You have killed a ratman.

You have killed a ratman.

After slaying the last ratman, I searched the bodies, but the guards had carried as little of value as the first two I’d killed and I came away with nothing. The Adjudicator hadn’t awarded me with levels from the fight either, only a few skill gains. Shaking my head at the poor recompense, I made my way back up the tunnel.

It seemed impossible that my skirmish with the guards had gone unnoticed, but when I peered in the cavern, I saw the miners’ demeanor remained unchanged—they still chipped industriously at their rocks, unconcerned by the unguarded entrance.

Good. Sheathing my blades, I wove an illusion about my form.

You have cast lesser imitate, assuming the visage of the ratman warrior, Gurk. Duration: 1 hour.

Judging by the eight foes I’d slain so far, I was a bit tall for a ratman, but I was hoping that in the bustle of the cavern my unusual size would go unnoticed. If I was found out… well, then, things would go badly for me. Hunching my shoulders, I ambled into the cavern.

No alarm was sounded. And no one demanded I identify myself.

In fact, my arrival went entirely unmarked.

None of the miners so much as bothered to look up from their digging, not even those closest to the entrance. I exhaled softly, relieved by their disinterest.

But it was time, I got moving. A lone warrior by the entrance, I was too inconspicuous. Ducking my head, I waded deeper into the cavern. As I weaved between the clumps of ratmen, I stole quick glances at what they were mining. It was a reddish-colored ore, but of a type that defeated my analyze attempts.

Shortly, I reached the cavern’s center. Setting aside the puzzle of the unknown ore, I lifted my head and took a good long look around the chamber.

The cavern was as large as I thought, but to my dismay it had not one or two exits but a dozen. Damnation. Which one do I explore first?

I doubted I had time to venture down all twelve passages. Eventually the absent guards would be missed, and when that happened I wasn’t sure that my disguise would stand up to close scrutiny. Resuming my quiet walk through the cavern, I searched for inspiration.

I had nearly completed three full circuits when I found it.

Or rather, it found me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a cloaked figure enter the cavern. Escorting him were two hulking forms. I turned their way immediately, but before I could get a clear view of the trio, they disappeared down another corridor.

Still, I didn’t doubt the cloaked figure was a savant.

With no other leads to go on, I trailed after the trio.

~~~

The tunnel the three had entered was dimly-lit by torches. My targets had already disappeared from view, though. I glanced around. No other ratmen were in sight either. Intent on catching up to the trio, I sped up, my footfalls silent despite my increased pace.

As I dashed through the corridor, my gaze darted left and right, searching for side passages. I saw none, which was a relief. Fifty yards later, I came across the first door. It was shut. Slowing down, I opened my mindsight and probed the room beyond.

No glowing minds appeared.

Empty, I concluded and hurried onwards.

I passed over a dozen more doors, all closed. Each time, I dragged my steps and interrogated the rooms beyond with my mindsight. Most were empty, but a few were occupied by dozing ratmen. The enforced delays were frustrating, but necessary. I couldn’t afford to miss the savant.

The corridor I was in seemed to hold the ratmen’s sleeping quarters, which opened up all sorts of interesting possibilities. Did the savants sleep? And could I catch one napping? It would make things measurably easier if—

I broke off.

The two hulking figures I’d glimpsed earlier were up ahead. Both were standing stock-still outside a closed door—standing guard?—and thankfully hadn’t caught sight of me yet. Slowing my steps, I resumed my pretense at being an idle ratmen warrior.

As I drew closer, I realized the pair were ratmen. Overly large and muscular ratmen but ratmen, nonetheless. Finally spotting me, the savant’s bodyguards swung around to fix me with inscrutable gazes. Affecting a nonchalance I didn’t quite feel, I kept advancing.

You have passed a mental resistance check! Two hostile entities have failed to pierce your disguise.

That ratmen said nothing, but they didn’t look away either. Keeping their eyes on me, they watched me saunter closer. The savant must be inside the room they’re guarding.

Reaching out with my will, I analyzed the ratmen.

The target is a level 120 ratman brute.

The target is a level 121 ratman brute.

Brutes, eh? Well, that explained their size. Drawing even with the two bodyguards, I lowered my gaze in pretended subservience. The ratmen’s hard stares followed me, but they let me pass unchallenged.

When my back was to the pair, I opened my mindsight and scanned the room.

But no bright bubble of awareness popped into sight.

I frowned. The savant had to be in the room. Where else could he be? Either he was shielded from my mindsight or the room beyond was bigger than I thought, and he was out of reach.

Whichever it was, I was determined to get to him.

~~~

I waited until after I’d passed out of the brutes’ sight to duck into the shadows. Despite the torches inset at regular intervals in the corridor, there were more than a few pools of darkness about.

Wrapped in shadow, I crept back up the tunnel to observe the brutes. I had to get into the room obviously. The surest way to do that would be to slay the bodyguards first.

Killing the two would not be difficult... doing it silently though, that could prove troublesome. And if I could help it, I didn’t want the savant alerted to my presence until too late.

Another option would be to charm the pair. But that brought about its own complications. Once I bespelled the two, I would have ten seconds to get in the room, kill the savant, and stop the brutes from raising the alarm.

All possible to accomplish. But it would be risky and left no margin for error. Besides which, there was no certainty I could charm the brutes. If the pair were dominated by the savant, there was no chance of that.

