Dungeon Delver POV:

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  “Hey, boss. Think these are the kids the notice was talking about?”

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  “Yeah, looks like it. Weapons match with the classes: one swordsman, a scout, and a healer. If it’s right in front of us, I guess we’ve got no reason to ignore the request. See what you can find about their deaths and separate their belongings from what’s useful.”

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  The group of dungeon delvers began their work, following the orders of their leader. They tossed the slimes aside and arranged the bodies next to each other. Next, they went through their bags for any personal belongings that might be important for the next of kin. After that, they tried their best to discern how the three died, despite half of their bodies being partially dissolved by slimes. After looking through the area, their scout had finally come to a conclusion about what he believed had happened.

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  “Looks like they got ambushed by a pack of Skrellan after setting off the spike trap directly ahead. There’s some dried blood left, so one of them probably triggered it and got hit by it. Slimes could have eaten some of the blood, and they have a healer, so I can’t tell how serious the injury was. But it looks like Skrellan got him in the neck, so it would have been quick.”

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  “Damn, what about the other two, same thing?”

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  “The girl had bites and claw marks all over her, so she probably bled out all of her wounds. The swordsman had a lot of the same wounds, but they were shallower. Depending on his level, he could have survived all of these wounds if he had gotten help in time.”

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  “So, they were all in over their heads and got cocky. Shame, an experienced healer would’ve brought their renown up there with the best of the best, but they ended up dying early, bleeding out to death in a remote dungeon.”

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  “Well, I don’t think the swordsman bled out from his wounds. There’s a wound from a weapon in his back through his chest. The others didn’t have any of the same wound, so he must have been taken by surprise. The wound was made by something dull and jagged, and we haven’t found anything that would match.”

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  “So, it could just be an armed monster. We’ll probably run into one down here eventually. Do you think it might not be a monster wound?”

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  “I can’t say for sure, but a kid capable of killing a pack of Skrellan should be able to handle anything that can spawn on this floor, based on the monsters we’ve encountered. Lizardmen seem to be too high-level for the rest of this floor, and any armed undead should’ve been easily noticeable. The only other monster I can think of that would fit would be an imp, but they should only spawn in packs down here, and there’s no imp courses mixed in with the Skrellans. I think it’s just as likely that there was a fourth person involved.”

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  The leader sighed, annoyed at the problems cropping up from investigating a simple notice without reward. Rubbing his eyes, he knew the chances of a dungeon delver killer were low, but he still had an obligation to report the possibility of one lurking in the shadows to the local guild. Even if he did, the culprit was likely long gone, but the possibility remains, so he resolved to follow through with his scout’s warning.

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  “Alright, Orin, you’re the fastest and have stealth skills, so you’ll be the one to go back and inform the guild. Tell them we found the kid’s bodies, where they are, and John’s warning about a possible delver killer. We’ll set up some warding incense for the slimes, so there should still be bodies to recover for the town. We’ll continue to the end of the floor and set up camp to wait for you, so be quick. Got it?”

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  “You got it, boss. Shouldn’t take me more than a day, so don’t go down to the next floor without me.”

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  “We won't, so get going. It’ll get dark soon if you don’t hurry. The rest of you, let’s continue.”

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  With that, Orin left for the town, able to make it back by nightfall. He went straight to the dungeon delvers guild and relayed all of the information they had on the kids. He warned them of the possibility of a dungeon delver killer, even if the chances of one were low. Ever the serious organization, the guild responded to the warning with an appropriate response, no matter how low the chances of the threat were. So, they posted caution notes of the potential threat and created requests for parties to investigate the possibility of a killer in the dungeon. However, the reward was relatively low as the presence of a killer was still unconfirmed. Should that threat be confirmed, then the reward for bringing down a confirmed killer would come with a respectable bounty, especially for relatively newer parties looking to make their mark in dungeon delver society. Thus, the influx of newer dungeon delver parties to the ‘Hill-Valley Depths’ would soon begin. New parties, perfect quarry for a wisp and his companions to gain experience from, would soon discover what truly awaits in that dungeon. But how would De’gon interpret this onrush, and who would he blame if humans found out the truth about the emergence of a peculiar wisp and its changing dungeon? Willow, while he may not know it yet, will soon face these challengers from the outside and may have to face those within.