I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual even though my question was anything but. With all this talk of tactics, it was time to take the plunge.

  "So, Eva... I was wondering if you'd be willing to share your abilities with the party? Just so we know what everyone can do in a fight."

  Eva stared at me, her face unreadable behind the dark scarf that covered half her face. For a long, uncomfortable minute, the only sound was dripping water from a moist stone ceiling. I was about to backtrack when Eva finally moved, her fingers making a quick gesture in the air.

  A translucent blue window materialized before each of us—the Party System interface. A list of abilities appeared under Eva's name, each one accompanied by a brief description.

  I scanned the list quickly, my eyes immediately spotting the problem. This list was too short. Way too short. As someone with a rogue-type class myself, I knew the typical ability spread. We generally received twice as many abilities as other classes, though they tended to be more specialized and situational than the raw power moves of fighters or magic focus of mages.

  Before I could decide whether to point this out, Eva spoke up.

  "I'm only sharing abilities related to combat," she said flatly. "Not the ones related to thieving."

  Her tone made it clear this wasn't up for negotiation. The slight narrowing of her eyes and the way her shoulders tensed told me everything I needed to know—pushing this would only create friction we couldn't afford. So I simply nodded and continued reading the list she'd provided.

  Duncan leaned forward, his massive frame casting long shadows from Hellene’s glowing staff crystal as he studied the window before him. "Two of these seem to be just for slowing enemies down," he observed, rubbing his chin.

  Eva nodded. "I’m more thief than dungeon adventurer," she explained, her bronze fingers absently touching her scarf. "Those abilities helped me escape authorities during guild jobs."

  I caught the slight wince which crossed Duncan's face at the casual mention of thievery. His upbringing as a Holy Knight had instilled certain values that were hard to shake, even after losing faith in the church.

  "Can I ask you something?" Duncan said after a moment, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. "Why weren't any thief classes purged during the Great Purification?"

  I exchanged glances with Hellene, easily guessing the reason for Duncan's interest. His own class—Fallen Knight—was on the Purge list. Currently, only the False Scrying Ring on his finger made him appear as a Battle Knight to anyone with detection abilities. Without it, he'd be executed on sight in any major city.

  Eva's gaze dropped to the floor, her expression contemplative. Her brows drew together as she seemed to weigh her words carefully.

  After a few moments, Eva spoke, her voice even but firm. "The Thieves Guild has been part of Zephyria for centuries. When King Thorne II started the Great Purification, he initially planned to include us." She leaned forward, the crystal light casting harsh shadows across her face. "What he didn't account for was our connections—with nobles who needed our services for their dirty work, and with the common folk who saw us as their champions against the wealthy."

  I watched Duncan's expression carefully as Eva continued.

  "The guild had enough leverage to potentially destabilize the entire capital. We couldn't guarantee victory if conflict broke out, but the odds were bad enough that Thorne wasn't willing to risk it, despite considering thief classes inherently evil."

  Her hands formed into fists as the next words left her mouth. "A compromise was reached. We agreed never to steal directly from any member of the royal family. And in exchange for our immunity..." Her eyes flickering with a hint of guilt. "We would help track down anyone on the Purge list for the royal family."

  The color drained from Duncan's face so quickly I thought he might faint. My heart hammered in my chest, but I forced my expression to remain neutral. If Eva noticed his reaction, she'd instantly know something was wrong.

  "So the mighty Thieves Guild is just the royal family's lapdog," Hellene remarked with exaggerated disdain, her violet eyes rolling. "How terribly disappointing."

  Eva's head snapped toward Hellene, her posture becoming as rigid as a steel pole, eyes flashing with anger.

  "We are nobody's lapdogs," she hissed, sounding almost more snake than human. "The guild has maintained its independence for centuries. We simply made a strategic decision to ensure our survival." She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "And I'd remind you that you're currently benefiting from that decision, enchanter."

