Chapter 14: Keep Your Eyes Peeled
“What are those?” Sophie asked, pointing at a cluster of makeshift tents pitched just by the entrance of the hole. Several of them had tables set up in front, displaying an assortment of weapons, bottles, and accessories.
“They’re merchants that sell supplies to magicians for heading into the Pit,” Carter said. “They have stuff like health potions and MP boosters.”
“What happens if you run out of MP?” Noah asked, double-checking the MP indicator of his Vitra.
Carter confirmed his suspicions. “You won’t be able to use any of your skills, so you’d just be like any other regular human.”
Noah made a mental note to track his MP more carefully. So far, he hadn’t given it much thought, but that could be the difference between life and death.
“Anyway,” Carter continued, “we won’t be needing any enhancement materials for this expedition, so let’s skip the fuss. The first layer is pretty much a playground anyway.”
They walked past a party of magicians that appeared to have just left the Pit. Their clothes were torn and ragged, but they seemed to be in high spirits.
Sophie glanced back at them. “They seem pretty happy,” she noted.
“They should be,” Kiera muttered. “They probably went somewhere deep, and with how they look, coming back in one piece is reason enough to celebrate."
Carter stopped by the edge of the Pit. “You guys ready?”
“As ready we’ll ever be,” Sophie said.
“Let’s go.”
The entrance sloped steeply downward, curving just enough to block their view ahead. Pebbles skittled underfoot as the four of them cautiously made their way down.
“Watch your step,” Carter called.
Thankfully, the numerous torches attached to the walls provided ample lighting. The wide corridor soon brought them to a cavern where a network of tunnels branched off in different directions. A wooden sign hung above each one, marking which layers each tunnel led to.
Huh, so magicians could immediately skip past the earlier layers if they wanted, Noah observed.
“We’ll be taking this one,” Carter stood directly underneath a sign that read Layer 1-5.
Noah had been pushing it down, but he couldn’t stop the chill that crept up his spine. His last experience in a cave was still fresh in his mind, and for a moment, that same claustrophobic dread threatened to take over.
We’re just going to the first layer. Plus, we have two higher-ranked people with us. It’ll be a lot easier than last time, he reassured himself. Should I use Echolocation? No, I should be trusting the seniors.
As they pressed on, Carter suddenly held a hand up. “They’re here. Keep your eyes peeled.”
Even without using his skill, Noah could hear faint squeaking in the distance.
“I don’t suppose those are other magicians, right?” he asked.
“Mouseshrooms,” Carter replied. “They’re one of the easiest mobs in the Pit, but as always, never underestimate an enemy you’re unfamiliar with.” He stepped aside. “Would you like to try taking them out?”
“Um, sure…” Noah took the lead. The nerves he had been feeling had curiously been replaced by a sense of thrill. For the first time, he actually felt like a true explorer.
Carter had mentioned that the first few layers tended to be more brightly lit due to how often they were traversed. Thanks to this, Noah was able to spot the mice from a safe distance. He crouched behind one of the many stone pillars supporting the ceiling, observing the creatures curiously.
—
Mouseshroom / Lvl 1
HP: 564/564
—
The details flashed above them. This should be easy pickings.
Noah discreetly aimed his hand at the mice. “Zero!” he whispered.
Almost immediately, the HP bars of the mice started dropping. And they were dropping fast. Before Carter or Kiera could fathom what was going on, the mice were already dead.This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
—
+15XP
+15XP
+15XP
+15XP
+15XP
+15XP
Items obtained: x6 Mouse Fur
—
Let’s see how much MP the attack used…
Noah brought up his Vitra. 47/59, huh? Did his MP consumption scale with how much health and attack were being drained? Was it affected by the total number of targets? It was still unclear, but with more testing, he could probably figure it out.
“No way…” he heard Kiera mutter under her breath.
“You weren’t kidding!”
Noah turned to see Carter staring at him in amazement. “I mean, I wasn’t doubting you, but it really is something else seeing it in person,” he continued.
Sophie’s expression resembled a mix of pride and envy. She shook her head. “I have no idea why you’re ranked as low as you are."
Noah didn't know either. Did his Talent have some caveats which he just hadn’t yet discovered? The thought spooked him just a little bit.
“Let’s head further in,” Carter suggested. “At our current pace, we can probably cover the entire layer in about half an hour.”
“Do the layers get bigger the deeper you go?” Noah asked.
“Generally, yeah. The monsters do too.”
Noah wondered what mobs could possibly lurk at the bottom of the pit. His mind started conjuring all sorts of monstrous amalgamations.
Before long, they spotted another group of small mobs. They looked like small monkeys, with peculiar-looking tails.
