Day 2
Finding the second rat didn’t take long. But this one was proving to be far harder to kill.
“Son of…”
For the third time in this fight, I swung and missed. The kinetic force of the impact of the club hitting the stone floor travelled through my arm. It has not been pleasant after the first, and I was getting painful.
The rat was dodging out of sight, so I was forced to try to keep up with it. It had dived behind a box and I had to walk around it to try to see the rat again.
A shape lept from a patch of darkness, and on instinct I lept back. The rat passed very close to me as it turned now to attack. I lashed out again with the club, missing and hitting a wooden box. The rat quickly scuttled away into the darkness around the basement. Thankfully, the others in the room that I knew were here had not yet built up the courage to attack me as a group.
I had contemplated pulling out a gun and just starting shooting, but I didn’t want to waste my ammunition. The cost was far more than using the club, and I was operating on a very restricted budget.
A black form charged from a patch of darkness, but this time I kicked at it. The squeal was loud, as I heard from the sound of it kicking, sending it flying back through the air—the body of the rat impacted the wall just over a metre away from me. There was a sickly crack, and the body slumped to the floor and didn’t move.
Making sure the body wasn’t moving, I mentally activated
No new information presented.
Two down, one left to kill. I looked around for the third and final target. The death of the second rat had caused the others to sink deeper into the darkness, using it to hide from my sight. The lantern only illuminated a limited area due to the clutter of boxes and barrels within the basement.
They were out there. The scuttling had died down as the others were hiding.
I started to investigate the area more. I used the club to prod and move things where I could. I was constrained in many areas due to the barrels and boxes. Now and again, I catch flashes of movement and hear scuttling as the rats move around to avoid me.
Every time my body tensed up, I looked for a target, but none presented itself.
I was near a corner of the room when I caught sight of my third and hopefully final rat. Several crates boxed it in, allowing me to attack it.
I quickly moved forward and didn’t hesitate, striking out at the rat, which backed up more, causing me to miss and hit the stone again. The impact sent a jarring sensation through my arm, but I quickly recovered in time to meet its counter-attack.
The rat was desperate and launched itself at me. My club hit instead as I swung up. The rat let out a squeal of pain. I was knocked back again. I stepped forward one more time and brought the club down, impacting the rat again. Another squeal of pain came, but it was still moving, so a third blow was delivered.
Three rats down meant the quest was over. I stood up and looked around, realising that the room was quiet. It seemed that the death of the third rat had caused the others to flee.
I let out a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline leave my body, and suddenly, I was exhausted. Adrenaline was a great drug to keep you moving, but it came with a hefty toll once the danger was past. My legs and arms began to shake slightly as I leaned against the box to help keep myself upright. I’ve been sweating before I had reached the tavern, but now, under the armour, I was drenched.
I stood there for a few minutes just breathing, focusing myself once more. While looking around, I found an old burlap sack that had been chewed through in several places, but not severely enough to compromise its integrity. I picked it up and checked, and it would work.
I put my club to the side and, with a grimace, I lifted the dead rat's tail and put it into the sack. I walked around the basement and collected the other two bodies. I pulled out one of my canteens and drank deeply. The water was no longer that cold, but it was still refreshing.
I walked back to the ladder and the hatch above me. With the light from the room above, I extinguished my lantern. I climbed up the ladder, still holding the sack full of dead rats. The room above was as I found it, with mostly men sitting around tables drinking from wooden mugs. The tavernkeeper saw my return from the basement and quickly hurried over.
“How did it go, adventurer?” He asked me.
I lifted the sack. “As requested, Tavernkeeper Arnold. Three dead rats.”
He looked at the sack, noticing the bulges and one limb hanging from a hole. He was not disturbed by the sight and nodded. His eyes went distant for a few seconds, then snapped back.
Was he reading a system message?
“Excellent. I will confirm the request's completion and make the payment.” He seemed happy with the work done.
“With my work completed, I must move on,” I told him. “I found this old sack down in your basement. I hope you do not mind me using it.”
He nodded again in understanding. “Thank you again, adventurer. As for the sack, no, feel free.”
I left the tavern, which was really just a converted house, and moved to stand on the street outside. I could feel the eyes of many of the patrons following me as I walked. Outside, it was well past midday, but the mist still hung heavy in the air, along with the smoke.
I access the map section of my HUD. The first question was now greyed out, and I activated the second. In less than two seconds, the map had changed with the arrow icon directing me to the following location.
It wasn’t far to the following location, and I set off.
The streets were busier with mostly women going to and fro. I suspect that most of the men would be working in small factories around or otherwise engaged in other industries.
I had to recognise that my opinion might be wrong, but until I saw other evidence, I would stand by it.
I travelled down several streets until I reached the location that my map indicated was the street where my quest would be located. The Smokey Tavern was easily identifiable. Unlike the previous building, which was a converted house, this appeared to be a custom-built tavern. It was an old design compared to the buildings around it, featuring actual cut stone walls instead of the grey bricks used by the others. The sign above it confirmed it was the building I was looking for.
