Thrash had woken a couple of hours earlier than Pierre, quietly leaving the sleeping man who snored loudly on the floor of Thrash’s new bedroom. He stretched, his back clicking in a dozen different places, and then tiptoed from the room. He’d thought that the message from the Dungeons and Miners Association would have kept him up through the night, but after a moment or two of deliberating, he’d come to the conclusion that it didn’t matter. He’d reach Rank C - with or without a time limit.

  Slowly closing his new bedroom door, he stepped into the cool air of the small corridor. He peeked towards the entrance, the room more like a shopfront now, but couldn’t see Mush - nor any Miners Delight for his breakfast. His stomach rumbled, thoughts wandering toward the potential of a kitchen upgrade… He was craving something baked and warm; a pastry related breakfast food would work wonderfully.

  You’re as close to getting a croissant as you are a full, Brigwell-like beard, Mush’s voice chirped in his interface.

  Thrash jumped with a yelp, and then rolled his eyes, cheeks turning red. He needed to work on his nerves; Mush caught him off guard far too easily. He moved toward the Pet Room, and sure enough, he could hear the faint rattle of Mush inside. He opened the door, quietly stepping in. Once again, a warm blanket of air enveloped him, heat prickling his skin like goosebumps. He quickly closed the door behind him.

  ‘It’s so steamy in here, Mush,’ he said, noting the robot at the end of the room, still resting over the hatching egg.

  Mush beeped in response. ‘Brigwell would periodically request immense heat radiation. Mush learned to accommodate.’

  Thrash watched the robot, her frame rattling, and then looked at the egg beneath her. It trembled slightly, causing him to narrow his eyes as he inspected it.

  Hatchery 1

  Current Egg: Goose Egg

  Hatching Progress: 73%

  Estimated Time Remaining: 6 hours, 12 minutes

  ‘Six hours! That’s insane, Mush - nice work,’ Thrash said. For once, the robot was at a decent height. He patted her on the head. ‘We’d be waiting forever without you sitting there.’

  ‘I am brooding,’ Mush acknowledged proudly.

  Thrash nodded, glancing around the room for a moment or two. He sniffed, and then plopped himself onto the floor. ‘Where do I go to decorate this place? A nice armchair wouldn’t be out of place here.’

  Mush snorted. ‘I cannot wait for my goose to peck at all of your furniture. Sigrid would call you a fool, man-child.’

  Ignoring her, Thrash opened the NPC shop, scrolling through in an attempt to find any type of furniture. He could literally feel Mush rolling her eyes as his search turned up empty. ‘Upgrading is the only way to improve the interior of your rooms,’ she said.

  Thrash carried on browsing through the listings anyway. ‘I’m sure it is, Mush.’

  ‘Then why do you continue to scroll?’

  ‘The same reason you continue to sit there,’ Thrash replied simply, glancing in her direction. ‘I want to see if anything cool happens.’

  ‘I am not here to see if something cool happens,’ she countered sharply. ‘I am here to mother your children.’

  Thrash squirmed, closing his interface as the room’s heat finally began to bother him. ‘No, Mush.’

  She beeped, puzzled. ‘Am I not here to birth your goose at a quicker rate? And then mother it until it can fight or die?’

  Thrash wanted to object, but made a few quick assumptions - the primary being that arguing would only increase Mush’s resistance. Instead, he smiled and nodded. ‘Sure - you’re right Mush.’

  A thought occurred to him. He scanned his inventory and quickly pulled out the book he’d found while exploring the Caves of the Glade with Pierre; Beasts of Burden. It felt like that adventure had happened a lifetime ago. He scanned the first few pages, noting entries like ‘Cave Rat’, ‘Warthog’, and ‘Rooster’. Every other page featured a new beast, with an array of information beneath it. The alternate pages were pictured with the beast in question, some more accurately than others. Thrash flicked through until he found ‘Goose’.

  Page 31

  Entry: Goose

  Description: A goose is an aggressive, honking, menace that brings chaos wherever it might waddle. These birds are proud and dignified, unafraid to square up against beasts five times their size. They are fiercely territorial and will detect trespassers in an instant, loudly announcing their presence with endless squawks. Known for its stubborn nature, it has a habit of chasing anything that moves - including its master. Approach with caution - it has no qualms about biting.

