On his way back, he spotted Stan squatting near the severed head. Stan poked it once with a fingertip, studying it with the seriousness of a man inspecting a rare artifact. His face brightened, a wicked grin spreading slow and wide.
Stan glanced over his shoulder. Jo and Toby stood on the stairwell landing, talking in low voices. Cedric was out of sight above them.
Stan plucked the head off the floor. He straightened, turned, and shouted, “Yo, mate, catch!” He lobbed it underhand across the room.
Toby yelped. The spear in his hands jerked sideways as he flinched. He hopped back, lost his footing, and tumbled against the wall, the spear clattering as he tried to keep hold of it.
Jo burst out laughing, sharp and sudden. Above them, Cedric’s laugh carried down the stairwell.
The head rolled in a lazy arc near the bottom step. A boot slid out from the shadows above, gave it a firm kick, and sent it skittering back across the floor toward Stan.
Stan watched it bounce past his feet, a low chuckle rumbling out of him as it rolled out into the room.
Harry shook his head. This is why we can’t have nice dungeons anymore.
System, I wish everyone had interfaces. Maybe we could all make it out of here.
:: System: It might be possible.
Harry stopped mid-step. The torchlight flickered across the stone as he froze.
Wait, what?
:: System: Standard acquisition pathway for individuals without prior assignment is a quest reward generated within a dungeon.
Are you kidding me? Aren’t the loot and stuff already made?
:: System: Usually, but this is an unusual dungeon.
What do we have to do?
:: System: Request will be forwarded to the unassigned shards. Consensus regarding additional rewards or quest conditions cannot be predicted.
Harry smiled. For the first time since entering the dungeon, he felt real hope.
System, if you can do that I will promise to try even harder to not die.
:: System: Duly noted. And appreciated.
Harry snorted.
Just do me a favor, System. Don’t tell them. I don’t want to get their hopes up.
:: System: …
That last message made him chuckle as he walked back to the group and found all four of them staring at him. Their faces had eased, shoulders uncoiling a little, encouraged by whatever expression he was wearing.
Jo shifted her grip on her spear. “Ready for the next one?”
Toby shifted his spear to one hand, eyes bright in the torchlight. “Sir Harry, may I ask something?”
Harry sighed. “Sure. But only if you stop saying Sir Harry. It’s just Harry.”
“Yes sir.” Toby cleared his throat. “Did you get a title for that fight?”
“Oh. Actually, I haven’t looked.” Harry rubbed his jaw. “System is always getting on me because I forget to check messages. Give me a minute.”
:: Damage: -2 [Health]
Harry glanced down at the gouges along his forearm. No blood, just torn skin. Still, he ought to top off his health and vitae before the next fight.
:: Experience gained: [+15] (-50%)
Is the 50% for not fighting alone?
:: System: Affirmative.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
:: System: New title awarded, Cat Herder. (+10 xp)
Harry closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back up at Toby. “You have a Status Screen, right.”
Toby nodded quickly.
“Does it show when you get experience.”
Another eager nod. “Yeah. I got five for that fight. It’s the most I ever got at once.” He glanced at the others, almost seeking confirmation. Jo nodded once. Stan gave a grunt and a shrug that meant the same thing. Cedric looked away.
Harry hesitated, then asked, “Is it alright to ask what level everyone is?”
Toby lifted both shoulders. “Is it alright? Yes, sir. I’m… level two. Odds and end stuff. Militia training.” He scratched his cheek. “I killed a fox once that was after the chickens.”
Everyone looked around at one another, waiting to see who spoke next.
Jo adjusted her grip on her spear. “Level four.”
Stan cracked his knuckles, loud in the crypt. “Level three.” He gave a lopsided shrug. “For various and sundry activities.”
All eyes shifted to Cedric.
He kept his gaze on the floor for a long moment, jaw tight. Reluctance flickered across his face before he let out a slow breath. “Level five. Close to going up again.” He paused. “When I heard Zinkle was looking for people to join a dungeon party and would accept commoners under level six, I had to stop grinding so I wouldn’t go over.”
Harry blinked. “Grinding?”