I walked up to the doors and found them open. Inside, there was a large standard room with a handful of patrons sitting in different locations around it. They were mainly huddled into three groups. The furniture and overall quality of the building spoke to a much better establishment than the one I was in last time. Two waitresses moved around the room checking on them. One of them noted my entry and quickly came over.
“Can I help you, adventurer?” She asked politely, smiling after I saw her eyes move to the patch on my right breast, identifying me as a member of the Guild. Armed men walking into any establishment was usually not a good sign.
“Yes, you can. I wish to speak to the tavernkeeper if I may.” I nodded my head politely.
“Of course, please wait by the bar, and I will fetch her for you.” She indicated the bar across the room, which was a far more sturdy construction and had a large selection of alcohol available behind it, both in barrels and bottles.
Stolen novel; please report.
I walked across and stood next to the bar, looking around the room. I have sensed the patrons watching me since I entered. The appearance of any adventurer in Low Town was a rare sight. There was a doorway next to the bar through which the waitress disappeared. A curtain covered it, and I could smell cooking taking place through there.
The waitress quickly returns with a larger woman who was in her late 40s. She instantly looked me up and down as she walked towards me.
“An actual real-life adventurer! My eyes should be deceiving me, but here you are! Come to deal with the rats in my basement, have you?” She was not as tall as I, but she had a presence that suggested someone who was accustomed to people doing what she told them.
“I am Tavernkeeper. My name is Hector.” I had not introduced myself to the other tavernkeeper and had not asked, but here I felt it might be a good idea to be at least a bit more civil.
“Hector, eh? Very well, I am Tavernkeeper Matilda.” As she spoke, she swept her arm, taking in the room around us. “Owner of this fine establishment.”
“Your request to the Guild asked for four rats to be eliminated from your basement.” I reviewed the details of the request on the board to ensure that there were no changes or surprises.
“Aye. The bastards have been chewing through my merchandise. I need you to get down there and take care of them. The local rat catchers have been avoiding most of these big ones.”
Again, another comment about the local rat catchers, what did that mean?
“Please lead the way, and I will get to work.” I was starting to feel tired from my exertions. Everything was being amplified by wearing my armour. In a time I would get used to it, but for the moment, everything was sore or heading that way.
“Excellent, this way then.” As she spoke, she turned and walked towards the curtain again, waving for me to follow.
I did so, keeping pace with her. She took me into the kitchens in the back of the tavern, and the cook looked up from several pots on a wood-burning stove as we passed. In the back was a small storage room with several bags full of vegetables. Just beyond them was another hatch that led under the building. Tavernkeeper Matilda reached down, grabbed an iron rung, and with a heave, pulled up the hatch on the ground. I looked in and saw another ladder leading down into darkness.
“They go, adventurer Hector. I’ll see you when you come back after killing four of those little bastards.” With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me to my task.
Once she was gone, I smiled slightly to myself, shaking my head, and mused that she was the first person I had actually met so far who used any foul language. I sat down on the edge of the drop, placing my feet onto the ladder. I was quickly down it and in a much larger basement. From what I could see, the room looked a lot better organised than the last one I was in.
I place the sack with the three dead rats down on a box next to the ladder. I reached around, removing the lantern from my backpack and ignited it again. Its illumination gave me a far better look at what was around me. There were boxes and sacks along with barrels, but all were much better stored. I could see the damage caused by rats in many places, and I pulled my club out from my belt. I would leave the sack with the dead rats here for the moment; it was time to get to work.
I slowly enter the room, holding my lantern to provide the best illumination of the area. I gripped my club tight and began to listen for indications of the rats. It wasn’t long until I heard the first of the scuttling.
They were brief and quick sounds. I was unable to get a clear idea of where they were coming from, but they were definitely nearby now. I got the sense that I was being surrounded by the sounds I was hearing. It seemed that these might be more hostile than the last group. I looked around and found part of the basement wall with free boxes or barrels. I moved across to it, positioning my back against it. There was definitely now more scuttling.
Here and there, I was catching quick flashes of movement.
“Where are you?” I asked myself.
Eyes were reflected in the light of my lantern as I looked around. It looked like they were not going to be passive and decided to attack in a group. This is not good. I gripped my club tighter, moving my head to and fro, trying to find which one would be the first to attack. I can make out two inching forward, building the courage to attack.
I needed to break the morale of the group quickly, so I attacked instead.
With a yell, I stepped forward, kicking at one of the rats performing. This caused the others to scatter, including the one I was trying to kick, as I missed. My boot passed it by the smallest of margins, causing it to dart away in fear.
“Shit!”
I was again forced to track them through the basement. I decided not to move from where I was, as I didn’t want to get stuck in a small area and be jumped by multiple rats. Collecting the dead bodies had given me a healthy respect for their teeth. Sure, I was wearing armour, but I didn’t want to put it to the test so soon.
