just caused me problems. It wasn't like I had planned to go around telling people anyways. I'd basically just gotten some free gold. I smiled and opened my stats to see my gains for today.

Jericho Law

Name: Jericho Law

Titles: Interdimensional Traveller(+)

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 22

- Attributes -

Strength: 4

Endurance: 3

Constitution: 25

Dexterity: 5

Agility: 2

Intelligence: 7

Perception: 5

Sense: 17

Willpower: 3

Wisdom: 4

Luck: 3

- Skills -

Weaponry(Swords)(13)[Novice]

Persuasion(10)[Novice]

Hunting(5)

Foraging(5)

Crafting(General)(5)

- Abilities -

-----

Growth(?)[?]

Growth:

Time: 1 Week

Cooldown: 1 Day

Type: Active

-----

Boost(?)[?]

Boost:

Time: Varied

Cooldown: Varied

Type: Active

-----

Language Comprehension(60)[E]

Language Comprehension: The Ability to understand and comprehend languages.

Time: N/A

Cooldown: N/A

Type: Passive

-----

- Magic -

Magical Skills:

Spell List:

A three-point jump, and free gold. A good day. A great day. Although as I headed back to town, a part of me wondered what the hell they'd been talking about. A feeling of unease crept in. Whatever it had been, it hadn't been good.