How else can I get in? I wondered. Deception? Somehow, though, I doubted the brutes would let a random ratman wander into the savant’s rooms unchallenged.

But what if… I imitate a savant? Hmm, that might work.

Bowing my head, I began working out the details to my plan. Once I set it in motion, there would be no time for hesitation or second guessing.

“He late,” one of the brutes barked abruptly.

Raising my head, I studied the bodyguard curiously. Who’s late?

“Boss won’t be happy,” the second agreed. He rubbed his tummy. “Me hungry too.”

Brute one turned down the corridor to stare in my direction. I stilled. Could he see me?

“Should I go fetch Wick?” brute one asked.

I relaxed. The bodyguard’s words made apparent the reason for his glance: he was searching for the missing Wick.

Brute two shook his head. “No. Boss will be angry. Better he angry at him than you.”

The first guard nodded vigorously, and they both subsided.

I bit my lip. Food, I mused. Was that why the savant was in his room? Was he waiting for his meal to be served?

I glanced behind me. My sight was better than the brutes, but even I couldn’t see any ratman making his way up the tunnel. Nor did I actually know what lay farther down the passageway. I hadn’t explored it fully yet.

Let’s find out. Turning about, I headed deeper into the tunnel.

~~~

Five minutes later, I happened upon a slim ratman rushing up the tunnel. Two trays overloaded with food were precariously balanced in his arms.

This has to be the missing Wick. In his haste to reach his destination, the servant was barely paying attention to his surroundings.

It was too good an opportunity to ignore.

Flinging open my mindsight, I scanned the rooms on either side of me. They were empty. Good. Drawing on my psi, I cast charm.

A level 97 ratman has failed a mental resistance check! You have charmed your target for 10 seconds.

Wick wrenched to a halt, upsetting some of the dishes on his trays, but thankfully he didn’t drop anything.

Striding boldly out of the shadow, I wordlessly relieved the ratman of his burdens. Setting them aside on the floor, I studied Wick for a moment and got the distinct impression he was young. Too bad, I thought.

I couldn’t afford to let Wick go free, and I didn’t have time for anything fancy. Sorry, fellow. Slipping forward, I buried ebonheart hilt deep into the ratmen’s chest.

You have killed a ratman with a fatal blow.

Catching the body as it fell, I dragged it inside one of the empty rooms and patted it down quickly. The ratman had only one item of value on him, a slim dagger.

Taking the weapon, I stuffed it in my belt, then shoved the corpse beneath a wooden bed. Hopefully it would be a while before Wick was found.

Returning to the corridor, I wove a new illusion about myself.

You have cast lesser imitate, assuming the visage of the young ratman, Wick. Duration: 1 hour.

Picking up the two trays, I hurried back up the corridor. I was late for an appointment with a savant.

~~~

The moment they saw me, the two brutes fixed hungry gazes on the food I carried. Seeing their expressions, any concern I had about my illusion passing scrutiny vanished.

Before I could even draw to a halt, brute one snatched a tray from my hands and, ripping off one of the bowl covers, stuffed his mouth full of food. Brute two quickly followed suit.

A moment later, brute one came up for air, and seeing me still standing in front of them, snarled, “You late.”

I nodded, not trusting my speech patterns not to give me away.

“Well? What you wait for?” Brute two demanded querulously. “Go in before boss kill you!”

Brute one hooted. “He might anyway.”

Hastily complying, I pushed open the door and slipped inside. Shutting the door firmly behind me, I scanned the room.

The savant was awake.

Sitting at a table on the left side of the room, he was bent over in fascinated study of, of all things, a rock. At my entrance, he looked up and cocked his head to the side, a faint frown marring his face.

A hostile entity has failed to pierce your disguise.

The Game messages did not reassure me. The savant was still studying me the way one would a particularly puzzling conundrum, and I was sure he would figure out the truth soon enough.

Displaying none of my anxiety, I laid down my tray on the nearby dining table. I felt the savant’s gaze on me the entire time. Straightening, I summoned psi and met the creature’s lifeless gaze.

You have failed a mental resistance check! A level 135 savant scholar has pierced your disguise.

The scholar’s gummy lips parted, and his eyes widened. I let a cold smile touch my lips, then I was moving.

Crossing the intervening space between us in an eye blink, I emerge out of the aether behind the savant just as he rose from his chair. The creature raised his hands, preparing a casting.

But I was quicker.

Wrapping my left hand around his throat, I yanked him off his feet, casting stunning slap for good measure.

You have stunned your target for 1 second.

Before the spell’s effect could dissipate, I drew ebonheart and ran the savant through.

You have killed a savant scholar with a fatal blow.

The savant died with a quiet sigh in my arms. Hugging the body tighter, I held it upright while I listened intently.

The only sound penetrating through the thick door was the noise of the two brutes’ jaws working.

The pair were still eating.

The bodyguards had not sensed the killing, which meant they’d not been mentally enslaved by the savant either. Lowering the corpse to the floor, I chuckled softly. Matters were proceeding even better than I could’ve hoped.

I dragged the corpse to the bed and shoved it beneath before returning to the center of the room. There, I let the illusion of Wick dissipate and replaced it with another.

You have cast lesser imitate, assuming the visage of a savant scholar. Duration: 1 hour.

Concealing myself behind the door, I drew my second blade. It was time to deal with the brutes.