“Those are Springtails,” Carter pointed. “These creatures have mildly venomous tails, but they shouldn’t really be an issue. Sophie, would you like to try taking them on?”
“Uh, I’m not sure if my Talent works on them though. But I can try…” Sophie scooted forward and took aim.
“Here goes. Loot…?”
Nothing happened. She tried again, also to no avail. Her shoulders slumped. “I guess there just isn’t anything to loot, is there?”
“Hey, maybe this just isn’t the right situation for your skill,” Carter reassured her. “But if there was something to loot, I’m sure your Talent would be way more useful.”
“Last I tried it, it almost killed us.”
“Woah, um… interesting.”
“Zero.” Meanwhile, Noah once again triggered his Talent, rapidly consuming the HP bars of the mobs until they vanished.
—
+25XP
+25XP
+25XP
+25XP
Items obtained: x4 Springtail Barb
—
His MP now read 35/59. Both attacks had consumed 12 MP each, despite the different number of enemies. The springtails had slightly more health than the Mouseshrooms, so Noah figured HP did play a role in how much MP his skill consumed.
The group continued forward, clearing out more mobs along the way. Before long, they reached a pair of massive stone doors at the end of the corridor.
“That’s the entrance to the second layer,” Carter said. “But we won’t be going past that for today.”
“The enemies behind them are around levels 5 to 10, right?” Sophie asked.
“Yeah. Since you guys are only level 4, it’s not recommended to attempt the second layer just yet.”
“But the mobs there drop more XP than the mobs here, don’t they?” Noah said.
“That’s right.”
Noah felt something weird inside of him. He didn’t feel satisfied. The mobs here were too easy, and it almost felt like a waste to just head back to the guild now.
Nevertheless, he understood the danger. He was just about to turn back when Kiera, who had been quiet for the most part since they had entered the Pit, suddenly spoke up.
“Do you guys wanna try the second layer?”
Did she really say that? Noah felt as if he had misheard her.
“We can’t. Tanna forbade us from going past the Layer 1, remember?” Carter pointed out.
“Yeah, but both of us are level 13,” Kiera countered. “We’re way higher than anything in the Layer 2. Not to mention, we’ve been breezing through the first so it’s not like our newbies are struggling.”
“It’s the boss’s orders. You know we can’t disobey her,” Carter reasoned.
“She won’t know! Okay, how about we turn back the moment things feel even a little dangerous? Besides, we know the mobs in Layer 2. They won’t pose a threat to us," Kiera pleaded. She turned to Noah and Sophie. "Please trust us!"
Carter looked conflicted. He turned to them. “What do you guys think?”
Frankly, Noah thought Kiera was being suspiciously eager to enter the second layer. But at the same time, a voice in his head kept nagging him. Might as well, right? it said. What’s the harm? Besides, Kiera and Carter were sufficiently level enough that the mobs here shouldn't pose a threat. Not to mention, he had already taken down a mob that belonged on Layer 13.
“I guess we can check it out,” he said before he could stop himself. No! What was he saying?! They could’ve just gone back—"
“If Noah’s fine, then I’m okay too,” Sophie added.
Carter sighed. “Very well, but remember—we turn back at the slightest hint of danger.”
He walked right up to the door.
“Open,” he commanded.
However, instead of swinging open, the doors shimmered, slowly fading until they turned completely transparent. Carter simply walked through it, beckoning for the others to follow.
A staircase lay ahead, spiralling downwards before opening into a long, gaping tunnel.
“Welcome to the second layer,” Carter breathed. “Stay behind me.”
Something bright moved in the distance.
What was that? It looked like… a flame.
“More explorers! Sophie whispered excitedly. As Noah glanced at her, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Her eyes were faintly glowing, looking straight ahead.
Upon seeing his baffled expression, she laughed. “It’s my Eagle Eye skill. You probably didn’t notice the last time I used it, but my eyes do glow faintly when I use it. Anyway, the light’s from one of their torches.”
The other group seemed to be heading in their direction, perhaps already finished with their expedition. As they passed, one of them raised a hand in greeting.
“Haven’t seen y’all around here before,” he said.
“Yeah, we don't come by here often,” Carter answered politely.
“Cool. Well, it may only be Layer 2, but keep your guard up anyway. Can never be too careful in the Pit.”
“Are there still any mobs left? I assume you’ve got most of them,” Carter asked. He turned to Noah and Sophie. “Most mobs have a respawn timer of one day,” he explained.
“Quite a lot, actually. We just headed straight to Layer 5 for our farming, so we didn’t kill anything that was out of our way.”
“Ah alright, thanks then!” Carter waved as both groups continued on their separate paths.
It wasn’t long before they encountered the first mob in the second layer.