[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 36 ––––––––– ]

After work, Arath again assisted Noemi with the notice board, but this time girl's plans were different.

“Look for contracts by Dune Boars.”

Arath, with hands shoved in his pockets, impassively started reading.

“One fresh cadaver of cyclopean stalker required. Ten silver coins.”

Noemi noted it down in her memory. - “Continue.”

“Will purchase beaks and quills, eight green worm corpses needed. Six bronze coins per corpse.”

“Next?”

“Mushroom hunt...”

“Skip.”

“You might actually want to hear this one.”

“Why?”

“There's a new dungeon, the task is actually by 'Cartographers', but three members of Dune Boars are already signed up, since there are four missing persons. It's a large expedition.”

“Sign me up!”

“Sure.” - Arath did as requested and added. - “One more thing, If you want extra money, visit me tomorrow morning. Dekhan might need you to pick some herbs and mushrooms.”

Noemi nodded, she only had to buy a new spear.

[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 37 ––––––––– ]

Noemi was waiting in front of a town gate, she was ready before anyone else arrived. Fifteen minutes later, a young man with a well-kempt gentleman mustache and in his thirties approached her.

“Good morning. May I inquire If you here to embark on a mission to map the newfound dungeon?” - The man had a cheap set of a breastplate and protective plates on all of his limbs, underneath these was a semi-thick gambeson. He also had a zweihander on his back and looked like a fresh member of Silver Sinners.

“Yes, that's my goal.”

“Nice to meet you, I'm Dan von Lithra! It'll be a pleasure to work together.” - Dan extended an arm to greet the girl, who accepted the gesture and shook his hand.

“I'm Noemi. Thank you and I also await our mutual cooperation. ”

Soon after, Noemi noticed a familiar face approaching them, it was Mongatha and two Done Boars, they introduced themselves as Gathash and Tohn. Gathash was the lead warrior of the trio and was wielding a pike with colorful feathers below its tip and a pointed, blue, oval-shaped worm-hide shield. His attire was a layered, black worm-leather armor modified with pieces of orange cloth. Tohn's outfit and equipment were similar, albeit much more simple and with the shield made of black hide.

Later, two rats joined, Frey and Olik, carrying a boat. They were the 'Cartographers' and would explain the mission once everyone was together.

The eighth person was a sixty-centimeters tall cloaked figure, who shared only the information that he's the rogue of the party, without giving his name.

Two last people were supposed to be waiting at the entrance to the newly discovered dungeon.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

The party exited the city and traveled the sewer tunnel in opposite direction to one where Noemi and Arath first came from. The area was pretty safe, a couple of Roosters could be seen in the distance, exterminating a few lost slimes. The new dungeon wasn't far away from a city, one could reach it by walking in a straight line.

At the entrance to the dungeon were two people and a moored boat.

The first person was a quarter-rat woman called Treya. She had all characteristics of a human, except for uneven yellow fingernails, longer central teeth, rat ears and tail, and a bit more gray hairs on her limbs than usual. She was wearing leather overalls, a musketeer hat, and a long, one-sided triple pickaxe made of wood and bone. Additionally, tied at her belt, was a simple rapier.

The last member of the party was a small, bald mole-person known as Hwargth. He carried a short bow and many waist pockets with various items.

Everyone was together, so Frey began the basic explanation of a task.

“We have three priorities, the first and foremost is a depiction of everything we discover. The second is finding missing adventurers. The last in order is gathering valuable resources.

Behind us is a collapsed wall that leads to a narrow cavern filled entirely with sewage, we will have to bend since the ceiling is low and there's a lot of stalactites, so watch your heads.

If anything goes south, your main objective becomes survival. Watch each other back, but don't risk your life If the party member is already lost.”

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

The boats moved into the dark cavern and sluggishly moved forward. The wind coming from another part of the tunnel was carrying unbearable stench. To reduce the odor, Hwargth offered everyone on his boat a piece of cloth soaked in a herbal extract.

As the group traveled farther, the ceiling gradually began to become overgrown with moss, then fungi later. The boats hit the shore, both groups disembarked and attached boats to stalagmites.

What was in front of adventurers, was a spacious cave filled with mushrooms of all sizes, the small green ones were emitting deem ambient lighting, medium ones were the one usually encountered in the sewers but in more substantial amounts, the huge ones were unmet before and nobody knew what properties might they have.

The party split into two groups, Noemi, Dan, anonymous rogue, and Dune Boars were exploring the cave to determine dangers, while the Hwargth and Treya were protecting Frey and Olik, who mapped the place and gathered samples of new flora.

The cave's chamber was relatively empty, but the density of fungi grew proportionally to the traveled distance.

Noemi's ears picked up an aggressive screech. - “Rats ahead.”

“You've keen hearing.” - Gathash noticed and praised Noemi. He, as the only other person, overheard it too.