  I felt my shoulders loosen as understanding hit me. Hellene hadn't been needlessly antagonistic—she'd deliberately drawn Eva's attention away from Duncan's reaction. The old half-elf was as usual, much sharper than me.

  "Let's move on," I said, stepping between them before Eva's glare could burn a hole through Hellene's smug expression. "We need to find point two for the supplies. We've spent enough time here already."

  Eva's glare lingered on Hellene for another moment before she gave a curt nod. "Fine."

  Duncan cleared his throat, his voice remarkably steady despite the bombshell that had just been dropped on him. "I'll move these bodies farther away from our supplies while you're gone. Just in case something decides to investigate."

  I gave him a grateful nod, then turned to Eva. "Ready to scout ahead?"

  She adjusted her bow and stepped past me toward the tunnel intersection. "Let's go."

  We moved silently through the damp passages, Eva taking the lead as we reached the junction. I paused, carefully committing the features of our tunnel to memory—a distinctive crack in the left wall, a small stalactite shaped like a crooked finger—to ensure we could identify it when we returned.

  "I'll start with the right closest one," I whispered.

  Eva didn't object, simply falling into step behind me as we entered the next tunnel.

  The right tunnel quickly narrowed until we reached a dead end after about fifty feet. Moss-covered walls glistened with moisture, but there was nothing else of note.

  "Waste of time," Eva muttered, already turning back.

  We tried the next passage with similar results—this one ending in a small chamber with nothing but a pool of stagnant water which smelled faintly of sulfur. I knelt beside it, considering whether to take a sample, but Eva shook her head.

  "It's not worth it," she whispered. "Let's try the third tunnel."

  The third passage was different from the moment we entered it. The ceiling rose higher, and the air felt cooler against my face. We'd gone about seventy feet when my Wisdom-enhanced intuition tingled.

  "Something ahead," I breathed, automatically activating Darken Stealth.

  Eva vanished beside me, her form blurring into the shadows. We crept forward, pressing close to the damp wall until the tunnel widened into a small chamber.

  A solitary Shark-Man stood in the center, methodically sharpening its trident against a large stone. Unlike the others we'd fought, this one wore crude decorative shells tied into its chainmail—perhaps some kind of rank insignia. Sometimes monsters had a military like structure of sorts in dungeons.

  I studied its behavior for several minutes. The creature would sharpen for a while, then walk down one of the three tunnels connected to the chamber. He returned precisely twenty minutes later. The timing was so accurate that it felt intentional.

  Eva touched my arm lightly and pointed back the way we'd come. I nodded, and we retreated silently, maintaining our stealth abilities until we were well away from the Shark-Man's chamber.

  "Patrol pattern," Eva whispered once we were safe. "Predictable. We can use that."

  When we returned to our makeshift camp, I was surprised to find only a few signs of our battles. No corpses and most of the blood was cleaned up—with Duncan sitting calmly beside our supplies, practicing with his sword. Even his armor was cleaned of blood although the pessimist in me couldn’t help but wonder why he bothered. It didn’t take a genius to know he was going to be sprayed with blood again.

  "I stored the bodies in the tunnel next to ours," he explained before I could ask. "Figured it was the best place to leave them."

  I quickly described the lone Shark-Man we'd found and its predictable patrol route.

  "This is perfect," Duncan said, forehead wrinkling in thought. "We can set an ambush and let the monster’s patrol bring him to us."

  This time it really was an easy fight, we simply stationed ourselves at a place where the tunnel twisted. Kept ourselves out of sight with Hellene’s crystal light turned off and did a combined surprise attack to the Shark-Man as he turned the corner. It was the shortest fight we ever had in the dungeon. Also one of the hanging shells tied to it’s chainmail armor had a couple of rubies inside it which improved Eva’s mood.

  She also leveled up from the battle, now being Level 34.

  After we thoroughly searched the Shark-Man’s corpse, myself and Eva continued scouting the tunnels again. There was a familiar routine which we developed, find another single Shark-Man, ambush him, then move on. This was done three times in total before our scouting stumbled upon something different.

