Day 8
Dawn came, and my alarm had gone off.
I rolled out of bed, dressed, and went to get breakfast.
I greeted the servers and settled in to eat and plan the day.
My original plan had been thrown out the window by my illness. I was planning to train on Motherday, and rest on Worshipday. This week, I will follow the plan now. I had to claim the reward for the last job I completed and look for work today, hopefully without encountering black rats.
When finished, I returned to my room and began putting on my armour. Then I put on my gear, leaving my gauntlets. This will allow me to display my System tattoo if I require identification.
I left the room, locking the door behind me, putting the key away, and heading down the stairs. I rattled a little as I walked, as I had various items strapped to parts of my body and backpack. I've grown accustomed to the sound now, although I was initially embarrassed by it. No one seemed to pay attention to me anymore as I left.
I walked through the streets of the city, following the map prompts, taking me to the Adventurer's Guild. I was fairly certain of the routes now, but I decided to use the map function anyway. As I walked the streets, I got a few odd looks, but the Watch did not stop me as they became used to my presence. The merchant section was busier by the time I reached it. I continued walking, still making good time, until I was before the Adventurer's Guild.
I walked into the familiar room and closed the door behind me. Several people were hanging around again, clearly equipped like I was as an adventurer. They turned to me and sized me up, but said nothing, returning to their own conversations or focusing on what they were looking at.
I went over to the boards representing the low-end jobs for the city. I began looking through them for something to do for the day. I was willing to take on two small ones if they were close to each other.
I began reading through them, dismissing each as either too much work right now or they would take too long. As I read through different ones, I noted the address of one of the jobs. The Smoky Tavern was once again requesting that an infestation of black rats be dealt with. That was odd. I reviewed the other extermination of black rat quests and jobs and found none of the different places I had visited over the last week. It generally took time for the rats to come back, it seems, but for some reason, they had returned to the Smoky Tavern faster.
Like the first job I had done for the tavernkeeper, it was requesting four rats be killed for a total of three silver coins. I didn't want to deal with rats again, but the tavernkeeper ran a good establishment, and she was polite. I went through the other requests, but I kept finding my eyes drawn back to the Smoky Tavern's request.
"What the hell?" I muttered to myself, took down the request, and began walking towards the desk at the far end of the room. The Guild receptionist had perked up, watching my approach.
"Good day, Adventurer Hector, how can I help you?" She gave me the usual receptionist smile, but I was surprised to recognise me.
"Good day, Madam, I would like to accept this quest." I handed over the flyer for the Smoky Tavern's request. She took it and began entering the details onto the keyboard. The orb above it lit up, and I placed my right hand upon it. This caused it to glow slightly more and then turn blue.
I think she received a similar message, as she nodded to herself and indicated the System shop access point on the side of the room. "Your quest has been registered, and rewards are pending for the completion of your last one."
"Thank you." I turned from her and walked up to the silver cylinder. As I approached, it opened and I stepped inside. It closed silently behind me, and I placed my hand on the orb before me. It lit up, and I received notifications for completing the quest that ultimately led to my illness. I received the payment, and my finances are now looking reasonably healthy. I placed the money into my storage ring, safely locked away with the rest.
I knew this was not going to last long, as I needed to pay my landlady very soon to continue my stay. I had already factored in how long I would be paying her and how much it would impact my financial reserve.
I stepped out of the cylinder and began walking from the room. Again, I felt the eyes of the other adventurers on me. However, I dismissed them again, as I was no threat to them since I focused on low-end jobs and ignored the ones they typically sought out.
I walked back out into the street, momentarily startled by the change in light. Inside the adventurer's Guild, it was darker, with the walls being lit by lanterns, while the street outside had daylight. Blinking rapidly, my eyes adjusted.
I started walking towards the Smoky Tavern after changing my map location identifier. The skies were somewhat overcast today, and as I was making my way through the city, a light rain began. I am cursing under my breath, but I kept going. I realised I was going to get something like a poncho or a rain covering as the city was known for its rainy seasons.
Another expense.
The light rain wasn't too bad, but persistent, and my armour did, ironically, protect me from getting soaked. Unfortunately, I was still sweating on the inside, which meant I was wet anyway.
I made my way back to town and to the front of the Smoky Tavern. Two rather drunk men stumbled out, and I avoided them as they walked off into the city. From their state, I suspect that they had been going all night and were now heading off. I walked into the common room and was quickly spotted by tavernkeeper Matilda, who walked towards me.
"Adventurer, Hector, we have rats again!" She spoke loud enough for the room to hear, but not a single patron seemed to care.
"I am sad to hear that, Tavernkeeper Matilda. I find it quite strange that they returned so quickly."
"Yes, others said it is strange. Can you get down and clear them out as quickly as you can?" She began hurting me towards the door that led to the kitchen.
"Of course. Would you like me to check out the basement to see where they are coming from?" I asked her if I could find out the source of their entry and see if I could block it for now.
"Oh! Would you? I would be grateful if you found the source of them." We walk into the kitchen now, and he'd assaulted me as soon as I crossed the threshold.