“Thank you.” - Noemi responded confidently and walked onward, the rat emerged out of the side cavern, but it wasn't normal. It had rabid eyes and movements, salivated, and mushrooms were growing out of its back. The rat was moving unusually fast, but Noemi focused, aimed, and tossed a javelin, pinning it to the ground.

“...and good aim.” - Boar's leader added in a deep, steady voice. Noemi just grinned.

Olik came forward and examined the specie, then relayed to Treya, who was carrying a crate at her back. - ”Pick it up, please.”

Treya picked up a rat by its tail and examined it from up close. - “Ewww.” - The mushrooms appeared like they morphed with flesh, one could not tell the boundary, and fungi were still circulating animal's blood. - “What is it? Books in the library never described anything like that.”

“We don't know, it's new, but it might be what caused the rat to go rabid. Serpent Sorority will need to take a closer look.” - Olik explained.

The combat group walked inside the first branching passage and started eradicating the rats. Enemies were high in numbers, but Noemi's party was skilled and quickly reached the end of the tunnel, where a specimen size of an ox awaited. It was unusually muscular, had tumors on its body and a giant mushroom surrounded by smaller fungi grew out of its hump.

Dune boars immediately surrounded the ox and zoned it with spears. It resembled one of the techniques that Noemi had in her manuscript, except this one was designed for the group. The lizard girl was a quick thinker. She copied the strategy and joined the warriors. They bullied the large beast by poking it with spears until Dan safely approached from the side and cut the rat's head clean off with a single downward swing.

“Nice teamwork.” - Cloaked rogue replied.

Gathash was momentarily confounded but recollected himself. - “You adapt well, but you should know that some of our techniques are sacred and are not meant for outsiders. You should not interfere.”

“I just wanted to help. I apologize... did I do anything wrong by copying your techniques?”

Gathash calmed down. - “No, do not worry. We do not share our heritage on errands. You may keep anything you see and learn, but we do not want you to assist our circle.”

Noemi crossed arms on her chest, closed eyes, and bowed slightly, in her tribal gesture. - “Your will is respected.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” - Gathash responded.

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

The party returned to the main cavern, where they progressed onward. It wasn't long before the cave started teeming with threatening life. Annoying flies and insects were common, new gray mushroom slimes could be met at every step.

Tohn stopped and called others with a hand. There was a human body sunken deep in a bed of moss and fungi. Its lower part of the body was intact, but small mushrooms were growing out of all orifices in its head.

“She was from the Rust.” - Frey replied while rummaging through corpse's pockets. - “Take the equipment.”

Olik also came closer, he unsheathed a dagger and used it to open the corpse's mouth and inspect its eyes. - “It's same as with rats, mushrooms are grown into what's left of his palate, tongue, and eye sockets.”

“Disgusting. I hope we're not taking samples.” - Treya approached the body to do her job.

“You know we have to.” - Olik replied and prepared to cut off the victim's mushroom-infested tongue.

“Why do I have to be the one carrying these things?” - Treya further complained.

Noemi was a bit perturbed by the procedure - “Are you going to... desecrate the body?”

“No.” - Olik replied, slightly confused. - “We must take it for alchemical analysis.”

“In my village, it's forbidden to split the body of a deceased person.” - Noemi responded, concerned.

“We're not in your village.” - Olik started as direct and bold.

Noemi had doubts since her laws applied mainly to the village people so the topic was debatable, but she became more adamant either way. - “By my warrior codex, that might be an act of profanity and I'm obliged to prevent and denounce it.”

Olik was visibly tired and annoyed. - “You immigrants have to understand that you should comply with the local laws. You can't enforce your will on the majority.”

Noemi clenched her spear tighter, she was frustrated.

Gathash interfered. - “If she wishes to keep the body intact, we can carry it to the boat”

“Oh, no! I'm not touching it...” - Treya protested. - “...and I'm definitely not swimming with it inside.”

“That's not the issue here!” - Olik stopped the bickering. - “Serpent Sorority pays only for samples that meet the requirements, some must have a specific size, some must be isolated in jars...”

“Oh, so it's about money.” - Noemi replied, slightly angry.

“Don't pretend we signed for the quest for any other reasons!” - Olik resolutely exclaimed.

“If it's so, subtract your sample from my pay and leave it as it is.” - Noemi would not yield.

Gathash helped. - “Dune boars will also share the loss of profit.”

“Fine! Who else!?” - Olik called, looking at the group.

“I don't mind not carrying another abhorrent item.” - Treya also supported Noemi.

“If it's a will of the people, I am inclined to support their endeavors.” - Dan agreed.

“I'm here for the money, not your politics.” - Cloaked rogue replied. - “Let them do as they want, but don't drag my pocket into it.”

Olik asked Frey as the last person, but rat just shrugged. He was indifferent, so it was decided that only the rogue and Olik will be paid 'extra'. Noemi thanked everyone for supporting her, and the party moved once more.