  And yes, geese have teeth.

  There’s more to these creatures than meets the eye.

  Affinity: Water

  Size: Medium

  Temperament: Stubborn, aggressive, and fiercely territorial.

  Care Instructions: Ensure that these creatures have fresh water and a spacious area for waddling. The goose enjoys feeding on small fish, seeds, and dungeon critters - alongside dismembered body parts. It thrives when given a perch to survey its surroundings. Handle with thick gloves to avoid unwanted pecking.

  Special Ability:

  Devastating Honk: Level 1 Ability: Emits a deafening honk when detecting intruders or enemies, stunning them in place for a period of time and attracting nearby dungeon creatures.

  Note: Special abilities unlock further as the goose levels up. Return to this page when level requirements have been reached.

  Thrash finished reading the description and looked up at Mush. He flipped to the end of the book, exhaling. ‘There are over 150 entries here, Mush.’

  Mush buzzed, the sound low and calm. ‘Being a parent is hard work. Speaking from experience, a book would have likely been helpful upon your arrival.’

  A snort sounded behind Thrash. He jumped, yelping for a second time that morning, spinning to see Pierre leaning against the doorframe, the door ajar. Thrash swore - and then jumped again as pain shot up his back, Mush having jabbed with her extended arm.

  ‘Ouch! What the -’

  Mush clapped him again, and Thrash’s lips tightened. ‘Mush requires silence for the baby.’

  Thrash held up a pointed finger up, ready to shout, but Pierre brushed it down as he walked past, approaching Mush. He looked back. ‘How long do yer reckon she’ll be playing mother?’

  Mush didn’t seem to hear him. Thrash rubbed at the sore spot between his shoulder blades. ‘Considering that she’s been doing it since I got here, I’d rather not make that guess.’

  Pierre asked Mush to move aside, and after a moment’s pause, the robot stepped away. He leaned into the hatchery and inspected the egg, swiping through his interface, while Thrash watched Mush’s gaze remain fixed on her new brood. Thrash quickly composed a message to her. How come you move when Pierre asks you?

  Pierre is a farmer, she replied instantly.

  And I’m a dungeon master, Thrash argued, but Mush refused to respond. He waited a moment before shrugging, his stomach rumbling. Any breakfast on the way?

  Mush chirped, moving toward the door and pushing it open with a rusty arm. Thrash let her leave, and then moved closer to Pierre, who was still inspecting the egg.

  ‘Yer might have a goose when we get back from our travels,’ Pierre said to him, smiling. ‘She’s done a fine job. Didn’t think a robot would have the body heat needed for hatching.’

  Thrash grunted. ‘Me neither. Apparently, Brigwell had something to do with that.’

  Pierre eyed him. ‘Brigwell was an odd chap.’

  ‘Sure was,’ Thrash agreed, yawning. He inspected his interface, a few things on his to-do list. His Vendor Exchange was buzzing, a few offers available for the items he had listed. However, for the moment, he brought up the Weekly Challenge, sharing it with Pierre and reading through it once more.

  Weekly Challenge: The Dead Returned

  Sponsor: Mines of Painswick Hill

  The undead miners of Painswick Hill have risen to take vengeance.

  Objective: Burn 20x Undead Miners.

  Bonus Objective: Collect 10x Bones

  Reward 1: 150x Dungeon Experience Points

  Reward 2: 100x Gold Pieces

  Bonus Reward 1: 50x Dungeon Experience Points

  Bonus Reward 2: Canary’s Mercy

  ‘Twenty Undead Miners doesn’t seem too problematic,’ Pierre remarked after reading. ‘Plus, yer getting more stat boosts now, with yer tea set and yer bedroom upgrade. Did yer see it?’

  ‘Not yet,’ Thrash shook his head. He delved into his interface, reviewing his stats. Sure enough, as promised, his health, strength, and intelligence had been boosted by 20%. He asked for a readout.

  Stat Changes:

  Health Points: 154 - 182

  Mana Points: 85 (unchanged)

  Charisma: 56.5 (unchanged)

  Strength: 21 - 25.2

  Dexterity: 29.7 (unchanged)

  Intelligence: 30.8 - 36.4

  Thrash whistled. ‘This happens every night?’

