The tunnel stretched lit by Choo’s purple glow. A distant rumbling bothered Enoch, detectable only to his enhanced hearing. He slowed down. Something was off.

One tiny hole on the right wall, close to the ground, drilled through crumbling rocks. A few steps and more holes appeared. Jagged lines connected the openings, dug into the surfaces.

Enoch stopped. It had the look of a Vine Troglodyte’s lair. Annoying crawlers. He hesitated. Decided to continue. The fight would be hard. Not enough to turn back.

He dropped his Steel Spear. Took out his Steel Dagger.

Whispered, “Choo, summon the golem.”

The core said, way too loud, “What? Should I summon the golem.”

“Yes, please, summon the golem,” said Enoch at a normal volume. What was the point?

As expected, three more steps and the vines came out of the holes. Rough hide, with the look of wood, more tentacle than vine. Every six inches, a blood red thorn pierced the flesh. Wicked sharp. Serrated at the tip. They had the look of a shark teeth.

One vine made a beeline to Enoch’s good leg. Another shot at his head from the corner between the celling and the left wall. From the right wall, at the height of his waist, a vine came for his flank. The tense music jumped to a crescendo.

A backward somersault through the striking appendages placed him in the better spot. He cursed his peg-leg as it slid on the rubbles. Sprint forward. He searched for the big hole, it had to be close.

Thorns sank in his good leg. [- 18 Health]. Thorns glanced his helm, found flesh in his neck. [- 9 Health]. Enoch used Dash. Advanced at high speed for 2 seconds. Got yanked back hard by a grasping tentacle secured around his ankle. [-15 Health] – [Rooted | Held].

Enoch wiggled. The game just loved to tie him up. The chat agreed.

“Same as the Bark Spook. Too bad he’s out of Artillery wand.”

“Run around all you like. Something is going to get you eventually.”

Wise words. He tensed. Slashed the vine with his dagger as another one wrapped around his left arm. [-11 Health] – [Rooted | hold]. He slashed again. Choo’s animated shield came down. The animated spear followed, managing a skillful stab. The heavy Totem Golem came down with a bigger bang. Sent a healing wave over Enoch. Jump started the music to a trippy tribal beat.

The first hold broke, freeing his ankle. Enoch let Choo attack the vine around his arm. Concentrated on dodging the other attacks. Inching forward. Bent in all direction at grotesque angles.

“Never knew he loved dancing. We should have encouraged him.” Tag | Dad

“Sounds pretty nightmarish. Miles underground. Oppressive tunnels and grasping appendages. I couldn’t do it. I can’t even deal with a spider.”

By the AI, they had no idea. Newbies would probably need therapy after this one. Enoch himself had already died thousands of time, including an unreasonable amount of it buried underground. Total darkness with only his Air meter to watch. Slowly getting down. Too slowly.

Red pixels gushed all over him, staining the ground, staining the walls, staining the celling. Messy.

Doubt crept in his belly when a third vine caught him. He let Choo help him. Continued to dodge. Free after five long, stretching seconds, he dove forward, rolled to his feet and, finally, saw it. The conical creep, dusty gray, spider eyes all over, vine tentacle sprouting at all angles. The thing hid deep in a lair. Revealed by Night Vision. Enoch wondered if he would fit, went with it, used Blitz.

The world blurred. His dagger sank into the thick skin. The Troglodyte knocked back to the back of the lair, quite close. It hit the rock hard. Went limp.

Analyze revealed it was stunned for two more seconds. Level 14. 123 Health remaining. It would be a close call. Enoch stabbed and stabbed again. The thing woke, recoiled his endless length of thorny vines at a frightening speed. It sawed Enoch from all angles. Bit into his exposed flesh. [-28 Health]. [-15 Health]. [-22 Health]. Thankfully, most of it scratched his Steel Armor, the rest destroyed his Gambeson.

The monstrosity opened the triangular mouth on top of its head. Moved in for Enoch. The barrel sized Totem Golem landed straight into the hole, stretched the flesh around it. Choo’s purple glow visible form its insides, revealing a broken jawbone. Well, that’s one way to do it.

Choo spun its Totem. Tangled the vine. Bounced around, crushing the meat bubble wrapped around him. The Troglodyte died before it was over. By a long shot.

Enoch rested for a while. Choo stuck a dozen of red thorns, wicked sharp, to his Spook Bark Shield, creating a new item.

Thorny Spook Bark Shield | Shield | Rarity 8

Resist 4 | Damage Resist 4 | Damage 5 | Reflect 1

Casts Root 1 | Mana vines immobilize the target |

Duration 4 seconds | Refresh 5 minutes

Cost 25 Mana | Range 3 |Charges 10

The core patched the slashed Gambeson. Made a bad job at it without Armorsmithing. Better than nothing.

Enoch started to wonder what he had ever survived without his little friend. His stomach tied up as he realized the implications. He had to finish in the top 10 or reach level 25 if he wanted to keep the item. In his first professional final.