Getting to the East Gate was surprisingly easy. They walked for a bit before taking a carriage there, and before he knew it, they were there.
A large, dark gate stood before them. It was similar to the gate in the entrance of the city, but it was closed instead. The eastern part of the city was quieter, maybe even a bit shady if he was being honest. The houses were older and run-down. Rotting wood, shattered shingles, and an eerie wind were around them. Maybe the sewers were the cause of this.
"Ugh, it smells like something died down there!" Jade said, pinching her nose.
She was right. Leo gagged, pressing the back of his hand against his nose. The smell of hot, steamy sewage, like the product of a stomach ache, wafted up from the manhole in front of them. His eyes stung with tears. This might be the worst thing he's ever smelled.
"This is worse than I thought. This smell is more than rot and sewage, it's something else entirely as well," Roland muttered. He grabbed a small, blue potion off his belt. "Use this. It's a Potion of Cleansing. It'll help with the smell."
Jade took one off her belt as well, popping the cork off before downing it. Leo did the same. He was carrying the same amount of gear on his beltâthree health potions, one cleansing potion, one mana potion, and one strength potion. He took the blue potion and drank it. It was cool, despite being in the sun for a while. The taste was oddly chemical, like detergent or something. But it was worth it.
The smell dissipated, and the tears in his eyes vanished. He could still smell the old wood and dust around them, but the smell of sewage was gone.
"If there's a river of sewage down there, I am not going in," Jade warned as she grabbed the manhole. After a few tugs, it swung open.
The three of them peeped over it. There wasn't a stream of sewage; instead, there was nothing. The ladder dropped into a maze of stone. The sewage channels were bone-dry, the stone scrubbed cleanâunnaturally so.
"What in the world? Did some monster eat up the sewage?" Jade asked, pulling away.
"I'm not sure, but we'll have to find out," Roland said. "Leo, lead the way."
Leo blinked. That's right. He was the trailblazer for this quest, clearing the way for them. Honestly, it was an important role, a job that had to be done, or else they might die before they could make it. Who knows? Maybe this sewer entrance was the mouth of a monster, and going first would confirm it. Then Jade and Roland could clean it up. But he might just be going crazy.
"Alright, sounds good," Leo nodded. His heart drummed. Sweat soaked his pits. The air went still, like a beast holding its breath. He wiped sweat off his brow and swung a leg over the entrance, boot pressing against the first rung. The image of him slipping and falling to his death flickered in his head. He shook the thought away. Then, with a final breath, he lowered himself into the dark.
He shivered, gripping the slimy rungs. Various shades of green and even translucent grime coated the rusted metal. His stomach flipped from the proximity. He didn't even dare lick his lips because of how close they were to them. The sound of his descent echoed below, announcing his arrival.
After what seemed like forever, his feet touched the ground. A deep breath left his chest. It seemed safe, since he didn't die yet, but Jade and Roland weren't following, so he probably had to do more than this.
NEW LOCATION UNLOCKED
[Aldergon East Gate Sewers]
DANGER LEVEL: C (???)
'Unknown danger detected, level may exceed C...'
'The Eastern Sewers, full of rats and harboring something more...'
The sewers were made entirely from stone, which wasn't a surprise. Trash littered the sidewalk, while remnants of who knows what sat at the bottom of the dry channel. It was nearly pitch black on both sides, and if it weren't for the open manhole, he'd be completely blind.
"Is it good down there?" Jade's voice reverberated from above.
"Um, it seems fine, but I can walk around if you want," Leo shouted, looking up at the two heads peeping over the cover.
"Go ahead," Roland said.
Leo took a step forward, out of the light. His eyes strained, trying to make sense of the darkness ahead of him, but nothing happened.
After a few steps, Roland called him back. "Alright, that should be enough, thanks, Leo."
Leo stepped back into the light, exhaling sharply and shakily, not realizing he'd stopped breathing. Roland descended first, then Jade followed.
"Alright, we're heading to the left," Roland said. He pulled out a lantern, but it didn't use fire. "No fire down here, unless you're trying to blow us all up."
A foul, coppery tang hung in the air, faint but growing stronger with every step.
Jade chuckled, unsheathing her sword. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to die to a fart bomb."
It was time to begin. There was no going back.
Leo unhooked the lightstick from his waist and shook it. Yellow light radiated from it, brightest at the center, and casting a faint glow on the outer walls. Then he marched forward.