"I feel it's a matter of professional pride. Yours is the only location I have dealt with the rats that they have so quickly returned to." I wasn't lying; I felt slightly irritated by the sudden return of the rats. I knew it was going to be only a matter of time, but so quickly returning felt a bit rude.
"Here you go." She paused by the trap door that led down into the basement. She bent over with a grunt, lifted it, and revealed the ladder again.
"Thank you. I will let you know when I have some information for you."
She didn't say anything more but nodded and disappeared back through the kitchens. She still had a Tavern to run. I had also demonstrated that I was capable of handling things independently. I sat on the lip of the hole, placed my boots onto the ladder, and began climbing down. As soon as I was in the basement, I pulled my lantern out and lit it.
The space around me had changed much from the last time I was here. I think a few things have been rearranged, but nothing too drastic. I caught the faint scuttle of movement in the darkness beyond the light's reach. That indicated that rats were definitely here. I don't want to be here fighting rats again, but money was money.
I sighed to myself and pulled my club out—time to get to work.
Over the next five minutes, I moved through the boxes and barrels. I caught the faint glimmer of movement here and there, but the rats seem to be avoiding me. I quickly ascertained that they were coming from the far back of the basement. They were all heading back in that direction and expected the hole or entry point to be there. I progressed deeper into the basement and reached the back.
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Here, the stonework was far older than the rest of the room. A half-dozen heavy-looking and old boxes were stacked against the wall and appeared to have been moved in years. I placed the lantern on top of one and began moving them. To my surprise, they were not that heavy, and I quickly shifted them out of the way. Where the wall met the grounds, I found the hole. It was large, and I knew this was where black rats were getting in from.
I knelt slightly to get a better look, still holding my club, and placed the lantern on the ground. I reached out with my now free hand and leaned against the wall. I felt a slight shift in the bricks. It wasn't much, but it was subtle. I lifted the lantern from the ground again and inspected the bricks closely. The mortar between them was almost non-existent. It was either cheap mortar or a rush job. I looked further afield at the rest of the wall and noticed that the other stonework was even older and in the shape of an archway.
The bricks before me were blocking the doorway of some type.
I returned to the trapdoor and climbed the ladder. I caught the attention of one of the cooks and asked to speak to Tavernkeeper Matilda. She quickly appeared.
"Finished already?" She asked incredulously.
"Unfortunately, no. But I have discovered that where rats are coming from, there is a bricked-up doorway down here right at the back of the basement." I explained my discovery. "The rats have made a hole through the brickwork and are coming through."
"A bricked-up doorway?" She was clearly unaware of its existence. "What's behind it?"
"I don't know. But the rats have retreated from the basement back through it. I can try to seal it, or I can push through it, as the bricks are very loose due to the mortar being of poor quality." I explained her options.
She was quiet for a few moments as she thought about it. "Go through and find out what's behind it."
Update: explore the hidden area behind the wall. Completion reward: ??>
"Understood." There was a danger in what she had allowed me to do. This was a world where opening up bricked-off areas or sealed rooms sometimes led to very unpleasant discoveries that could get you killed. The System itself recognised this and altered the quest I was on to reflect it. Having quests with question marks involved was never a good sign.
I climbed back down and picked up my lantern again. I knew the oil within it would still ask me several more hours, but it was another expense that I had to keep track of. I had a refill ready, but I didn't want to use it.
I returned to the far wall and, this time, put my foot against it and began to push. It didn't take much force for me to disrupt the bricks, causing them to collapse into the space beyond. It took me several more minutes to clear a large enough area for me to get through.
I crawled in and stood up. There was a bit of dust in the air, which caused me to cough as I looked around. I was in a corridor of some type, and the walls were stonework, not brick. Wherever I was, it was a far older part of the city. I could see another doorway or portal ahead of me. I looked at the walls more, not seeing any signs of danger, but a lot of cobwebs higher up. Looking down, I found the whole thing further along the wall, and when I approached, I got a whiff of foul air. I also heard a slight sound of running water.
"Great, the sewers." From the evidence around the hole, it was clear that this was where rats were entering from. If I blocked off with another stone, I could prevent them from coming through for a while. But that led to the question of what was further down in the next space. The stone archway was similar to the one that was now behind me.
I advanced towards it, my lantern illuminating the area as I went. I have to push aside some of the cobwebs with my club. I reached the doorway and looked through using my lantern to best effect.
A stone sarcophagus sat in the middle of a small room.
"Not what I was expecting," I said with a grunt. This was possibly a bad sign. What was a tomb doing inside this part of the city? The old cemetery was further away on the other side of the main wall.
I knew enough not to rush in immediately. Traps were quite possible, and I had to progress slowly. I began inspecting the doorway, looking for anything out of place. I also began triggering my [Identify] skill. I felt the drain of my MP as I used it excessively. I knew it wouldn't spot any traps, but might pick up on something I had missed. I also knelt and checked the floor. There was no pattern to the stonework around me or before me. I couldn't see any traps or indications of odd things that would be signs of danger.
