Jerry stepped out of the tunnel. The air changed immediately—colder, sharper.
No moon. Just stars. A few of them.
He looked up. Then down at the entrance a few meters away. Copper frame. A grandfather clock bolted to the top, ticking.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Why do I have to go there?"
[So that you meet new people.]
"I prefer being alone."
[Crap. That isn't healthy for a human body.]
Jerry didn't move. His boots stayed planted. A cold night wind blew past him.
[Are you going in or not?]
"...Working on it."
[You've been "working on it" for three minutes.]
"I haven't been counting."
[I have. 😌]
Jerry sighed. Rubbed his face with both hands. His hair was still down, still slightly damp from sweat.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
He took in a deep long breath before marching forward. With each step and passing second, he drew closer to the entrance.
The grandfather clock's noise grew louder, overshadowing the sounds of the leaves.
"It's getting loud."
[Then stop focusing on the 👴🕙.]
He stepped into the entrance. The walls were marked with numbers—Roman, Hindu, Arabic, European, and some he didn't recognise. His boots clicked coldly against the polished floor made of stone.
Soon his surroundings were illuminated by oil lamps placed behind bars on the walls.
By the corner of his eye, he saw a copper rat moving in slow motion.
[Seems like the local monster here.]
"Why is moving so sl—"
Before he could finish his sentence the rat accelerated and disappeared from Jerry's eyes.
[Wow 😯]
"That was fast… Wait, will it attack me?"
What followed was a silence both from his surroundings and the floating words. "Hey, answer me."
A second later.
[It hasn't attacked yet so I guess it won't 🤓]
Squelch.
His calf tore open.
Pop.
Blood sprayed the wall.
Before his eyes could see what had happened his leg lost balance and he fell to the ground.
His eyes fell on what had happened. What he saw was a destroyed calf. His eyes widened, his body shaking frozen in place.
[😱]
No words came from him. In the distance the rat was running away from him, moving slowly.
His breathing crashed, rushed to grab his torn calf. Stuttering and failing to form a word.
[Oh my. It's scary 🙀]
He screamed.
But the rat had already turned back and moved towards him slowly, very slowly until it disappeared before his eyes and went through both the arms that held his calf.
He closed his eyes and let another scream as blood pooled around him.
His scream died the next second as a blue aura surrounded him.
The flesh started stitching itself while he just sat there watching the rat move. After getting hit a few more times without taking damage.
[Did it hurt 💔?]
His jaw clenched and he said, "Nah, not at all. I was fine. Totally."
[Anyway, what now?]
He sighed. His eyes followed the movements of the copper enemy and said, "Lemme see how that works. Is it sentient?"
[I'm unaware of that.]
"Tch, and how does it move?"
[Again, I'm unaware of that.]
After another round of getting hit and not getting hurt, "Wait, does it have a cooldown before an attack?"
[Bravo ⭐. That could be it! 🤩]
After the attack he started counting seconds, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5"
During the fifth second, it accelerated a second time. Again no damage.
[5 seconds? That's it. Great! Note: Your immortality is over.]
"Really?"
The blue aura faded and he stood up, he didn't wait another second to go and grab the copper rat. "Got it!"
He turned the rat to face him grinning and tightening his grip. The fifth second hit and it burst out of his grip. It slipped free, and in the same instant—
Pop
A hole through his forehead.
He just stands there frozen with the damage, his breathing starts to slow down and his eyes to fade, "I… don't even feel pain right now."
His head started to paint in dark red with a missing forehead yet it didn't stop his mouth.
[You have a new hole. Congratulations? 🕳️]
"Blue aura, restart."
[You really just said that? 😂🤣]
"Shut up."
[And why did you catch it? You idiot 😂🤣😹]
"And what should I've done?"
[Don't know. Try to hold it?]
"Just… just shut up."
No words were exchanged until the aura faded away along with healing his body. The moment it did the rat was caught with two puppet arms and crushed to the floor.
[Dungeon Experience Gained: +15]
[Oh, Sovian might take compensation for that 😬]
Hearing that he rubbed his forehead. "Is she even here? If yes, why hasn't she appeared yet?"
[She may be or may not be. Does it even matter? Oh, plus if she's absent we could take her loot—]
"No, not doing that. Nah."
His puppet arms still had their palms pressed against the floor, it elevated up, "Let me see your palms." He said and they obeyed. Displaying their palms, not marked with the remains of the rat.
"Augh."
[Augh. Disgusting 🤢]
"It's made of copper, why does it have guts?"
Suddenly a knock was heard behind him and he flinched. Slowly turning back he saw Sovian, standing with her legs parallel, close to the wall, with her knuckles on it. "You came."
[Act natural. You definitely weren't just murdered by a rat. 😶]
His eyes didn't catch the floating text.
While scratching the back of his ear he fully turned to face her. "Yeah, you called."
Her eyes went to the dead body. "You killed it?"
"It tried to kill me first. A-and, why does it have intestines? Isn't it made of metal?"
She shook her head and leaned her shoulder on the wall. "You're assuming it's entirely made of copper. But it's not."
"Those are your puppet arms?" she asked, pointing a finger at them. "And I assume you cursed my rat to death."
[She's smart… that's the narrow passage for compliments, don't miss it. 😏]
"Shut up." He muttered under his breath.
"Hm, I suppose your info-box is talking about me. What did it say?"
He frantically shook his head. "Nothing important."
She blinked at him, shrugged her shoulders and turned her back to him. "Want a tour?" She asked and walked before an answer.
Jerry didn't move from his spot, "I should be leaving." He whispered to himself.
[Bro! No! You don't leave. You've come this far and now you're leaving? 😡]
"What do you mean by far? The exit is just around the corner."
[I mean by struggle.]
[And look, she's getting further and further away. Don't miss the chance.]
Sovian's figure was already meters away and was about to turn by a sharp corner. The whispers continued.
"What if I die?"
[You won't!]
"What if I get hurt again?"
[You wo-wo… try not to.]
"Nah, I'm not going in there."
The moment before he passed through the exit the voice called out from the depths.
"Are you coming or not?"
[JUST GO!!! 😖]
He paused
Jerry looked at the exit. Then at the corner where Sovian had disappeared.
He didn't move.
His boots turned.
[FINALLY 😀]