Unlike the cave that led them into this dungeon, this cave that marked the entrance of Kapa territory was budding with life. Mushrooms grew and glowed in bio-luminousness as small millipedes and spiders scuttled in the relative dark. Every so often flowers of dark purple and red would bloom in the moist soil, opening and closing as the warriors passed. Tiny tendrils, representing the ends of roots, would dot the cave walls, and torches dotted either side of the cave walls in sparse patterns.

This was in stark contrast from the neat and orderly path he and Matt walked down. This chaos represented something more, human, in nature. A human-like intelligence meant something he can reason with Greg thought. But on the other hand-

“Stop.” A male raspy voice echoed from the end of the tunnel. He stepped into the light and Greg forced himself to remain calm.

The creature was shorter than both skeleton warriors by an entire foot, but he was broad and muscular. He carried a shell on his back and his face was elongated and ended in a beak. The creature was essentially a giant turtle, with an ugly face and a weird hollow circle at the top of its skull. He carried a spear bigger than he was that he used as a cane as he strided up to the pair of skellies. Greg gulped.

“Hmm” The Kapa guard stared at the unnamed skeleton warrior, before making a clicking sound that made the totem glow, “You passed?” Your master... where is he?”

Dead, Greg wanted to say but something told him that was a mistake. Saying anything would be a mistake Greg thought and he stared at the Kapa in silence as he walked around the warriors but didn’t dare go further up the cave.

“Where is your master?” This Kapa wasn’t stupid. This Kapa won’t lead undead into the village and mark it safe for an enemy sorcerer to appear at his leisure. This Kapa will do his job. This Kapa will have to kill these skeletons as a warning.

The Kapa guard shifted his stance and his spear slowly arched to an angle, this Kapa will be quick, the guard thought. The Kapa lunged, but Greg countered-

“Shield BASH!”

The Kapa spear skidded off the skeleton warriors tattered wooden shield and surprised engulfed the Kapa’s thoughts as he was sure the mindless warriors wouldn’t have time to-

“Forward Thrust-”

Kapa Guardian has taken critical piercing damage.

Greg rammed the materializing sword into the turtle's throat in a parry/riposte action that surprised even him. Unusual feeling of blood thirst filled him as satisfaction tingled up and down his bones. He had taken a life. And it was easy.

Kapa Guardian has been slain.

Party has received 25 EXP.

Greg looked at the dead Kapa. He was naked save for rudimentary loincloth. Nothing to really loot except-

“Shields up, this will take me a while.”

“Yes Boss.”

And with that Greg started cutting.