Rogue in the Dungeon (Hiatus)

Romballe

I checked the hall around the corner, and tried my best to look for the «Cockatrice». Under normal circumstances, this hallway would be very dangerous to walk down when the «Cockatrice» is active and about. Thankfully, after a while of peeking and listening, it was clear that the «Cockatrice» wasn't here.

I quickly made a run for the dead end across the hall, and performed a running slide through the small crack in the wall. Once through, I reached a small outpost, and outstretched my hand towards the small obelisk. And in a blink, I was back in the small ruins.

The walk from the ruins around the stairs to the first floor of the dungeon, and the small garden path to Romballe used to be a welcoming, uplifting sight. Now, it filled me with dread. The only time I will ever walk here is when I return from a battle, victory or defeat. With the Hatores Knight impeding us, it has mostly been defeat, but there were indeed glorious moments amidst these trips.

Seeing this path reminds me of the explorers whom have fallen. Not just the recent ones, but those of the past, too. Those whom entrusted me with the task of saving them should the situation get prickly. Those who made a small error and died during a tough battle, and their party would walk with me back to town. Those whom were almost wiped out, with me carrying what little remains left of them back here.

I couldn't say I hated this place. Even before this whole dungeon hype, I had seen this path many times. I would sneak here when I was younger, and play with the other children. There were kids whom would try to enter the dungeon to explore, only to be stopped by the guards, the adults and the barricade. I loved this place as a kid, honestly. But recently, the image of death often reflects into my eyes when I pass here.

I walked back to town, and headed for the cathedral quickly. The grocers and street vendors immediately recognized me, and nodded politely at me. No surprise there, they have probably seen me enough times to know me as the rogue in the dungeon.

To think that they used to call me the Machine, because I would normally ignore their stalls, and none of them have seen me buy any food at all since the 13th floor. That was around the time I was scouted as someone ideal to provide support to the other parties, and I often ate meals in the dungeon from the dead bodies of the monsters. They only stopped with that nickname when one of them stepped up to me and asked me politely if I was one. Thinking back, that was a pretty good anecdote to share, if anything.

I waved back at them, and made haste. Although the «Soulstone»s can last for a full week before the soul within starts decaying, it was often better to resurrect their bodies immediately, since the pain they experience after the resurrection, that is, the pain from all the damage they have taken from their last moments of death, is not reduced by the amount of time they spend in the «Soulstone».

Truth be told, the parties resurrected from dying to the Hatores Knight have it really rough. There were other deaths so far that are absolutely horrible, like that time Urna, a Shieldbearer, had her entire lower torso crushed and flattened by the Grand Sterling Wood, or the time a couple of the explorers fell victim to the boulder traps that smashed most of their bodies, which was painful beyond comparison.

The Hatores Knight slashed at the offals on the ground, even with the members dead. Unless the skull and brain were completely destroyed, as is the case of the boulder traps, there were small moments of life lingering before one died for certain. That was enough of a window for the moss skeleton in knight's armor to torture them, even in their last moments.

Urna and the others whom fell for the boulder traps convulsed in pain when they were resurrected, and laid completely immobile for about three days before they even began the rehabilitation. The explorers whom challenged the Hatores Knight had to rest a full week from the pain in their organs, before undergoing a fitness course to accustom them to their bodies once more. Though the damage was less severe in that they do not need to rehabilitate, the effect was more persistent compared to standard crushing wounds because they were inflicted in more sensitive spots.