Chương 42: The Compass of Carnage

Recap: You rested and regenerated stats. The party decided to head to the Surface. You want to go Deep toward the Core Voice. You voted to VIBRATE TOWARD DEEP (GUIDE). Ten minutes of peace. Ten minutes of regeneration. And now, the vacation was over.

"Ready up," Torin said. He stood, stretching his shoulders. The sound of popping joints echoed in the niche.

"Renn, grab the box. Kara, watch the rear." No, I thought. Absolutely not. Renn reached for my iron bands. His hands were shaking slightly. Adrenaline crash. I couldn't blame him. But if he carried me to the surface, I'd end up in a Guild vault. Or Elara's basement. I engaged my base muscles. I anchored my iron bands against the stone floor. Friction was my friend. Weight was my weapon. When Renn pulled, I didn't budge.

"Uh… Torin?" Renn said.

"It's… stuck." Torin frowned. He walked over.

"It's a box, Renn. Boxes don't get stuck unless they're wedged." He grabbed my left handle. He pulled. I pushed back. SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONSkill Used: Anchor (Improvised)Cost: 2 StaminaCurrent SP: 10/24Strength Check: 7 (Me) vs 12 (Torin)Result: Partial Success (Friction Bonus) I wasn't stronger than him. But I was 120 pounds of dead weight with flat traction pads. I slid… but only toward the deep tunnel. Not the surface one.

"Hey!" Torin snapped.

"It's moving."

"It's choosing," Kara said. She stepped closer, her staff glowing faintly.

"Look. It's not resisting you, Torin. It's resisting the direction." I slid another foot toward the dark abyss of the deep tunnel. I vibrated my lid. Buzz. Buzz.

"It wants to go down," Renn whispered.

"Into the Bone Pits."

"Bone Pits are undead," Torin said.

"Steel rusts there. Morale breaks. We're not going." He yanked harder. I held firm. I was being a stubborn mule. A wooden, iron-banded mule. Come on, I thought. Feel the vibrations. I activated Tremorsense. Costing MP. I focused on the surface tunnel. The one they wanted to take. Thump. Thump. Thump. Heavy. Organized. Not cultists this time. Guards. Stonehollow City Guard. They were sweeping the sewer exits. They had dogs. Woof. Woof. Dogs hate mimics. Dogs hate magic. Dogs hate me.

If we went up, we'd run into a patrol. If we went down… we'd run into skeletons. But I was Core Touched. The skeletons wouldn't care about me. The party… they might survive if they stuck with me. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I needed to tell them. Without talking. I released my anchor. I slid rapidly toward the surface tunnel entrance. Then I stopped. I vibrated violently. RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE. I mimicked the sound of combat.

Of clashing steel. Then I turned and slid toward the deep tunnel. I hummed. A low, steady Humm. Safe. Quiet.

"Did it just… act out a fight?" Kara asked. She looked at Torin.

"It's warning us."

"It's a monster, Kara," Torin said. But he looked uncertain. He sheathed his sword halfway.

"It could be trying to lure us into a trap."

"Or it could be trying to save us," Kara countered.

"It saved us from the ambush. It ate the magic wall. It's… invested in our survival." Yes, I thought. Because you're my meat shields. Torin sighed. He rubbed his face.

"Fine. We scout the surface path. Fifty feet. If it's clear, we go up. If it's not… we follow the box." No, I thought. Fifty feet is too far. They'll be spotted. I needed to escalate. I needed to show them the danger was immediate. I slid past them. Into the surface tunnel. Ten feet. Twenty. Woof. The bark echoed down the stone. Close. Very close. I slammed my lid shut. CLACK. I reversed direction. I slid back to the party as fast as my muscles could carry me. I hid behind Kara's legs. Please, I thought.

Please take the hint. Torin heard the bark. His eyes narrowed.

"Hounds."

"City Guard," Kara said.

"They're sweeping the sewers."

"If we go up," Renn said, "they'll arrest us. Or kill us. We… we fled the custody of the Guild, remember?" Right. They were fugitives. That changed things. Surface wasn't safety. Surface was prison. Torin looked at the deep tunnel. Then at me.

"You want us to go down. Into the dungeon." I vibrated. Yes.

"Damn it," Torin swore. He kicked the wall.

"Okay. Box wins. We go deep. But if you lead us into a nest… I'm melting you down for nails." Fair, I thought. Very fair. We moved out. Renn carrying me again. I felt guilty. But only a little. As we entered the deep tunnel, the air changed. Colder. Drier. The smell of old bone dust. SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONZone Change: Floor 4 Entrance (The Bone Pits)Danger Level: D-Rank (Local)Core Touched Effect: Active (Undead Neutral) I could feel them. Skeletons. Ghouls. Wandering in the dark. They sensed us.

But when their senses brushed against me… they slipped off. Like I was invisible. Like I was part of the dungeon. But the party… they were glowing beacons of life energy.

"Contact," Torin whispered.

"Ahead. Left." I felt them too. Three skeletons. Level 3. Holding rusted scimitars. They shambled forward. They ignored me. They focused on Torin.

"Defend!" Torin yelled. I was still in Renn's arms. I couldn't fight. I couldn't Taunt (Cooldown). I could only watch. But I had an idea. I was Core Touched. I could… command them? No, not yet. But I could distract them. I needed to get down. I needed to be on the floor. Current Stats (Level 3 - Ironband Mimic): HP: 13/19 (Unchanged) Mana: 3/14 (Tremorsense upkeep) Stamina: 10/24 (Anchor cost) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Status: Core Touched, Floor 4 Entrance, Combat Imminent.

What do you do? A) DROP AND SLAM (JOIN FIGHT) Wiggle out of Renn's arms. Drop to the floor. Slam into the skeletons. Use your Core Touched status to confuse them. (Cost: 5 SP (Slam). Gain: Damage, Distraction. Risk: Falling Damage, Party Confusion.) B) USE TAUNT (COOLDOWN READY) Taunt the skeletons. They might ignore you due to Core Touched, but the magic might override it. Draw aggro from party. (Cost: 3 MP. Gain: Aggro. Risk: Ineffective vs Undead.) C) REGURGITATE STAFF (WEAPON) Spit the Mage Staff at Torin.

He can use it to fight better. Support from afar. (Cost: 1 SP. Gain: Ally Buff. Risk: Lose Loot.) D) STAY CARRIED (SAFE) Let Renn hold you. Stay out of the fight. Your presence might passively confuse the skeletons anyway. (Cost: 0 SP. Gain: Safety. Risk: Party might take damage.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 41! Option B (Guide) worked! You convinced the party to go Deep instead of Surface by simulating danger!

You're now on Floor 4 (The Bone Pits)!