I stood again and, with a deep breath, stepped into the room, ready to jump back.
Nothing.
So far, so good. For the next several minutes, I continue to explore the room, ignoring the sarcophagus. Again, the old stonework was prevalent, and there were no signs of a trap or traps. Eventually, I had to pay attention to the sarcophagus and began to inspect it.
The sarcophagus was roughly 6 feet long and 4 feet high. I could see the lip of where the lid was attached. The sarcophagus was adorned with engravings and decorative motifs. The surface of the lid features a depiction of a man lying with a shield, and it appears to be a mace. He was dressed in far older styles of armour in the engraving. It has faded over time and was not a very expensive rendition of whoever was possibly in there.
"I'm going to have to open it." I regretted saying it out loud. The problem with being an adventurer was that I was required to check such discoveries. Undead were a real and present danger in this world. Eldritch energy had a habit of reanimating any corpses that weren't properly buried or ignored.
I conducted another check of the sarcophagus to ensure there were no traps. It was part paranoia, part procrastination, but I did it anyway. I placed my lantern on top of the lid and planned how to turn it so the lid would not fall off.
"Come on, Hector, let's get this done." I psyched myself up and began pushing on the lid. This was slightly hampered by my still holding my club, but I wasn't taking the chance. At first, there was resistance, but with a bit more force, it began to move. I grunted and began sweating more as I pushed the heavy lid and revealed what was inside. I received a face full of foul air from the sarcophagus. I only revealed part of the body by angling the lid to keep it in place.
I stood back and inspected the body.
The skeleton was dressed in the ruins of its armour. It had no helmet on, and I could see that there was more to inspect further into the sarcophagus. But so far so good.
Famous last words.
The skull's eye socket suddenly flashed and came to light with a purple glow.
"Shit!" I exclaimed as I jumped back in fear. I was suddenly overcome with a sense of fear and cold.
The night before, I ensured that the changes to my notifications in combat scenarios were limited to the bullet points. I would investigate the details later on.
The cold was unnatural as it seeped into every joint. Everything seemed heavier and slower, with the world seeming to dim and go grey. I pushed back against it, but it was a powerful effect.
Before me, the now reanimated skeleton began to get up from its sarcophagus. I had to act, but this cold was draining me of the will to do anything.
I gritted my teeth but accidentally bit my tongue, and the pain seemed to focus me for a few seconds.
I had to act.
I was still gripping my club, and I lashed out.
The skeleton was in the process of getting into a sitting position when I hit it. I felt the impact up my arm and knocked the skeleton back. I heard the crack of bone from the strike. I pushed forward and began hitting it again.
This time, several ribs seem to give way under my attack. I turned my attention to the skull and began striking it. Over and over. My arm was aching in the cold, which was affecting my joints and making movement painful.
I tasted blood in my mouth and on my tongue, but I continued to attack.
The world focused and narrowed on me, just lashing out at the body, hitting it with my club.
I was forced to stop through heavy breathing as my arm ached. I was coughing from the dust; my attacks had also thrown up into the air. My frenzy had exhausted me, and I looked down at my opponent. The skeleton had been shattered, with the skull destroyed, and much of the upper body. It was moving no more. I had ignored the alert message about the kill and just kept attacking to confirm.
I sagged against the sarcophagus, breathing hard and sweating like there was no tomorrow, even as I shivered from the cold.
I opened up my combat log to find out what was going on.
"Damnit!" I exclaimed, reading the information. "I just got over the bloody lesser disease from the rats!"
This threw my plans out of the window again. I moved on to the following message from the System.
Update: explore the hidden area behind the wall. Completed!
Hidden quest revealed: Defeat the undead. Completed! Please notify the Tavernkeeper and return to the Guild for additional rewards.>
Okay, that wasn't too bad. But I also got the option to loot the sarcophagus.
I began to investigate the body, now that it was still. As I have seen, the armour was ruined. There was what appeared to be a kite shield in there as well, but that had decayed. I continue to dig around, finding no jewellery or signs of wealth, but I did discover the shaft of something.
I pulled it free and found it was a mace. It was heavy and looked sturdy. The mace's head was shaped in a foot-long octagon. Each face of the octagon had four metal studs, resembling small pyramids, on it. The head appeared to be made of iron, but it was black, not the usual grey I was familiar with. The handle was of the words that endured their time in the sarcophagus. In the light of my lantern, it had a slight grey tint to it. At the far end, there was another black iron band with what appeared to be a ring. As I had lifted the mace, a strip of some material had collapsed from it.
Standing there with this mace in my hand, I can't explain it; it just felt right. Whatever hit with this thing would know about it. I took a few practice swings, liking the weight and feel of the bat. I put it into my storage ring, and it filled up the remaining slots. I knew I would have to get the weapon checked out.
"Job done, time to go." I grabbed the lantern and began to leave, but then I reminded myself to plug the hole in the wall.
I looked around and decided that the bricks that had been knocked out of the first doorway by my boot. I grabbed them and jammed them into the hole in the sewers. I put more against one's head jammed in. It wasn't perfect, but it would hold off the rats for now.