With Gwenna leading the way, they descended into the depths of the sewer entrance, the dark passage looming before them like a yawning maw. The air grew cooler and damp as they stepped inside, the faint echo of dripping water punctuating the silence.

  Pixie's eyes sparkled with excitement as she zipped forward, her tail wagging eagerly behind her. Her little adventurer’s cape fluttered on top of her. “Let’s see how many rats we can find!” she chirped, bouncing off the walls in anticipation.

  Amelia, already uneasy, slipped into the nearest shadow. Her outline seemed to blur and fade, the air around her colder for just a second. She kept to the darkness, always moving quietly, almost impossible to spot unless she chose otherwise.

  “Keep your voice down,” Gwenna cautioned, glancing back over her shoulder with a smirk. “The last thing we need is an army of oversized rats ready to ambush us.”

  “I’ll take on an army,” Buster declared confidently, puffing out his chest as he followed closely behind Moose.

  “So, how big are these R.O.U.S.es?” Ethan asked Gwenna.

  "What?" Gwenna said, confused.

  "You know," Ethan continued. "Rodents Of Unusual Size. They're inconceivable."

  "Oh, they're conceivable. They can get up to two or maybe three feet long from nose to tail. There have been stories of queen or king rats that can be over five feet," Gwenna replied seriously.

  "Wow. That is bigger than me," Pixie said in a hushed tone, without her usual yelling.

  As they ventured deeper into the sewers, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Shadows danced along the stone walls, illuminated by flickering mana stones overhead—each corner turned revealing more intertwining tunnels stretching ahead.

  At first, it was quiet—a stillness that hinted at something lurking just beyond their sight. But then came a scuffle against the cobbled floor: a rush of fur and squeaking echoed up ahead.

  “Rats,” Lyra said, drawing a blade, her stance tense. She shifted slightly, positioning herself so the Pack had clear lanes of attack and escape.

  Amelia vanished deeper into the shadows, her form flickering between patches of darkness on the wall. She kept a watchful eye on the group, ready to intercept any threat that got too close.

  “Let’s make this quick,” Ethan said, stepping forward and brandishing his short sword as if testing its balance in preparation for combat. “We don’t need to attract attention.”

  Moose planted himself between the Pack and the advancing rats, lowering his head and shoulders as a faint, barely visible shimmer of mana rippled around him—Guardian Stance engaged.

  With swift precision and determination, Ethan lunged forward—a blur of motion as he swept low and struck at one of the rats. The blade connected cleanly; the creature fell lifelessly to the ground.

  Moose followed suit, catching another rat mid-pounce with a swipe of his paw, the shimmering barrier holding against the rat’s claws.

  Buster charged in, calling “Body Check!” as he barreled through two more rats and sent them tumbling. He held his ground, daring any to come closer.

  Pixie darted around the chaos, a streak of motion, using Quick Strike to nip and vanish, never staying in one place for long.

  Lyra moved with practiced efficiency, slipping between the Pack and letting a throwing knife fly; it struck a rat mid-leap, sending it tumbling across the stones. In the same motion, she drew one of her curved daggers and kept moving, eyes alert for the next opening.

  Gwenna, standing back, loosed a single arrow with barely a sound. The shaft pinned a rat to the wall just as it broke from the pack, then she was already scanning for the next threat.

  Amelia watched for any rat breaking through; as one lunged for Ethan’s side, she slipped through the darkness and intercepted it, landing silently and dragging it away into the shadows before rejoining the group.

  As the last and largest rat lunged at Ethan, Lyra’s eyes narrowed. She flicked her wrist, and a spark of unnatural blue-white flame burst from her fingertips—Fox Fire—igniting the rat’s greasy fur. The creature shrieked and flailed, trying to shake off the flames.

  Ethan didn’t hesitate. He stepped in and drove his short sword cleanly through the burning rat’s side, ending its struggle.

  Smoke curled in the tight space as the echoes faded. Ethan caught Lyra’s eye, chest still heaving, and let out a breathless laugh.

  “That’s exactly how the R.O.U.S. died in the movie. The Princess Bride.”

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  Pixie’s ears perked. “What’s the Princess Bride? Is that like the wizard who got squashed by a house?”

  Ethan grinned, wiping off his blade. “Kind of! So, it’s a story about a grandfather reading a ‘kissing book’ to his sick grandson. There’s a princess, a farm boy, a giant, a guy with six fingers, sword fights, and at one point the hero is mostly dead until he eats something covered in chocolate that brings him back to life. There’s wove—true wove—evil royalty, a Sicilian who gets poisoned in a battle of wits, and a lot of running from giant rodents. Also, a lot of jokes and a bit of kissing, but it’s still a good adventure.”

  Pixie tilted her head, tail twitching, as if trying to figure out if Ethan was making any of that up.

  Gwenna blinked. “What in the hells did any of that mean?”

  Pixie’s tail wagged. “I want to try the chocolate part.”

