I Have a Task Log

"That’s unlikely. I’ve rarely heard of that happening," Dorn cut in. "No one knows the exact reason why. Or, if the Undercity could talk, you could ask it yourself."

"Pretty smart," Colin remarked.

"Many people think there might be a Lich or some intelligent ancient creature in the deepest part of the Undercity, but no one knows for sure."

Dorn said, "So far, only one team led by a Legendary Mage has made it back alive from the twenty-first level, and that’s not even the deepest part."

"Hmm..." Colin’s mind raced.

He was reminded of the Skeleton Legion that had reawakened deep within the World’s Roof.

’Whatever’s in the deepest part of the Undercity, I can only hope that thing has nothing to do with Ora Kaim. Otherwise, who knows what kind of monstrosity will crawl out from under Thousand Masts City?’

It wasn’t long before it was time to sleep.

The group went to the second level and found a natural cave to settle in for the night.

As usual, Colin took out some firewood and flammable fungi he had collected to start a campfire.

They boiled some water, added some vegetables and bacon to make a soup, and ate a hasty meal with their dry rations.

Before they went to sleep, Colin said to Kase, "Kase, set up the traps you’re carrying at the entrance. We’ll do this every time we make camp until we reach the Surface. We need to be ready for a surprise attack at all times."

"Don’t you worry, Colin," Kase said.

Colin glanced at the size of the cave, gestured a bit, and added, "Also, let’s keep our sleeping bags spaced out. We don’t want to get wiped out by a single Range Magic spell. You all saw what happened to those Hobgoblins, right?"

"You don’t have to tell me twice," Dorn said, dragging his sleeping bag to a corner.

The others also started to find their own spots to sleep.

"Ale, could you help me clean the surface of my armor?" Colin said to her. "I plan on sleeping in it tonight."

The Half-Elf did as he asked, then silently folded her old Cloak and handed it to him. "This should be a bit more comfortable under your head, Colin."

Colin glanced at her and said, "Thanks."

He placed her Cloak on his sleeping bag, lay down, and quietly closed his eyes.

A fresh, plant-like scent wafted into his nose, along with a hint of sunshine. It made Colin feel as if much of the dampness around him had been cleared away.

Slowly, slowly, he drifted into darkness...

-----------------

"Colin, Colin?"

Hearing the sound by his ear, Colin jolted.

The moment he leaped out of his sleeping bag, he drew his weapon and entered his Sword Dance stance.

He looked around carefully, only to see the others standing nearby, looking at him strangely.

Colin sheathed his weapon, a little embarrassed. "Aren’t there enemies?"

"Time to get moving. You were really out of it," Dorn said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Alright, let’s go then." Colin turned, picked up the Cloak from the ground, and handed it to Ale. "Thanks."

"You already said that yesterday," Ale said, taking the Cloak.

Colin gave an embarrassed laugh.

’I probably overslept because of the scent on this Cloak,’ he couldn’t help but think. ’That smell drove away a lot of the dampness and suppressed much of the unique discomfort of being underground.’

After that little interlude, the group pressed on.

The monsters on the second sublevel weren’t that different from those on the first. Along the way, they still ran into hordes of giant rats, Skeletons, zombies, and the like.

They weren’t a major threat, but they were enough to slow the party down.

What was more heartbreaking was that the Dimension Bag was already full. Since they were in a hurry, the group didn’t waste much time sorting through loot. At most, they threw away some giant rat pelts to pick up some junk equipment from the Skeletons.

Even though those items might only be worth a few Copper Coins, everyone in the party felt terrible about it, as if they’d missed a few meals.

After a great deal of effort, the group made it back to the first level.

As the party slowly approached the graveyard the Drow Boss had mentioned, the monsters they encountered along the way became fewer and fewer.

Fixed locations like this had long since been explored by Adventurers. Most parties preferred to take these routes when advancing.

As a result, there were basically no monsters in these areas.

Of course, choosing such a route also meant less loot. But for Colin’s group, who were already returning with a full load, this was actually a good thing.

At least they wouldn’t have to feel the sting of leaving loot behind.

Before long, the natural stone path under their feet gave way to a road of stone bricks covered in a layer of gravel.

They had only taken a few steps when a carved stone archway appeared before them.

The archway’s doors were long gone, leaving only a few small holes in the frame where the hinges had been mounted.

"This is the place," Dorn said, folding his map.

Colin swallowed and was the first to step through the archway.

Inside the archway was a spacious hall. The hall was divided into two levels, with many stone pillars on the first level supporting the ceiling.

The second level was a gallery supported by the pillars, with staircases on both sides of the hall leading up to it.

The place was in terrible condition. The floor was covered in dust and fragments of stone slabs. It looked as if it had either weathered over a long period of time, been vandalized, or both.

"It’s definitely an ancient graveyard," Dorn said, patting the stone doorframe. "This stone has been here for at least a few thousand years."

Kase gave him a skeptical look. "And you can tell that just by looking?"

"Dwarves are Forged from rock and steel. This doorframe is practically a cousin of mine," Dorn said.

Kase glanced down at his feet. "Then we’re standing on your cousins right now. Hope they don’t mind."

Dorn stared at him and let out a deep sigh.

Colin and Ale ignored their banter and carefully inspected the hall.

Although this was a tomb, there wasn’t a single coffin in sight. It looked like they had all been smashed.

Faint traces of reliefs could be seen on the hall’s walls, but the reliefs themselves had been destroyed, making it impossible to discern what they depicted.

The two of them eventually found themselves in a corner of the hall.

Here, there was a small room recessed into the wall. The damage was especially severe in this area, with stone fragments scattered everywhere.

"This must have been the tomb owner’s burial chamber," Ale said, looking at the space. "Unfortunately, Adventurers found the secret door. Even if there was anything here, it’s probably all been looted by now."

"Well, if we want to find any real treasure, we’ll have to go deeper. These Adventurers really have no appreciation for antiques."

With that said, Colin scanned the entire hall.

No sudden illusions appeared. No hidden chambers were revealed. He wasn’t transported somewhere to face a trial... There was nothing.