  As we rounded a tunnel corner, we were led to something entirely different from the cramped passages we'd been navigating. The space suddenly opened into a massive cavern, easily fifty feet across with a high, domed ceiling where stalactites hung like stone daggers.

  "This is perfect," I whispered, my voice echoing slightly despite my attempt to stay quiet.

  Eva nodded as she scanned the perimeter. "Natural defensibility. Multiple exit tunnels. High ceiling means we can hear anything approaching." She moved to the center of the cavern, crouching to examine the stone floor. "No monster tracks either. At least not recent ones."

  I closed my eyes, focusing on my Wisdom-enhanced intuition. The familiar tingling sensation spread outward like ripples in a pond, but I detected nothing within range. No monsters. No threats. Just empty tunnels and silent stone.

  "I don't sense any monsters nearby," I confirmed, opening my eyes. "This would make an ideal point two."

  Eva straightened up, dusting her hands on her leather armor. "Agreed. Let's head back and tell the others."

  We retraced our steps through the winding tunnels, I found myself feeling more positive with progress being made. When we reached the others, Duncan was continuing to practice with his sword as Hellene silently watched.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "We found the perfect spot," I announced. "Large cavern, multiple exit routes, defensible position."

  Duncan's face brightened immediately. "Any signs of monsters?"

  "None," Eva replied. "No tracks, and Will's intuition didn't pick up anything nearby."

  Hellene tapped her staff against the stone floor, the crystal flaring briefly. "Then what are we waiting for? I'm tired of sitting in this damp tunnel."

  We gathered at point one, everyone shouldering their packs. I felt a pang of guilt watching them struggle with their burdens while my Inventory Box kept all my possessions weightless and hidden.

  "I can carry something," I offered, gesturing to Duncan's bulging pack. "Let me help with that."

  Duncan shook his head with a good-natured smile. "I've got it. Need to keep my strength up anyway."

  I turned to Hellene, who simply raised an eyebrow. "My pack is magically lightened, remember?"

  "I could take some of your supplies, Eva," I suggested, feeling increasingly useless.

  Eva snorted, already halfway down the tunnel. "If you wanted to carry things, maybe you shouldn't have been born a Hero."

  My shoulders slumped as I followed behind them, empty-handed and feeling oddly dejected. Hellene fell into step beside me, reaching up to pat my head like I was a disappointed child.

  "Don't pout," she said, her violet eyes twinkling with amusement. "Your job is to keep us alive, not to be a pack mule."

  I rolled my eyes as I moved to lead the way, ready to call a warning the second my intuition picked up danger. But the journey back to the cavern was uneventful. As we all entered, I found myself backing away from the others to give them room to unload their backpacks. That’s when I did something which didn’t happen on our last visit.

  I stepped into a puddle.

  My foot plunged through what should have been solid ground, and the rest of my body followed before I could even cry out. The sensation of falling sent my stomach lurching as I plummeted through emptiness. Cold enveloped me instantly—not the damp chill of the dungeon, but the shocking embrace of water.

  I flailed instinctively, my lungs already burning with the need for air. Bubbles escaped from my mouth as I oriented myself, fighting the initial panic.

  The puddle was an illusion. A portal trap.

  I forced myself to stop thrashing and take stock of my surroundings. I was suspended in a large underwater chamber, completely submerged with no immediate way to breathe. Stone statues of ancient warriors stood in silent vigil around the perimeter, their features worn smooth by centuries of submersion. Long strands of emerald seaweed swayed hypnotically in gentle currents.

  Above me, a perfect circle of white light shimmered—the magical portal I'd fallen through. It seemed impossibly distant now, perhaps fifteen feet above the water's surface. I could only hope it would let me leave when I reached it.

  I was about to kick upward when something at the chamber's bottom caught my eye. A large wooden chest, bound with corroded metal bands, rested on the stone floor. Treasure—exactly what we'd been hoping to find in this dungeon.

