Tunnel Rat

His legs aching, Milo finally climbed up the long ladder to the mine area. Going down was so much easier. He'd had no idea how deep in the earth Harry was. But coming back up he felt every single step. And he was starving. The last of the fried mushrooms Harry had given him were gone. He'd stopped for a break on the way up and burned nearly all his stamina to change back to human. He wanted to test Unseen Tail on someone other than an entire guild house full of people. A nap for a few hours in a side crevice had helped restore him

It was busier in the mines when he got there. Dwarves and humans were the dominant races but he saw a scattering of others. A miner class must come with a dark vision skill to help the humans and other races navigate down here. There were a few torches now and then, but not many.

Several miners were again enjoying the heat of a fire. As he walked by, someone yelled. "Well, look who made it back. You're going piss off Pete something fierce. He gave out odds of 3 to 1 you'd never walk back up from the Basement."

Another noticed his pick. "Whoa, wait a second. What the hell is going on here? Where did you steal that pick from?” The guy talking was a tall and slightly skinny human. "He, guys, this asshole stole one of our picks!" Several more miners wandered over.

Milo didn't like the way the skinny miner was accusing him. "I didn't steal it. It's mine. Get out of my way."

Skinny deliberately stepped in Milo's way. "I say we search him, see what this little nobody has on him. Probably stole some stuff from other people." Milo now had three other miners besides skinny around him. He noticed they were all human. One of them with dark red hair and missing an eye was wearing a familiar symbol around his neck. Milo looked at him and said softly, "Kulag." He reached into his pocket and held out the small marker Squint had given him.

One-eye nodded at him, acknowledging he'd seen the mark. "Get out of his way Lem. Torg, Vella? Go back to the fire.

The two men named shrugged and left. The skinny miner, Lem, was still being belligerent.

"I don't answer to you Bharg. You back off and I'll deal with this thief myself" One-eye nodded. "Sure, thing Lem. He's all yours. I'll just stay and watch the show."

Milo pulled back on his pick and glared at Lem. He was still in a fight, but it was better odds than 4 to 1 now. "Let go of the pick, and back off."

Lem laughed. "Make me thief. I'm not really scared of your little makeshift stick there. I have a sticker of my own." From nowhere, Lem held a knife. Formalities were over as far as Milo was concerned. He pushed instead of pulling on his pick and let go. Lem stumbled a half step and Milo swung at him. The Bonecaster's Runed Spike slashed across Lem’s face in two places, opening up his cheek and cutting into his forehead. Blood spilled into Lem's eyes.

"You cut me! The little shit cut me! You're a dead man." He lunged forward at Milo who tried to dodge, but still took a nasty cut on his left forearm. As Lem stumbled past, he gripped the weapon in both hands and brought it down hard on Lem's back. Two of the blades puncture deep into his body, and he fell to his knees. Milo pulled out his weapon, and backed off.

He reached into his pocket and held out the small marker Squint had given him. Bharg yelled out. "He's letting you off easy Lem. You want to keep going or should we patch you up some and call it a day?"

"Screw you Bharg. I'm going to kill that little thief if it's the last thing I do."

Bharg shook his head. "Ok, might be a bad decision." Lem staggered to his feet. Milo circled him, making him stagger back and forth. After a pathetic lunge by Lem, Milo again hit him from behind and danced away. Lem fell and didn't move. Milo dismissed the kill message.

Bharg clapped slowly. "Nice kill kid. You didn't give him much chance to hurt you, and even gave him a chance to crawl away. Don't feel bad. Lem has pulled that shit before. He liked to pick on people smaller them him, even pulled it on a couple of new miners before we got him in trouble with the guild. You were just taking out the trash." He moved closer and said quietly. "I'll let someone know you can handle yourself. Kulag"

Miles nodded, "Kulag." Then he started up the stairs to the guildhall. On the first landing, he took off the torn and bloody shirt he was wearing. He tore it into strips and bound up his arm, then pulled out the cowl from his pack. It was a bit tattered and torn, but it was made of a very heavy cloth and was in much better shape than his shirt had been before the fight. It smelled of earth and death, but then, so did most everything down here. He pulled it on and went up the stairs.

