All around him, Myles could hear the dead and dying as their own monsters in waiting took their toll. Step after cautious step, he was forced to listen as the screaming stopped, and he caught either motes of aether floating on the breeze or rustling in the underbrush.

He didn’t stick around in either case.

The practical part of Myles knew he could have used more gear, but he didn’t feel right looting the dead. At least, he didn’t feel right doing it yet. If he was able to kill his rabbit and they weren’t, was it really worth it? Besides, he had to win the crowd’s favor at this point and looting the dead wouldn’t win him any points.

If he made it past tonight, he’d come back later to scavenge.

Deep down, he hoped that their bodies vanished like the rabbits did.

The forest filling the area between his waiting room and what looked vaguely like a city in the skyline beyond was deep, and he thought he saw mountains beyond that. Every step was full of ankle high underbrush. Strangely, the forest wasn’t as overgrown like he’d expected, but there was no way he could see everything. Who knows what was hidden in the denser parts? More rabbits? Probably. Despite that, Myles had reviewed enough of the prior challenges to know that the entire first floor was a risk and reward system.

The denser the forest got or the deeper he went into the ruined city beyond, the better the rewards would be and the more building material vouchers he would get.

Slowly, Myles crept along, keeping an eye out for anything that could reasonably be considered a threat. From a giant spider to a tree limb coming to smack him, nothing was really out of the question if rabbits were out for blood.

By the time he’d reached the first truly dense patch, he’d already killed two more of the murder rabbits and gotten a hide and another haunch for his efforts. Just like before, both corpses vanished. The more of them he fought, the more Myles realized that the simple beasts weren’t particularly dangerous without the element of surprise. Every time he fought one, they seemed to have the same pattern of attack: find cover, line up, pounce, try to sink their teeth into his arms or face, and do it all again if it failed the first time.

Hopefully if all monsters were like this, being a [Monster Tamer] meant he could help correct that, but he wasn’t really in the market for a murder rabbit. There were already too many reasons not to have one. Besides, he’d rather be in a safer place before trying to tame a monster for the first time.

Putting his mind back to the task, Myles focused on moving through the foliage. The dense grass made things a bit more difficult to stay quiet as he did his best to slink along without drawing more attention than necessary. Each movement he made broadcast his position, and despite the cries of battle getting further off in all directions, he felt as if he made more noise than he ever had before.

Thankfully, it was all worth it. When Myles finally made it through the wall of grass, something was waiting for him that, hopefully, didn’t want him dead. In the middle of the dense foliage in a small clearing was a small, unadorned chest.

His prize wasn’t along though.

As if to say ‘Hey, Myles. I need you to rise to the occasion’, the box of temptation was guarded by two rabbits and a small, red slime with a pair of large, black eyes, because of course the dungeon had to make everything trying to kill him adorable somehow.

At his approach, the rabbits began their usual song and dance while the slime wiggled at him in defiance, hopping back and forth as the kinetic force of it’s movement jiggled through it.

It was almost distracting enough for him to miss the rabbits jump.

With a practiced step, Myles moved quickly out of the way as his dagger flashed in the light of the small clearing. To his surprise, he even managed to get an ear with a clean cut, but he’d underestimated his foes as a rock slammed into his side.

“Sket!”

He quickly felt for blood or broken ribs, found nothing but a sore spot, and turned to the slime. He looked just in time to see a rock moving through its body, reach its head, and fire like a crossbow bolt at him. He couldn’t move fast enough as the next one hit his leg, sending him to the ground in time for a rabbit to dig its fang into his left arm and triggering one of his skills.

—

Monster Lore Unlocked!

Ambush Rabbit information obtained!

#

Ambush Rabbit

Dungeon Creature - Small Mammal

Rand D Threat level

Best trait - Speed

Preferred Method of Attack - Ambush, Bite

Known Drops: 1-2x Rabbit Haunch, Lucky Rabbit’s Foot, Ambush Rabbit Pelt

#

Encounter five more Ambush Rabbits to complete this entry.

—

Myles didn’t have time to process the information and screamed as the rabbit dug its fangs in deeper. It was almost instinctual as he snapped his arm into motion, slamming the dagger into the creature’s back and rolling with it to avoid the second he knew was coming. A rock slammed into where he’d been a moment later as motes of light accented his roll and the smell of fresh meat wafted through the air.

One down, two to go.

Myles dodged the rabbit again as it pounced, the single ear like a beacon as it moved through the taller grass. He dodged again as he moved in towards the red slime that taunted him with its wiggles as it searched for another rock to throw at him.

