Pondering how to spend a windfall of 10 core skill points, Milo trudged up towards the surface. His smugglers' stash was full of things to sell, and he and Harry both needed supplies. Harry's recovery and Milo's willingness to grind mycology and foraging had resulted in a large number of finished products and a lack of vials, bottles, salt, spices, flour, and cheese. Harry had given Milo a huge number of items to go sell to the Alchemist guild, and a shopping list.

"Oh, and if they try to sell you any of my medicine, tell them I don't need it any longer. Not that it really did much."

"Medicine? For your ailment?"

Harry stretched and rolled his shoulders. He was getting back more muscle daily and looking more and more 'trollish' and he loved it. "Yeah. They tried to help me out. They had an opening for a mycologist and I had been about to take the job when I got sick. Thought it was a hangover at first since I'd been out drinking with the guild masters. But I was getting sicker every day. A total lack of earthen mana in my system, which is terrible for a troll.

They came up with a tonic to restore some of my earth mana, but it wore off pretty quick. Eventually I just left the guild and moved downstairs where I had a better chance at kicking the disease. They still sent down the tonics, and I still took them, but I don't think they helped a whole lot. I was getting more mana from eating a handful of worms than from a bottle of their expensive medicine. Glad to be done with it. Just get the stuff on the list, and sell off the stuff I sent."

"Oh, and if you can, deal with Bertrand, he's ok. Roulf, not so much. Never got along with him and he likes to underbuy and overcharge, if you know what I mean."

Once again, Milo was thankful for being able to haul so much up in one trip. He was tempted...so very tempted!, to spend all 10 points on increasing the size of smugglers' stash, but he needed other skills. He was a bit worried about the whole "They will hunt you." thing, whoever they were.

The first skills he bought were Silent Step 1 and Un-noticed 1. He hoped that more ranks became available. Not being noticed by people hunting him was a good thing. That used up 4 of his 10 points. Breathless 1 and 2 were next. He doubted very much he was going swimming soon despite suddenly being a fast swimmer. How fast was an eel? But when you had to work around flowers that enslaved with their pollen, holding your breath was good. It also meant less noise when you had to hide. Disease Resistance as a secondary skill was 2 points. He finished off with getting the first levels of Abundance and Skilled Provider to help with his mining and foraging.

He was caught up in his thoughts about mining and hunting copperheads. This cost him as he missed the small sounds that would have told him someone was lying in ambush.

You have been struck from ambush!

You were attacked by someone using a weapon designed to knock you out. This fails due to your Hard-Runed Skull.

You take 30 points of damage, doubled for the ambush, and then halved from your mitigation. Health: 330/360

Milo rolled backwards and regained his feet, while drawing Shadowblight from his belt. Two dwarves were advancing on him. One behind him, one in front. How did he miss the one he had passed? He got a bad feeling about turning his back on either one. "You idiot, you didn't hit him hard enough."

"Shut it. He's got a hard head. I didn't want to break it and have his brains on my shoes."

Not seeing any reason to talk to them, Milo turned, lashing with his tail at the one ahead of him in the tunnel, and swung Shadowblight at the one behind, ready with his left claws to slash if he could.

His tail missed as the rogue jumped back to avoid it. Shadowblight bit deep into the one in front of him, puncturing deep into his thigh. The wounded dwarf fell backwards and his slash with claws missed. Since one opponent was knocked down, to turned to the other. He dodged a knife slash and struck back with Shadowblight and his tail, while the rogue parried his claws. "Watch out, he's using one of the fancy claw weapons and some sort of whip. Get your ass up and help me!"

Both dwarves were now wounded and wary. They liked fights where they could take someone from behind. Their orders had been to keep this one alive, but they were having second thoughts. Before they thought too hard, Milo attacked the first one he had wounded, hoping to move around him and flee back down the tunnel.

He swung with his claws first to distract his opponent, and then aimed for his head with the Bonecaster weapon. The main spike hit the dwarf in the side of the head, the enchanted bone going all the way through, effortlessly. A jolt of energy went through Milo as he spun to face the last opponent.

The other dwarf turned to run. Milo chased him, firing a Bonespike at him. He missed twice while chasing him, and then hit with the spell twice. The dwarf stumbled and fell. Milo advanced and the wounded dwarf tried to rise, but couldn't. "Why did you attack me?"

The dwarf was looking over at a patch of shadow. "Why not? You were coming up with ore. We just wanted to rob you a little, take some drinking money. No call for all this fighting and blood. What sort of maniac are you?"

Again, the look out of the corner of his eyes as if expecting help.

Milo quickly decided it didn't matter. If there was help coming, he needed to finish this one off and retreat. If the dwarf was bluffing? Well, he gained nothing by letting him live to ambush him again. Milo would have to find a new route down to Harry, which might not even exist.

The dwarf took the decision out of his hands by stabbing Milo in the leg and yelling "Get him." Shadowblight came down on his chest, killing him. No one came to his aid. Limping, Milo dragged the body down to the other dwarf. He bound up his leg with a bandage and had a piece of cheese. He felt a bit woozy, and wondered if the dagger was poisoned? If it was, it wasn't affecting him.

Shadowblight has fed on the blood of more opponents, and communicates more of its secrets. Your levels in Bonemancy will now aid you in combat with the weapon. Each level of Bonemancy will give you an extra 10% chance to hit, and another 10 points of damage.

Currently: Foes will do -10 damage against you with melee weapons for each would that you inflict upon them.

Base chance to hit: 40%+{30%} +5% for each wound inflicted on your enemy. Base damage of 40+{30} + 10 for each wound you inflict on your enemy.

Milo looked down at the weapon. It was much more powerful than he had at first thought. Did the crazy rat-kin make it? He somehow doubted that.

Checking the dwarves for money or clues came up with 10 silver between them. Considering a copper penny bought a tankard or two of beer, they hadn't been looking for drink money. He put the bodies in a side cavern and covered them in loose rock. Neither had guild badges or anything that said who they were. Then he carefully continued his trek up to the mines and then the guild hall.

=*=

Shifty retreated up the cave, staying ahead of their target. That little ambush had been perfect, and yet had failed. The guy should have been knocked out. He should have just given up when it was two to one odds. Neither happened and now two of his gang were dead. He really didn't care; both were players and might be back if they weren't discouraged. He'd thought about going to the rescue of Lefffty, but that would have meant a fight with someone who took out two people already and only had some slight wounds. Plus, the bastard was a mage! Burnock hadn't said shit about that. There was a lot that was strange about this guy.

Shifty was pretty sure he was using some type of obscuring spell. He could almost see through it, but not quite. The same with his weapon. It was magic and powerful, but he couldn’t identify it. Shifty didn't like things he couldn’t plan for. Burnock was going to have to pay a little bit more for this job.