  My Wisdom-enhanced intuition suddenly flared, a violent warning that shot through my consciousness like lightning.

  There was danger behind me.

  I twisted my body in the water, turning just in time to see a massive shape cutting through the murky depths toward me. A Shark-Man, in its natural environment, kicked its powerful legs in rapid succession. It moved like a torpedo, its muscular form propelled with terrifying speed. In one webbed hand, it clutched a gleaming trident aimed directly at my chest.

  A plan instantly formed in my mind. I let my limbs go limp, my body convulsing in a convincing display of a drowning man. I allowed myself to drift slightly upward, eyes wide with feigned terror as I clutched weakly at my throat.

  The predatory gleam in the Shark-Man's black eyes intensified. My performance was working—it sensed easy prey and accelerated, powerful legs pumping harder as it closed the distance between us. The trident extended forward, its wickedly sharp points aimed at my midsection.

  Just as the weapon was about to pierce me, I made my move. With precision timing, I twisted my body away and swung my hook hand upward, catching the trident shaft just below its head. Using the monster's own momentum against it, I pulled myself forward and around, swinging my body in a fluid arc that landed me squarely on the creature's broad back.

  As I settled into position, I realized something remarkable—I was moving through the water without any resistance whatsoever. No drag, no fighting for momentum, it was as easy as moving through air.

  Cardinal Stenvall’s Freedom Ward buff was coming through.

  I sent a silent thanks to Cardinal Stenvall as I gripped the Shark-Man's back. The creature thrashed beneath me, its powerful body twisting in rage as it tried to dislodge me.

  With my hook hand secured around one of the creature's armor straps, I yanked Blood Thirst from its sheath. The crimson silk hilt felt warm in my palm as I raised it high, then drove it down with all my strength. My Opportunity Killer and Initial Strike Bonus abilities activated simultaneously, turning the already deadly blade into something unstoppable. The dagger sank to the hilt in the Shark-Man's blue flesh, parting muscle and bone with frightening ease.

  A massive cloud of dark blood erupted from the wound, billowing outward in the water around us like smoke. My eyes were now seeing more red than blue, and I could taste copper on my tongue. The Shark-Man's body convulsed violently beneath me, its muscles spasming in agony.

  Then the creature did something unexpected. It began to spin.

  The movement started slowly but built momentum with terrifying speed. I felt myself being pulled away by the force, my grip on the creature weakening. It was exactly like what Duncan had done to shake off his Shark-Man attacker, only now I was on the receiving end of the tactic.

  Rather than fighting against the inevitable, I made a split-second decision. I released my hold completely and pushed away hard, allowing the spin to fling me several feet through the water. At the same moment, I activated Displace Image, causing my figure to shimmer and blur.

  As I tumbled through the water, something caught my eye—thin, dark tendrils stretching between Blood Thirst and the cloud of blood surrounding us. Like small tentacles of blood twisting and flowing through the water to eagerly reach my dagger.

  A theory clicked into place in my mind. Blood Thirst wasn't just draining life from the wounds it created—it was actively pulling in any blood it came into contact with. And in this underwater environment, that blood was everywhere.

  The Shark-Man recovered from its spin, turning with trident ready for an attack. There was a pause though as it saw me now with Displace Image, realizing the opponent had a new defense. I used its hesitation to swim directly into the thickest part of the blood cloud, positioning myself where the crimson haze was most concentrated.

  The Shark-Man finally decided to act, more cautiously this time though. A deep stab wound can make a monster wary. The Shark-Man kicked his powerful legs while thrusting his trident forward.

  I waited until the last possible moment before attempting to parry the thrust with my hook hand. The maneuver was only partially successful—the trident's prongs sliced along my side, cutting into the ribs.