Without shame, the young [Monster Tamer] ran at the wiggling horror, dagger drawn and quickly closed the gap between them. The slime was faster than he expected as it pulled itself into a ball and tried to roll away. Faster, but not fast enough to avoid a knife to its giant black eye.

Blood from rabbit bites reddened his sleeve as he pulled the dagger out of the slime and drove it home again before the rabbit had a chance to interrupt him. As he stuck again, the slime made a strange noise as the dagger came free. A moment later, there was a sickly, wet slurping as the stab wound closed, and the eye reformed.

The rabbit came at him again from his side, but Myles’s muscles were burning by this point. His arm was getting slower, but he managed to get in a lucky cut across the rabbit’s throat as his hand moved almost of their own accord. The wound wasn’t enough to kill it outright as it thumped to the ground, but it took it out of the fight as the creature gurgled and whimpered off to one side.

With the rabbits dealt with, the slime was all that stood between him and the treasure chest, but it seemed completely unphased as another rock ripped through the air near his arm.

“Alright, you want to stop that?”

The slime wiggled in defiance as it hopped towards another rock, a larger, sharp looking rock that was almost as large as its body.

Myles was not going to let that happen.

He leapt again, digging the dagger into the body, the eye, the body, wherever he could send it into the slime. Red sludge sloshed off its body as Myles severed sections, pulling some mass free here and some there with his deeper thrusts. A moment later, Myles’s dagger recoiled when he felt the dagger hit something solid and heard the wretched scream.

He’d hit something vital, the core.

The slime vibrated violently as the dagger scraped along the only solid object in its body, interrupting its mana. In an instant, the battle turned and the monster tried to escape, but Myles didn’t give up the advantage. On instinct, he shoved his dagger into the slime, pushing the tip further towards the ground until he could feel the magical orb brush along his hand.

Taking the risk, Myles let go of his dagger and grabbed for the core. It was warm in his hand, almost to the point of burning. He didn’t relent. Myles pulled hard on the sphere. The slime pulled back with all its might, but it wasn’t enough. Soon, Myles’s hand was ripping it from the slime’s body and holding it in the air like a trophy as the last remnants of sludge sloshed from it. Without its core, the slime released its shell of surface tension and melted into the ground.

Panting, bleeding, and worse for wear, Myles stood back up. He was hurt, but he’d won. If anyone was watching him right now, he hoped they’d enjoyed it. He hadn’t, but then again, he was going to love what came next.

Walking to the chest, dagger still raised, he kicked the box.

Once, twice, thrice…

Then he drove the tip of the dagger across the wooden top.

Then he knocked on it like he would a door.

When it didn’t grow teeth or arms or demand treasure, he reached down and opened it up. To his surprise, the chest opened a blue inventory window much like his own bag of holding.

—

Combat Analyzed - Bonus Awarded for LV 1: Underbrush Clear

Basic (+) Chest

10 - Building Vouchers (Wood Supply)

5 - Building Vouchers (Stone Supply)

1 - Leather Gloves

1 - Antidote Vial (Masterwork)

—

Myles couldn’t utter the word “Inventory” fast enough.

Everything found it’s way into his greedy little bag, filling up four more inventory slots. He considered taking the chest as well, but as soon as the last time vanished from its inventory, the chest burst into motes of light as well.

Around the clearing, he picked up a few more items: another pair of haunches, a pelt, and the slime core he’d ripped from the slime’s body. Looking on that items, the information populated the air next to it.

—

Lesser Kinetic Slime Core

Value: 5

Alchemical Reagent

Description: The stabilized magical core of a slime.

Detail: A slime core is used to create alchemical potions that mimic the properties of the slime it came from. Left alone, a core will eventually reconstitute into a full slime. In a sapient’s hands, the individual’s individual magical aura (IMA) will halt this process.

Do not eat a slime core.

—

Well, at least that was nothing new. It was annoying that it didn’t stack with his other one, but if worse came to worse, at least he could try to let it grow again and train it. At least it couldn’t kill him by touch like the other could.

Myles heart dropped in that moment.

He was an idiot!

He hadn’t even known if that was an acidic slime, and he’d reached his hand inside it. He almost felt sick at how stupid he’d been. His stomach turning in his chest. He pushed it away though. He’d be more careful next time.

He had to be.

There wasn’t time to rest though—

“Help me!”

A blood-curdling scream caught his attention from just outside the underbrush somewhere close by. A pained, frantic screaming followed by a howl of pain and a much, much less sympathetic voice.

“Just shut up already, will you? They can’t help you anymore.”

Myles didn’t even hesitate as his feet moved faster than his mind.

Someone was in trouble, and he could tip the scales in their favor.

He hoped.