  Pierre shrugged. ‘Looks like it. Tempted to join yer each night for those boosts alone. Farm work would be a breeze.’

  ‘You’re more than welcome,’ Thrash replied, diving deeper into his stats. He clicked his tongue, frowning. ‘I need more strength. Sigrid is dependent on it, and it’s my lowest stat by far.’

  ‘Something to look for later?’ Pierre suggested.

  ‘Definitely,’ Thrash agreed.

  Mush whizzed back into the room with two bowls of Miner’s Delight, practically tossing them at Thrash and Pierre before hurrying back to the egg. Thrash swore as some hot broth spilled on his hands, while Mush lowered herself gently, her gaze now icy as she looked at him.

  ‘What?’ Thrash asked, holding the bowl.

  ‘Mush required an assistant,’ she said. ‘Stay-at-home mothers require assistants.’

  Pierre, immediately spooning a mouthful of food, choked. He banged his fist against his chest, eyes watering, a gurgling sound forming. Thrash chuckled, clapping his back for him. He pointed at Mush. ‘You are the assistant, Mush. Besides, the last thing I want is for Zorina to choose an assistant for me.’

  Pierre looked over at him. ‘Yer don’t choose yer own assistant?’

  Thrash dug into his breakfast, shaking his head. ‘It’s a long story, but no. The lady in charge of the Dungeon and Miners Association - Zorina - has absolute authority, it seems.’

  Pierre slurped his broth thoughtfully. ‘Interesting. Either way - this challenge, do yer think we can finish it today?’

  Thrash nodded. ‘It should be doable. Mush, I can’t guarantee fire damage with Sigrid anymore, can I?’

  Mush buzzed. ‘Absolutely not. Sigrid hates fire.’

  ‘Sigrid literally chose her own skill, Mush - she chose the chance of bathing in fire.’

  ‘Because of her fiery temper,’ Mush informed. ‘She actually prefers electricity. Zap!’

  Thrash shot Pierre a pleading look, but he just shrugged, grinning. Thrash turned back to Mush, patience wavering. ‘What if I use the Burning Elemental Stone again?’

  Mush shook her head. ‘Sigrid’s innate skill takes priority.’

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Thrash sighed. ‘I thought that might be the case. Here, Pierre, add this to your sword for me. I’m going to need you on this one.’

  Pierre opened up his interface as Thrash traded across the sword attachment. Pierre read it, and then grinned wide. ‘Aye. This should work well.’ His gaze flickered to Thrash’s cheek. ‘I can’t get used to yer tattoo.’

  Thrash touched his cheek, momentarily startled. ‘I’d almost forgotten about that.’

  Just then, his interface dinged with an incoming message. He expected it might be Una, but Mary’s name popped up on his screen:

  1 second ago: Mary: Super weird question - I need slime. My gold pile has lessened considerably. Any chance of a loan?

  ‘Bear with me Pierre - I’ve just had a message from Mary,’ Thrash said. ‘She needs slime, funnily enough. We’ll get sorted when I’m done?’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Pierre replied, walking over to Mush. ‘What a throwback. Dead useful, slime. Yer need any tips, Mush?’

  Thrash inspected Mary’s name on his interface. He hadn’t noticed it before, but there was an option to video call someone. No time to try like the present, he thought to himself.

  REMOVE THIS MAN FROM MY VIEW, Mush shouted into Thrash’s interface. HE IS IMPLYING THAT I CANNOT RAISE A CHILD!

  Be nice, Mush.

  I WILL NOT FORGET THIS INSULT.

  Thrash shook his head, leaving the room for a moment and pressing the large ‘Dial’ button. In an instant, a large screen appeared in his interface. There was a bang from inside the room, followed by Mush shouting something, but he ignored it. The call rang once, twice, and then Mary picked up.

  This is interestin’, she said, her voice slightly muffled. Didn’t know you could do this. How's it going, Thrash the Brash?

  Hey, Mary. We’ve had a few setbacks, but it’s mostly okay. You got your ship?

  Aye! Sure have, she said, smiling wide. She’s docked up for an upgrade now. I’m sailin’ straight to Sparrow’s Cove as soon as she’s ready.