  Ethan shook his head. “No way. Chocolate’s bad for dogs, remember?”

  Buster huffed in agreement. “See? He never makes any sense.”

  Lyra was about to agree with Buster when suddenly a hiss echoed from the shadows behind them. Another rat—larger, meaner, its fur slick with sewer muck—lunged straight at Ethan.

  He barely had time to flinch. Amelia, who had been half-hidden along the wall, became a streak of darkness. She crossed the space in a blink, her movement nearly silent. Her claws flashed with a shimmer of unnatural shadow—Umbral Strike. She struck the rat across the neck, and it crumpled, dead before it hit the stones.

  A flicker at the edge of Ethan’s vision:

  [COMBAT VICTORY!]

  [Defeated Hostile Group: 8/8 Sewer Rats]

  [XP gained]

  [Bonus XP for Tactics – Amelia (Umbral Strike)]

  He let the notification fade, his pulse finally slowing. Pixie’s tail thumped the floor. “Okay, that was cooler than the movie.”

  Gwenna shook her head and stepped ahead, arrow ready. “Don’t get comfortable. The next thing we run into might not be a rat. Just keep an eye out for anything larger.”

  As if summoned by her words, a guttural growl echoed through the tunnels from deeper within—the sound reverberating ominously off every wall. Ethan exchanged nervous glances with Lyra and Moose, who both looked equally alert.

  “What was that?” Pixie whispered, her eyes wide.

  “I think it’s time we kept moving.” Gwenna gestured for them to press on ahead cautiously.

  A few steps onward brought them to a wider section of tunnel where the shadows seemed to shift uneasily in response to their presence. Suddenly there it was—a crocodile-like beast resting partially submerged in shallow murky water near the far end.

  It had slick green scales that glinted wetly beneath their light source—eyes half-lidded but watching them with keen interest as if deciding whether or not they were worth its time.

  “Whoa… what is that?” Amelia whispered, keeping close to Buster’s side but lingering just at the edge of the shadows, eyes wide as she peered at the enormous creature.

  “That would be a sewer gator,” Gwenna replied dryly. “They’re usually harmless unless provoked.”

  Ethan took a step forward, gripping his sword tighter as he surveyed its massive form—jaws wide enough to snap them in half but seemingly uninterested for now. “Should we try to sneak past?”

  “No point risking our lives,” Gwenna said decisively. “It may be lazy but let’s not give it any reason to change its mind.”

  Before anyone could respond further, Moose pounced slightly ahead and leaped toward the beast without hesitation—a powerful force colliding against it with surprising speed.

  The creature reacted instantly—snapping its jaws wide—but Moose dodged easily to one side while launching himself onto its back instead. In one fluid motion, he sank his teeth into its scaly hide just behind its neck!

  Ethan blinked in surprise—and then couldn’t help but smirk when he saw Gwenna’s incredulous expression morphing into an amused chuckle.

  “Get it!” Pixie shouted gleefully as she rushed forward; she hopped onto another rocky ledge nearby and readied herself to dive into battle alongside her brave companions!

  Before anyone realized what had happened next, waves splashed everywhere! The gator thrashed wildly beneath Moose's weight while Ethan darted forward once more—his short sword flashing through water droplets like sunlight piercing rain. One strike after another sent scales flying until finally—

  With one last effort combined from both Moose’s hold and Ethan’s final blow—the beast fell still.

  Silence rang throughout that corner of the tunnel again—a momentary peace settling after chaos had surged.

  “That was easier than I expected,” Ethan remarked breathlessly as adrenaline coursed through him—the rush leaving him feeling invigorated rather than tired.

  “Definitely not what I expected either.” Gwenna nodded approvingly at Moose’s successful takedown—it was clear from everyone’s expressions that even this unexpected thrill had given hope for what lay ahead below ground.

  A flicker at the edge of Ethan’s vision:

  [COMBAT VICTORY!]

  [Defeated Sewer Gator – Level 7]

  [XP gained]

  Ethan frowned at the persistent prompts. “Does the System have to ping me every time we kill something? I’m getting spammed with notifications.”

  Gwenna wiped her blade. “Just minimize them, Ethan. You can always review the list later if you care.”

  Lyra shot him a look. “She’s right. Don’t get distracted. Focus now, check popups when we’re safe.”

  Buster let out a low huff. “That’s what I’ve been doing. I barely look unless it’s important.”

  Ethan dismissed the alert with a wave. “Fine. If we miss something good, I’m blaming all of you.”

  But before they could settle, a flicker of reddish light appeared farther down one of the side tunnels, vanishing just as quickly as it came.

  Gwenna’s expression tightened. “That’s the kind of sign we were warned about. Keep your eyes open—there could be more up ahead.”

  Lyra nodded, her voice low. “We should get moving again before more surprises show up.”

  Nods spread across the group—each of them more alert than before, now with a clear target. They gathered themselves tightly once more and pressed deeper into whatever lay beyond.