The clicking of boots echoed throughout the dimly lit halls. Leo expected the sound of dripping water or the running of a stream, but there was nothing. It was just a cold, stuffy, dark corridor. Despite it being quite dead, there was also no sign of monsters anywhere.
Leo turned his head, checking on Jade and Roland. They followed behind, their faces shrouded, almost unreadable. The sunlight was nearly gone, which was surprising, because it had felt like seconds since he'd begun walking.
Then his foot fell into nothing.
A cry left his lips as his balance toppled. A sharp ache pierced his chest. His arms flailed, reaching back to try and catch himself as his feet stepped into a void. The echo of his shout reverberated like a chorus of haunted souls, as stones crunched beneath.
"Leo!" An iron grip clamped onto his arm, anchoring him. "Be careful, this is where it cuts off." Roland sighed as he pulled Leo up.
Jade scurried over. "Are you alright?"
Leo's mind nearly went blank. His head felt like a balloon. His heart was on overdrive, threatening to burst, as his ears rang. He scooted away from the pit.
Roland hung the lantern over the pit, revealing a circular reservoir. The area of it could fit a few houses, while its depth could swallow a skyscraper.
"I-Iâm okay,â Leo said, chest heaving. âLetâs keep going."
"That's a nasty fall right there," Jade said, patting him on the back.
After shaking off the moment, Leo resumed his path. This time to the left and more wary.
He didn't know how long they had been walking. It's felt like hours since the near-fall, but he knew that wasn't the case. They had taken a few rights, dodging similar drops, and he'd cleared countless corridors at this point, revealing no danger. His shoulders relaxed as his mind began to wander.
"This is a C rank, but it's nothing right now," Jade said. The sound of her sword swished in the air. "Where are all the rats? I need some experience, and I wanna try this bad boy out."
Now that he thought about it, there hadn't been a single squeak or scurry. The place had been lifeless. There was something wrong, but bad enough that no other adventurers wanted to take this quest? He wasn't sure, but he was starting to believe it.
"We're almost at the reservoir. Only a few more corridors and we'll be there," Roland said. "Just get ready, I have a feeling this is at least an A-rank mission."
Then a squeak came from their left.
Leo's head snapped to the sound. A pitch black corridor stood in front of him. It was barely big enough to fit two people, and that was where the sound came from. Something lodged in his throat as he resisted a thought. Please, don't tell him he has to go in there.
"That's the corridor we have to take," Roland stated.
Those words crushed Leo. He blinked, heart thudding. The world blurred around him. With how long they'd gone without seeing any monsters, he'd hoped it would stay that way until they made it to their objective. But of course it wouldn't.
"Alright," Leo's voice quivered. His free hand ran over his belt. He could feel the potions on his waist, but those weren't what he was looking for. Then, cool leather brushed against his fingers. There it wasâthe dagger.
The floor crunched as he took a step. His heart pounded, echoing in his skull as the corridor grew closer. He had to be ready. It should be a sewer rat, and he had a weapon, so this shouldn't be too bad. Still, each step felt like walking through glue. The stillness in the air was suffocating.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
It took too long to reach the corridor, but somehow, it was too quick. The sound of his heart drowned everything out. He couldn't feel the dagger in his hand. Everything was numb.
Something scurried in the dark. Its claws sliding against the stone floor.
The glowstick cracked as his hand clamped down. His forearm went stiff. He couldn't see, even though he was only a step away from the corridor. There was no way he would go in complete darkness. So he flicked his wrist.
The glowstick twirled in the air, revealing the narrow hall, but no monster. It bounced on the floor with light thuds, then it rolled to a stop, its light barely grazing the walls.
Leo chased the glowstick, following the trail it made. The darkness was thick. The light couldn't reach the walls, engulfing the light. He couldn't tell if there were more corridors besides the long hall before him.
He kicked the glowstick forward, trailing it. There were no other corridors cutting through the one he was in. It was just one long hallway. Then it began to shrink.
The ceiling got lower, touching the top of his head. Then he had to hunch over slightly to move freely. Whatever was down there stuffed his nose, clogging it before snot drizzled through the gaps.
Where was that rat? He wanted to get out of here. His nose was running, and he could barely move. If the ceiling lowered any more and the rat attacked him, well, he was dead.
Then it was a blur.
The scratching of claws bolted from in front of him, and he didn't even remember drawing his dagger.
"Leo!" Roland's voice shouted from behind him, but it didn't matter. They couldn't help him. The corridor was only big enough for one person. This was his fight.
