18. Chase

As I explored the outer parameters of the cavern, I learned more about the underground world I found myself in. I discovered nests filled with rats and other creatures, like lizards and poisonous snakes, which were likely using the cavern's underground sewer system as a breeding ground.

Days passed by, and I'm not exactly sure how many, but I spent a lot of time pondering and trying to come up with a plan.

I decided to use the same approach I used to escape the forest - I would start by hunting the smaller creatures and gradually move on to the bigger ones. Finally, I would enter the castle and uncover the truth behind this strange Dungeon.

I crept through the cavern, my eyes peeled for any sign of movement. I remembered the location of the rat nests I had discovered and made my way toward them. As I got closer, I could hear the sound of their squeaks and scurrying.

I reached for my <Map> and quickly checked it, trying to get an idea of how many rats I was up against and what their power levels were like. The sound of their squeaks and scurrying grew louder, and I knew I was close.

"Just three," I whispered to myself. "I can handle that. The big one might be a bit of a challenge, but I've got my enhancements ready."

As I crept closer, I saw the rats feasting on a large lizard. The sight and smell made me nauseous, but I pushed the feeling aside and focused on the task at hand. With a swift strike, I took out the biggest rat and one of the smaller ones, but the last one dodged my attack and screeched loudly.

At first, I wasn't too worried. The nests were far from here, and there were no large red dots nearby. But as I was about to make my next move, I heard a louder screech from a distance, followed by a rumbling noise that seemed to be coming from a lot of things moving at the same time.

I turned on my enhanced hearing and realized that the screeching was coming from the closest rat nest. I quickly calculated the risk and decided to abandon my prey and run towards the exit of the sewers.

But one of the bigger rats, which shouldn't have been able to move fast because of his fat body, chased after me. Despite my agility enhancement, I couldn't shake it off. It was getting closer and closer, and I had no choice but to make a sharp turn toward the right, where I knew there were other creatures living in the nest.

With my agility enhancement close to running out, I ran as fast as I could and soon saw the lizards. Their nest was different from the rats' nests, as the lizards lived in the inner parts of the sewer blending into the water. I wouldn't have seen them when I was exploring the sewers if not for my <Map>.

"Come on, legs," I muttered to myself, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "You've got this.", my footsteps echoed through the sewers. The rats were close behind me, their sharp claws scraping against the stone walls.

As I approached the nest of lizards, I could feel my agility enhancement was starting to fade. I pushed myself harder, knowing that if I didn't make it to the lizards in time, I was as good as dead. I reached the edge of the nest and jumped, using the lizards as stepping stones to cross to the other side.

I quickly reached the edge of their nest and used my superior speed to cross over to the other side. The rat tried to follow me, but the lizards were already awakened by my presence and started attacking the rat, forcing it to escape.

Once I was safely across, I paused to catch my breath. I listened carefully, trying to gauge how close the rats were. I heard the sound of their squeaks growing fainter, and I knew that they had given up the chase.

"That was too close," I said to myself, wiping the sweat from my brow. "I need to be more careful in the future." I reactivated my stealth ability and made my way back to the safety of the cavern.

I stepped away from the sewer entrance and took a deep breath. I had to find easy prey, and I knew that the rats were my best bet. So, I set off to explore the nearby houses.

As I searched through the abandoned houses, I noticed that the rats population wasn't as high as I had expected. Most of the rats seemed to live in the sewer, and the ones outside here seemed weaker in comparison.

I couldn't help but think, "Why aren't there many rats out here? Are they all hiding in the sewer?" A chill ran down my spine as I realized the true potential of the danger lurking beneath my feet.

After searching for a while, I finally stumbled upon a group of four rats. As I approached the house they were in, I peered through a broken window. One of the rats was sleeping, but the other two were wreaking havoc, tearing apart everything in sight. Their large size, sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes made them a terror to behold.

I quietly loaded an arrow onto my bow, aimed at the sleeping rat, and let it fly. The arrow sailed through the broken glass of the window and embedded itself in the rat's eye, killing it instantly. I quickly loaded two more arrows and took out the other two rats in quick succession.

I jumped through the window and pulled out my hunting knife, ready for the last remaining threat. The last rat lunged at me, its shrill screech piercing my ears. I rolled to the side and swung my knife, eliminating the rat with a satisfying thud.

As I heard the familiar elimination notification sound, I couldn't help but smile to myself.