Another one darted from cover, but was far too close to me for me to ignore. I swung down with the club again, catching it on its hindquarters as it scampered away. I was rewarded with a loud squeal of pain. I tried to follow up, but it quickly darted under several wooden shelves out of my sight.
I went back to inspecting the area, looking for another target.
As I walked around, another rat jumped out at me, biting into my shin. Thankfully, the rat bit straight into the armoured section and found metal, not flesh. This still surprised the hell out of me, and I kicked wildly to get off. The rat was flung back and impacted with a crate. It hit the ground hard, and I could see it was stunned, so I quickly moved up and began to hit it.
One down, three more to go. I looked around for the next rat to add to my tally. I picked up the body and threw it over to the ladder for collection later.
It took several minutes for me to find the next one, but it too soon died to a series of blows from a club.
Another increase in my skill when using any club was a welcome addition. Skills can only be increased by performing them, so every improvement was well-received. It was easy to raise a skill in the beginning, but as you increased in competence and ability, it became harder.
I continued to walk around the basement after collecting the body and throwing it near the area where the ladder was.
The death of the second mattered because the scuttling around me became more frantic as the rats were desperately trying to avoid me. Their original confidence was gone, knowing now I was not going to be an easy kill.
I was walking past a box with a barrel on top of it without realising that the box was far longer than it appeared. This gave an excellent ambush point for a rat.
The pain from my hand holding the club was sharp as its teeth sank into my gauntlet and got through to my flesh. Thankfully, my armour took most of it.
I cried out in pain, slamming the rat still attached to my hand against the barrel. I felt the kinetic force of the impact and heard the crack of the rat's bones. It let go and fell, stunned but still alive. I quickly hit it a few more times with my club to finish it off.
I was cursing a right storm under my breath. There wasn’t much pain in my hand, thankfully, and it was quickly fading. But that was a wake-up call reminding me that I needed to be more vigilant. The problem was that I was feeling tired now, as I was not used to this level of exertion while wearing armour. I was a tech support engineer back on earth, not an outdoorsman at all.
“Just one more. One more.” I looked around, sweating and tired, trying to keep myself motivated. With an aching body, I bent over, picking the body up and tossing it to the small pile forming at the bottom of the ladder.
“Coming to this world was better than the alternative.” I reminded myself that my body continued to protest. What I was suffering now was nothing compared to what an 87-year-old me had gone through. What aches and pains I was feeling now were nothing compared to what the tender caress of time had delivered to me.
I pressed on, looking for the final kill.
“Is everything okay down there, Hector?” Came the voice of Tavernkeeper Matilda from the hatch. I looked across to the hatch. I couldn’t see her, but the light from above was being reduced as she leaned over the hatch.
“Yes, Tavernkeeper Matilda. I’m just looking for the last one right now; they are proving quite annoying today.” I called back.
“Three dead! By the Mother, you work quickly! Carry on.” She had said before leaving, so I could continue. I knew she had moved away because the light coming down the hatch had been restored to its previous level.
Shaking my head, I went back to the search. Eventually, I found the final rat, and it died, but it was a bit of a slog. I had to strike many times, but I missed most of them. Eventually, I scored enough hits to kill it.
Finally, it was over.
I groaned as I felt my body protest further action. “Just great.”
With a groan, I managed to bend over and pick up the last body. I carried it across to the others and eventually got all four of them into the sack. With some effort, I managed to get myself and the bag up the ladder and back out the hatch opening. I stood up and walked back through the kitchens into the main common room of the Tavern. I confirmed with tavernkeeper Matilda that the quest was finished, and I saw the same loss of focus and arise before she confirmed it. That was how most people must look when they’re dealing with a System message.
I departed and headed back into the city. The air was still very misty, and I wondered if this was more akin to smog. I had heard of the stuff growing up, but I lived out in the countryside, so by the time I moved into a city or large town, such air pollution was a rarity.
I made my way back to the odd couple selling rat skins, as it was on my way back to the Tavern I stayed in. I sold them the contents of the sack, deciding to keep it for myself for future use. I was rewarded eight copper coins for the hall, as they claimed that the bodies were much larger than they expected. I thanked them for their payment and moved on, placing the coins into my storage ring.
My body was communicating its unhappiness, but I kept moving forward.
I use my map function in my HUD to find me the fastest way back to The Poor Man’s Dream. I passed the temple dedicated to the Mother that I arrived at. This time, it wasn’t quiet, as the children were out and about in the play area, being allowed, as children always were, when they were set free.
As I passed the main entrance to the temple section of the building, I noticed a wooden box on the wall next to the door. It read. Donations.
I stopped there for a few moments, looking at the box. Some part of me decided that an act of charity wouldn’t go amiss and hopefully bring some good karma down the road. I walked up to the box and found it was a well-built and sealed construct. I opened up the screen on my storage ring and brought forth the eight copper coins I had just gained. I slid them all into the slot one by one. I heard them sliding, and I suspected it was another container behind the wall that they went into.
I turned and walked away feeling slightly better about myself. As I walked, I dreamt of a bath.