Black, beady eyes emerged from the darkness, paired with long, yellow front teeth. Then its whole body leaped out of the dark.
NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED
[Sewer Rat]
LEVEL: 9
HEALTH: 100%
'A large rat that dwells in city sewers, delivering a nasty bite...'
"Aghhh!" Leo screamed, sweeping his dagger in front of him.
He hit something, causing it to squeak in pain, but his wrist twisted. The nerves in his wrist lit on fire, like he'd fallen on it. The dagger nearly slipped from his grip as he stepped back. His eyes widened, chest heaving, as adrenaline flowed through him.
Then it attacked again.
A set of claws swiped from the dark. He managed to step back, leaning out of the way. With a roar, he brought the dagger down like a sledgehammer into nothing. His toes slipped, sending him forward.
Rookie mistake. Why did he swing a dagger like that?
His palm scraped against loose pebbles as he turned, just in time to see the monster lunge.
Damn. He was nearly on all fours, and the monster had full force coming at him. The rat seemed to hover in the airâan odd display of grace.
A familiar jingle swooshed in his ears. He shut his eyes, ready to say goodbye.
[Motherly Blessing]
Effect [Grace] has been activated...
'The Earth Mother has given you grace...'
His eyes widened. What? It didn't even tell him what Grace did. He couldn't feel any effects either.
Then something pushed him over. His chest slid against the floor, right under the lunging rat. It crashed onto the floor behind him, claws shrieking against the stone. Leo turned around, propping himself up. His heart thudded in his throat.
"Finally, some action!" Jade shouted as the rat launched itself towards her. Then, with a shimmer of silver, it went silent. "Aw, come on! That was too short." The rat's body was cleaved clean in half. Each half was split between the corridor, resting against the walls, and its guts were scattered on the floor.
Leo's grip loosened. The dagger rang as it hit the floor.
Jade rushed over to him, wiping the blood from her blade. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking," Leo exhaled. He struggled to swallow the lump in his throat, which was like sandpaper.
He wasn't sure if he had been hit or not. The only thing he remembered was the tweak in his wrist. With a groan, he got up, wiping the dust off his knees.
"We're almost there," Roland said from behind them. The bass in his voice shook the narrow hall. "There's a clearing before the drop into the reservoir. So we should have space to step out and regroup."
"Sounds good," Leo nodded. He retrieved the dagger and stepped back into the dark.
They continued walking down the hall. It was still as stuffy as before, but he didn't complain, since the ceiling didn't seem to be getting any lower. His wrist ached, pulsing with dull pain. The rat didn't hit him anywhere, but sharp pain came from the scratches on his chest. He was pretty lucky, maybe because of that Grace effect.
"Careful," Roland warned.
His breath caught as the floor vanished beneath him. Then came a splash as his foot stepped into something wet. He took another step, feeling cool liquid seep into his boot. A hand nudged his shoulder, reminding him to move to the side, then a set of splashes followed.
"We're here," Roland's voice rumbled throughout the clearing. His footsteps crashed like cymbals as he stepped down.
"What a place, I don't remember the sewers ever being like this," Jade whistled. She brought out her lamp, shaking it awake.
Leo's heart skipped as the light revealed the clearingâbefore them was a titanic, circular opening, like a sinkhole carved in the earth. It was a pitch-black void, a fall into nothing. Around them, walls towered above, reaching so high that the ceiling seemed to vanish. Beneath their feet was cloudy water, mixed with green slime.
Chills ran through his body. His teeth chattered. It was chilly, unlike the dry maze they had just wandered through. This place wasn't just a roomâit felt alive, damp, cool, and aware, waiting for its victimsâlike a lair...or a monster's stomach.
"Do we know the danger level yet?" Jade asked.
Roland didn't answer. The sound of ruffling leather was the only sign he was there. Then something plopped into the water.
"Not yet. Once we make it down there, we'll probably find out," Roland answered. In his hands was a rope with a hook on one end.
Leo stared into the gaping void. His mind couldnât grasp its depthâit looked like someone had photoshopped a black hole onto the stone. Solid, yet empty.
"So we're actually going down there, huh?" Jade sighed.
Roland tugged on the rope, testing the anchor point. "Yes. That's where the problem is." He tossed the rope over the edge, into oblivion.
Leo's eyes followed the rope as it vanished. His heart thudded faster with each second. Something lodged in his parched throat. Hopefully, they had some gear when they climbed down, and not just their bare hands.