Getting to the main hall of the guild, he approached the halfling at the desk. He looked up. "What do you need? And if its which whorehouse has the best buffet today, that would be Mama Daintyfoot's. Tell her Jurgy sent you over."

Milo had no idea what that all meant. "I owe you money. I got to level one."

Jurgy stared at him. "Holy shit, you don't say? You're the new kid from a day or so ago. It's a miracle you leveled up and a second that you made it back from the basement. As for coming right over to pay dues, I'm putting you up for sainthood." He stood on his desk and yelled out. "You ass wipes see this? This is how it's done. Pay your dues on time and don't make me hunt you down. Good going kid." freewe(b)novel

Several people grumbled and said interesting words about Milo. Like he needed another target on his back. He paid the halfling another penny for getting to Level 1. "Let me guess, 2 pennies for level 2?" Jurgy nodded. "You figured it out all on your own. Simple system helps people remember it."

Milo ventured a question. "Is there a place to sell some ore nearby? I found some down in the basement."

Jurgy considered. "You just want to sell it on the side? Or you want to deal with the Miner's Guild? You'll get more from them, but you'll have to join and pay dues." Milo thought about the chest of ore, he might as well get the best price, and he might find something else down in the tunnels.

"Point me to the Miners’ Guild please."

"No problem kid. I'll walk you over, follow me." Milo followed Jurgy up a flight of stairs to a large door with a plaque that had the words 'Honored Society of Miners #67'. Jurgy pointed at the door, this is the main office, all business, but you can sell ore downstairs too. First level down. Hey! Drugar, I brought you a new recruit! Remember that when we play poker next week!"

Jurgy left Milo in front of a desk where an older dwarf with a peg leg and greying hair sat. "Hi kid, I'm Drugar. I run the guild here in Shadowport. You been down deep?"

"Yes sir. Just got back from the basement. I didn't mine much, but I found a bit while mushroom hunting." Milo showed him the first chunk he had found, and a small piece of what he thought was copper he'd dug out of the mine shaft while walking out.

"Not bad. This reddish one is deep copper. It's a bit denser than regular copper, comes from deeper down. The basement is a decent area to find it. The shiny nugget is auric. That’s an alloy of gold and silver. Good stuff. Both are Tier 2 materials, have to go deep for them. The guild will buy what you bring up.”

Drugar weighed the chunk of ore and the nugget. “Guild will buy these for 1 silver, 11 copper. Most of that is the nugget. You could also use them to pay your guild fee. The fee for a month is 5 pennies. That lets you mine under the town and sell to the guild at good rates. Or, if you are so minded, I’ll sign you up as a full-fledged member. That’s one silver now, and one a year. I’ll be honest, being a full member might help you out down there. Some of the boys don’t like newbs.”

Milo had already seen that. He paid for full membership and got the 11 coppers in change. He walked out of the Guild Hall Intending to head back to the inn and his small room. The trip over the roof tops went without an incident. Twice people chased him but he easily leaped across the gaps in houses and scrambled up and down the terraces and ladders. Climbing up to the inn took the last of his energy. He barely noticed the innkeeper or anyone else. After double checking the lock on his door, he fell on the bed and went to sleep.

Something woke him hours later. The now familiar notices about experience or Kills or anything else. He dismissed them and went back to sleep, still tired.

You have slain a foe with the weapon: Shadowblight and it has decided to attune to you, and partially revealed itself to you.

This ancient weapon has been used by generations of rat-kin bonecasters to slay their foes and instill fear in their minions. The carvings on the bone spikes will weaken your foes, robbing their attacks of damage. Your own strikes will be enhanced. Slay more foes to reveal more of Shadowblight's powers.

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

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

You have mixed your blood with the souls chained within: Bone-Runed Cowl and it has chosen to attune to you. The souls inside don't think you are worthy, but the Cowl isn't picky.

-The Bone-Runed Cowl has used 5 CSP to grant you the skill: Bonecasting.

-You have gained the Level 0 spell: Exploding Skull.

-You have gained the Level 0 spell: Bone Spike.

-Bone-Runed Cowl is now Soul Bound.

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