Cedric waved a dismissive hand. “Patrols, escorts, bounties. Anything that would grant experience. I’ve been sitting in a tent up here for the past two months.”
Harry looked up sharply. “Two months? So Zinkle was sending in another group no matter what.”
Cedric nodded. “As soon as he had a full party.”
System, you were right.
:: System: Affirmative.
Harry glanced around the group. “Is anyone else here voluntarily?”
Stan tapped himself on the chest with his busted hand. “Aye. Weren’t easy to tie meself up and hop in neither.”
That broke the tension. Everyone laughed, even Cedric giving a short bark.
Jo rolled her shoulders. “I was caught poaching. It was this or the salt mines.”
Toby gasped. “Poaching, Jojo?”
Jo fixed him with a flat look. “It’s Jo.”
Toby flushed and stared at the floor. “But you let Agnes and Constance call you Jojo.”
“Your little sisters are my friends.”
Toby’s face fell further. “Oh…”
Jo’s mouth tugged sideways and she shot the rest of them a quick grin.
Stan laughed and gave Toby a solid slap on the shoulder that nearly toppled him.
Jo turned back to Harry. “Zinkle tripled the permit fees for hunting. Couldn’t afford it. We still needed meat.” She shrugged.
Harry looked over at Toby. “What about you?”
“Me, sir?” Toby twisted his mouth to one side, rubbing a thumb across the edge of his spear shaft. “My pa had to borrow from Zinkle. Our ox, Titan, died sudden and we needed another. And then what with the bad weather, we had bad crops for three seasons.” He swallowed. “Zinkle said he was sorry, but he had to take the farm. But if I would come, he’d forgive half the debt and give Pa another year.”
Jo slapped a hand over her face. “You threw your life away in here for half the debt?”
Toby gave a small shrug. “Pa and Ma would be alright, I guess. But winter’s coming. Where was Maw-maw going to go, and the girls, and baby Peter?”
Jo’s expression fell. “I’m sorry, Toby. I shouldn’t snap at you. You did a good thing.”
Harry let out a long breath. “I really don’t like Master Zinkle.”
Stan scratched his cheek. “Lost a bit o’ my fondness for him meself.”
Harry blew out a slow breath. “This took a dark turn.” He forced a small, crooked smile and scratched the back of his head. “So titles are a thing everyone knows about?”
“Yes, sir,” Toby said, smiling eagerly, all traces of his earlier embarrassment gone.
Stan smacked his lips. “Back at the Lantern, anyone what tells a new title and story gets drinks ‘alf the night.”
“I got one.” Harry winced. “It’s Cat Herder… I’m sorry.”
Toby shrugged. “Oh, that one.”
Harry blinked at him.
Jo shifted her bow. “Everyone with an interface gets that one eventually.”
“Oh good. I thought the shards were being funny again.”
Toby’s head snapped up, excitement blooming across his face. “Again? You have other titles?”
Harry pulled up the list.
:: Back Alley Brawler
:: Fall Guy
:: Kow King
:: Bottom Feeder
:: Cat Herder
:: Deflowered Dungeon Diver
The only one that didn’t make him want to crawl into a sarcophagus was Back Alley Brawler, and he wasn’t about to bring that up in front of Stan.
“Eh, nothing interesting.” Harry glanced down at the list again and snorted. “Well… Fall Guy. I got that one for accidentally falling out of the bell tower in town.”
Stan let out a bark of laughter. Toby’s eyes went wide. Jo’s mouth twitched, trying not to smile.
Harry shrugged. “Beautiful view. Even on the way down.”
That got them smiling again.
Before Toby could press him for more, Harry pushed ahead in a rush. “I was thinking I should check the rooms on the right. Let’s make sure there aren’t any of Toby’s surprises over there.”
Jo gave Cedric a small nod. He returned it. She turned back to Harry. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Alright, I’ll be right back.” He took his spear, stepped into the crypt chamber, and walked toward the first dark passage on the right.
Alright System, time for The Great Mouse Hunt, Part Two. Son of the Hunt.
:: System: Duly noted.
***
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