"Um, are we just going to grab onto it as we go down?" Leo's voice quivered.
Jade chuckled. "Well, we don't have anything else, do we?"
"The rope won't snap, it was made for this," Roland reassured. "Do you want to go first, Leo? If not, then we can go instead. You've done your job."
Leo's mouth opened, but nothing came out. He didn't expect to have a choice, but now he didn't have to go first. There wasn't a definitive answer in his mind. He'd already been leading the way, so changing now felt off.
"I'll go first," Leo answered.
"Are you sure?" Roland asked, picking up the rope.
"Yeah, I want to," Leo said, taking the rope. He wanted to, but doing it was an entirely different matter.
The rope slid in his slick palms as he thought of a way to descend.
He remembered a military-style rope descent. He wasn't sure if it was actually a military tactic, but he'd seen it on a video before, and it worked. All he had to do was grab the rope with both hands, with feet braced against the wall, and make slow, steady jumps. So that's what he would do.
Each breath caught in his throat, as his heart slammed against it. What if he lost his grip? No. He couldn't think of that. This was something he decided to do, and he would do it.
"A-alright, I'm going," Leo said, giving them a shaky smile. His wrists trembled violently, eyes widening in anticipation and fear. Tremors shook his core, and each breath came out like a wave. He looked over his shoulder into the void, then reached a foot over the edge.
Teeth pressed into his lower lip as he pushed himself off the ledge. His eyes narrowed for a moment before snapping open as he hovered in the air. Jade and Roland's forms shrank before him as the rope slid between his hands. His heart stopped as the ledge passed him.
He was falling.
A sharp sensation burst through his lower lip. Leo snapped his hands shut. A vicious jolt tore through his body. His chin slammed into his chest before snapping back just as far. Teeth clacked against each other, while his joints were nearly pulled past their limit. Just as he tried to catch his breath, an immovable object yanked him to a halt, sending a second wave of tremors rippling through him.
His throat burned as the remnants of dinner resurged. The world spun, and static sizzled in his knees, but he was alive. Better yet, he was on the wall.
He resumed his descent with small, controlled jumps, loosening his grip on the rope. Jade and Roland trailed, descending the same way that he was, although they made it look way easier. It wasn't that hard to do, but that didn't mean his heart didn't race.
"How deep is this thing?" Jade's voice echoed from above.
"How am I supposed to know Jade? We'll find out with time," Roland said, unamused. His voice whistled as it bounced around the reservoir.
"What's with that attitude? Can a woman not know? Ugh," Jade grumbled. "Leo, can you feel the ground beneath you yet?"
That's a good question. He hadn't thought of trying that, but just reaching his foot down could help.
Leo took a foot off the wall, stretching it down to the earth. Something firm met his toes.
"I think so, something's touching my foot," he answered, lowering himself until his foot was flat.
He stomped on it, and there was resistance. They were finally at the bottom.
"Finally. Thanks, Leo," Jade sighed.
Leo's hands trembled as he let go of the rope. Despite reaching the bottom, he didn't trust it. Everything up to this point had been sketchyâeven for a magical world. But this? This felt wrong. But it was as far as they could go.
His heart froze. Screeching tore through his mind. Terror burrowed into his skin. This wasn't normal. The interface appeared, not in a burning blue, but in a scarlet red.
WARNING: DANGER EXCEEDS LEVEL A
'Please retreat if possible.'
An array of clicks sounded inside the wall, then a low, reverberating hum. The sound of liquid dripping onto the floor followed.
NEW LOCATION UNLOCKED
[Sludge Domain]
DANGER LEVEL: A
'Territory of the Cursed Sewage Slime...'
'Sludge and sewage will fill the reservoir over time, summoning sewage monsters...'
EFFECTS:
[Toxic Fumes], [Slowness]
'Toxic fumes will inflict [Poison] on enemies within radius.'
'Sewage and sludge inflict [Slowness] on all who enter.'
"An A danger level domain?" Jade's voice rang around the reservoir.
Thick, heavy droplets plopped into the liquid as it soaked into Leo's shoes. The whirring and clicking drilled into his psyche. His brain buzzed, and his legs wobbled. The scarlet words transformed with the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard.
NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED
[Cursed Sewer Slime]
LEVEL: 200
DANGER LEVEL: A+
WARNING: Danger Level A or higher!
SURVIVAL PERCENTAGE: 5%
'A slime made of sewage, powered by something ancient...'
'May the gods be on your side...'