Shane really hoped Cain's sense of smell was as bad as the skinny man's cloudy eyesight. Cain would have the home game advantage if we fought right here, especially now while we are separated. Let's try something new, Shane thought, smiling.

"Sharlot," he whispered as quietly as he could. "I need you to make some noise on the other side of the room. Please be careful!"

In confirmation, his spider tapped her front legs on his shoulder several times and skittered down his waist and leg onto the cool stone floor. He watched her disappear under the pile in front of him. Shane's stomach filled with tension, and he held his breath as Cain twitched toward the direction Sharlot had run off. Thankfully, after a few moments of dread and intense sweating, Cain turned and resumed idly standing where he had been.

Suddenly, a loud series of clanging sounds filled the chamber as a pile of junk on the other side of the room shifted and crumpled to the floor. Cain immediately took off in a single burst of speed toward the sound—batting the pile remnants with an oversized hand and, ironically, sending everything clattering and filling the chamber with chaos and discord. Cain's back was now to Shane as it blindly searched with incredible zeal.

This had been the moment Shane had been waiting for since Cain arrived. Sharlot, I suppose I owe you a big hug for this one! With the skinny man's back turned to Shane, he quickly grabbed a small but heavy rock from the floor. Not worried about being seen, he stood up, held his breath, and chucked the rock down the dark stone hallway nearest to Cain. The rock flew faster than any rock he had ever thrown before. So fast that it flew in a straight line as it pierced the dark hallway's shadows.

Yes! Bullseye! He congratulated himself silently with a near motionless fist pump. The rock hit something hard, creating a loud clang, and bounced off something metal several times. Upon the first loud bounce, Cain ran down the hallway, his tiny quick feet footfalls echoing into the chamber. Now's our chance!

"Everyone! Follow me," Shane said with just enough volume that those within the dank chamber would just barely be able to hear him.

He quietly stood up and tip-toed toward the adjacent hallway on his right. Relief washed over him when the only movement that came toward him was that of his companions. Seconds later, Sharlot was back on his shoulder, Liz was behind him, and Alabaster was beside him.

They stayed close and quiet as they descended the other near pitch-black hallway. Cain is far too strong for us to take on right now, Shane thought. It was no wonder quite a few perished trying to conquer this place—trying to destroy a past version of himself. Indeed, there would be something here that would help them change the odds. There was a welcome comfort and confidence that followed the thought.

This Cain is going down TODAY—Shane's resolve to see the bounty through intensified. I wonder what Taeshi will think? Shane couldn't help but wonder.

To his knowledge, the chamber acted as the central hub for many of Krooth's sewer systems. The hallways alternatively helped funnel many pipes from select parts of the farther districts and district sub-sections. The dark hallway they were slowly traversing now was cramped—more so than the tunnel they took leading to the main chamber. Small enough that Alabaster had to hunch slightly to fit his tall frame under the stone ceiling.

Steam hissed from copper pipes lining the walls on both sides of the corridor. The mist was warm but inconsequential until a tube to his left rattled and blasted him with an enveloping cloud of hot steam.

-5 HP (Steam)

It was a bit of a struggle, but he held in the urge to yelp at the surprise pain. Once the steam dissipated, he gingerly touched his skin. It was warm to the touch, but the pain was already fading. As they slowly moved forward, he made a mental note to stay alert for anything that would slow or hurt them as a group. Shane wasn't aware of how damp his clothes were until Sharlot said something.

"Master, may I assist you in drying or preferably removing your attire?"

"Thank you, but I'm okay," he replied in a low, calm tone.

She gingerly but incessantly prodded at his neck in protest. Before he could say something to her, Alabaster grabbed his shoulder and began whispering into his ear.

"I hear something up ahead. I am not certain, but I believe someone is crying for help."

Liz floated up close behind the both of them.

"My sensors are picking up a voice too! It sounds like a lady is in trouble. Shane, we should help her!"

Shane looked over his shoulder at the two of them and nodded. He could barely make out their bodies' outlines in the darkness. With the stench of decay still assaulting his senses, helping to rescue anyone left alive felt like a top priority. At this time, Shane began to scour his surroundings with [Loot Sense]. This made sense to him, given how it certainly smelled like corpses surrounded them.

Usually, he would feel appalled at stealing from graves or even bodies. However, these bodies were so decomposed they felt less like bodies and more like an extension of the environment. Still, he intensely disliked the sheer quantity of NPC life lost down here—made worse by the culprit he wished to cull.

They slowly came to a split in the corridor as Shane took in the nearby surroundings. To the left, he could see a small source of light curving around a corner that sloped downward. Listening for a moment confirmed there was indeed a woman urgently calling for help. Why Cain wasn't constantly being attracted by the noise she was making was a concern he wanted to figure out later. He mentally noted that a prisoner that needed rescuing wasn't something initially built into this dungeon for newer players.

Glancing to his right provided a slightly different scene. The corridor that split to the right ended a few meters inward and starkly lacked the copper pipes he was getting used to following. At the end of the short hallway rested a single wall sconce adorning the dusty stone wall. A brass torch blazed brightly in the sconce, lighting the immediate area and making him want to squint against the bright shine. Below the torch was a flat, rusted iron chest and several bodies that looked mangled and crushed.

A fairly obvious trap we wanted players to learn to anticipate where things were more randomly designed and potentially far more challenging. Sure, the trap was noticeable but not necessarily easy to deal with for newcomers.

Shane squinted at the space above the chest at the ceiling. A large hatch that looked like just another stone brick held back many heavy stones that would fall on would-be looters. Luckily for him, he had companions that would save him some effort.

"Sharlot," Shane asked softly. "Would you mind using your maximum size to keep that latch above the chest shut while I loot it?"

She quietly grew in size before he could even finish asking the question.

"No latch could possibly stand a chance against master and me."

The torch cast a long twisted shadow as Sharlot walked up to the chest and used her hind legs to lift her body off the ground. Her front legs and head braced against the hatch as Shane crouched underneath her ample form.

He reached the chest and touched it. The sound of an unlatching lock made itself known somewhere above him, but that was it. Sharlot held the hatch tightly closed as Shane lifted the flat rusty chest lid at his feet.