  Pain lanced through my side, but it was different than I expected. Instead of the white-hot agony of a mortal wound, it felt more like a deep cut—painful but not immediately life-threatening. I glanced down at the wound, watching my own blood cloud the water around me. My HP aura had held firm against what previously would have been a killing blow.

  [HP: 142/186]

  That extra point in Constitution was already proving its worth. Without it, I’m pretty sure I'd be skewered straight through rather than sporting a deep gash.

  The Shark-Man pressed its advantage, sensing my injury. It thrust again, this time aiming for my throat. I twisted away, feeling the water move with me rather than against me. The Freedom Ward made me unnaturally agile underwater, letting me evade attacks that would have caught anyone else.

  As I moved through the bloody water, I felt a strange sensation coursing through my body. Warmth spread from Blood Thirst up my arm and throughout my torso. The wound in my side began to tingle, and I watched in amazement as the edges of torn flesh started to knit together.

  [HP: 151/186]

  Blood Thirst was feeding on the cloud of crimson surrounding us, converting it directly into healing energy. The dagger's hunger was insatiable, pulling in streams of blood like a hungry mouth. Every moment I stayed within the bloody water, more life force flowed into me.

  The Shark-Man lunged again, its massive jaws snapping just inches from my face. I countered with a slash across its gills, opening another wound that released more blood into the water. More fuel for Blood Thirst. More healing for me.

  [HP: 159/186]

  Ironically, I was fighting better here than I ever could on land. The Freedom Ward nullified the water's resistance, while the blood-rich environment turned Blood Thirst into a constant source of regeneration. On dry land, I'd have to rely on landing hits to heal. Here, I was bathing in a restorative cloud of my enemy's vitality.

  The Shark-Man seemed to realize something was wrong. Its attacks grew more frantic, less coordinated. It tried to dominate me with brutal trident thrusts which never quite landed right. And I was always ready to give a follow up strike.

  I checked my internal clock, amazed that I'd been underwater for nearly four minutes. My lungs burned, but not desperately. My enhanced Constitution was allowing me to hold my breath far longer than any normal human could. Still, I knew I couldn't stay down here indefinitely.

  Time to end this.

  The Shark-Man charged again, abandoning its trident for raw physical power. I waited until the last moment, then dropped beneath its trajectory. As it passed overhead, I drove upward with Blood Thirst, aiming for the soft underside of its jaw.

  The blade sank deep, finding the vulnerable spot where the shark head joined the humanoid body. A cloud of deep red blood erupted from the Shark-Man’s large mouth to hit me point blank. I literally couldn’t see anything but red, but the panic subsided when I saw a new System message.

  [HP: 186/186]

  Pulling the blade out and kicking back finally allowed me to see a dead Shark-Man floating unmoved in the water. One could think it was just chilling in the water if not for the multitude of stab and slash wounds on it.

  My triumph was short-lived as my lungs finally screamed for air. The initial adrenaline had sustained me, but now my chest burned with the desperate need to breathe. I kicked hard toward the shimmering portal above, my vision starting to darken around the edges.

  A splash from above caught my attention. Someone else had entered the water.

  Duncan burst through the portal, his red hair floating around his head like flames underwater, wearing nothing but his undergarments with sword in hand. He must have removed his armor, realizing the weight of it would drown him before he could help me. His eyes widened at the sight of the dead Shark-Man floating nearby, clearly surprised to find I'd handled the threat alone.

  I frantically pointed toward the treasure chest at the bottom of the chamber. My lungs felt like they were about to burst, and I needed to reach air immediately. Duncan seemed to understand perfectly. He gave me a quick salute and kicked his powerful legs, propelling himself toward the chest.

  I pushed upward with renewed urgency, the portal growing larger as I approached. My head finally broke through the magical barrier, and I gasped desperately, sweet air filling my starved lungs in painful gulps. I blinked water from my eyes to find Eva and Hellene already reaching for me, their hands grabbing my shoulders to help pull me out.

  "Got you!" Eva grunted as they hauled me from the puddle.

  My body slid across the stone floor as they dragged me completely out of the portal. I lay there for several moments, chest heaving as I struggled to normalize my breathing. When I finally gathered enough strength to look back, I was stunned to see what appeared to be a simple puddle no more than two inches deep where I'd nearly drowned.

  "That's... one evil trap," I muttered between ragged breaths, my voice hoarse.

  Eva knelt beside me, her usual stoic expression replaced with what almost looked like concern. "Sorry for our slow response on the rescue," she said, checking me for injuries. "After you fell in, I checked first by sticking my head in to see what we were dealing with. The other side was completely underwater."

  She glanced at her bow. "I couldn't use this down there, and most of Hellene's spells require speaking incantations. Duncan volunteered to dive in, but I convinced him he had to lose the armor first or he'd sink like a stone."

  "It's fine," I said, waving off her apology as I sat up. "I understand completely."

  A couple of minutes passed before a sudden splash made us all jump. Something large and metallic flew up from the puddle, landing with a heavy clang on the stone floor. It was a breastplate, but unlike any I'd ever seen. Even at first glance, it was obviously magical, with intricate blue patterns resembling waves that swayed back and forth across the steel surface, moving like real water despite being solid metal.

  As I watched the breastplate rock gently on the stone floor, the puddle suddenly rippled again. Duncan's head burst through the surface, creating the disturbing illusion of a disembodied head floating on the ground. Water streamed from his red hair as his eyes darted around to find us, relief washing over his features when he spotted me sitting up.

  With a grunt of effort, his muscular arms emerged next, fingers splaying across the stone floor as he heaved himself upward. The muscles in his shoulders and neck strained as he pulled his massive frame out of the magical portal, water cascading off his body.

  "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner," he panted, still catching his breath. "By the time I realized what had happened and shed my armor, you could have been—"

  "It's fine, Duncan. Really," I interrupted, giving him a reassuring smile as I leaned forward to examine the breastplate. My fingers traced the flowing blue patterns that moved like real water across the metal surface.

  [Tidecaller’s Breastplate—chest armor, rare item, traits—20% damage reduction from slash and piercing damage, passive power- Hypnotic Waves- The moving patterns of the armor’s painted waves has a 35% chance of putting enemies visually seeing it in a hypnotic state where they will ignore all others as opponents except for the one wearing the armor.]

  Duncan's expression remained troubled as he wrung water from his soaked undergarments. "I wish the prize had been something better suited for you. You're the one who killed that Shark-Man single-handedly. I'm not sure I could have managed such a fight underwater."

  I shook my head, pushing myself to my feet. "Don't worry about it. I do have the highest level, after all.”

  Not to mention a kick ass vampire dagger.

  “And the important thing is we now have a new piece of magical equipment to help us through the dungeon."

  "All well and good," Hellene muttered, eyeing the puddle with obvious suspicion, "but I'm more concerned about monsters crawling out of that portal while we're asleep. I'd rather not wake up to find a Shark-Man looming over me."

  Duncan ran a hand through his wet hair, sending droplets flying. "I actually checked the rest of the chamber while I was down there. There was only the one monster and the chest. No tunnels connected to the room, I only saw solid walls."

  Despite his reassurance, Eva's forehead wrinkled in concern. She knelt beside her backpack, rummaging through its contents until she pulled out what appeared to be a folded fishing net.

  "What are you doing?" I asked as she carefully spread the net over the puddle, making sure it covered the entire surface.

  Eva caught our questioning looks and shrugged. "I keep components to make simple traps, just in case. This won't stop anything determined, but it'll slow them down and make enough noise to wake us."

  "Smart," I admitted, watching as she secured the corners with small stones. It would only be annoying for a hulking Shark-Man, but should give the only warning we would need.

  “We’ll setup four hour watches just in case,” Duncan said as he took his old breastplate and stuffed it in his backpack. Everyone nodded as we got to work on setting up camp.