  Thrash nodded. He’d never heard of the place, but she seemed keen enough. Nice work, Captain. What do you need slime for?

  Cannons, Mary said immediately, as though it were obvious. Sparrow’s Cove is full o’ beasts. I need ‘bout 30 pieces. Can you help?

  Thrash checked his inventory. Thanks to the Slime Slayer achievement Mush had given him, he had about 70 pieces. I’ve got that many, sure.

  Aha! You're a legend, Mary’s grin widened. I don’t have much right now, but it’s comin’. I did nab somethin’ special off a giant squid yesterday, though. Might be worth your time?

  That works for me, Thrash said. Here, I’ll open a trade window now.

  He placed 30 pieces of slime into the window, and Mary added her item. Thrash had to do a double take when he saw it, his jaw dropping. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

  Holy shit, Mary - this is almost exactly what I would’ve wished for!

  Hah! she smiled wide. We even, then?

  Thrash nodded. Absolutely. If you find anything else like this, you let me know immediately.

  Mary saluted, confirming the trade window. Aye - will do.

  Thrash did the same. Keep me updated, okay. I want to know you’re doing alright. Anything else you need?

  Nope! Thanks, Thrash.

  Take care, Captain.

  The call closed as Mary hung up on her end. She sounded so much more like a pirate than she had when Thrash had first met her. He took a deep breath, opened the door to the Pet Room, and stepped inside. Mush was fiercely hovering above her station, and Pierre was nursing a bruised forehead, leaning against the grooming table, which was now cracked down the middle - much to Thrash’s frustration. Thrash rubbed his own forehead. ‘What happened?’

  Pierre grunted. ‘Mush didn’t like the idea of -’

  Mush growled, her beeps increasing in volume.

  Pierre gulped, looking back at Thrash. ‘No reason, sir. How’d yer call go?’

  Thrash looked between the two, debating whether to ask for details before shaking his head. He held up his new item, and Pierre squinted at it, then at Mush. ‘Oh shit,’ he said, fear spreading across his face. ‘She’s gonna be unbearable.’

  Mush peered over, roaring with beeps. ‘WHAT IS THAT?’

  Thrash grinned. ‘This, Mush, is your next task. Meet our new octopus egg.’

  Thrash and Pierre had to practically hold Mush back as she tried to investigate further. Thrash assured her that she’d eventually be in charge of managing the process, but for now, she needed to focus on her goose egg. She didn’t look pleased, but after Thrash promised she could name the goose, she finally relented.

  Now, the two men were sitting on the counter - in the area Thrash was beginning to call the ‘shopfront’ - as he rifled through his interface, sipping his tea. His charisma stat had increased this time, which wasn’t likely to help much in the coming descent.

  ‘She’s gonna be a nightmare,’ Pierre said, looking through his own interface. ‘I can’t believe yer agreed to let her name it.’

  Thrash shrugged. ‘It’s fine - I’m not expecting the goose to have a global audience, nor that it’ll respond exclusively to one name. We’ll call it Goose.’

  Pierre snorted. ‘Yer gonna lose that battle, friend. Pets are quite intelligent.’

  Thrash looked over to him, feeling slightly guilty. He’d barely asked Pierre any questions about his farm - especially over the past few days. ‘Do you have any pets?’

  ‘Nah,’ Pierre said. ‘Farm animals - on a farm, at least - are counted as such. Pets are a different class, see?’

  PIERRE SHOULD NEVER HAVE PETS, Mush yelled into Thrash’s mind, startling him as her voice echoed across his skull. HIS ADVICE IS POOR.

  Shut it, Mush, Thrash replied. He only told you to be careful.

  CARE IS MUSH’S MIDDLE NAME.

  Thrash sighed. Pierre had opened his mouth to speak, but Thrash held a hand up. ‘Don’t - she’s only complaining. How close are you to being ready?’

  Pierre checked his interface. ‘Pretty much there. Is there much else we can do to prepare? Or to maximise our experience points for yer?’

  Thrash shook his head. ‘Other than just working our way down, not much. I need to sort out a couple more things.’

  Pierre waved for him to continue, engrossed in his own interface. His new sword lay stretched across the counter, glinting menacingly beside Sigrid. It was the first time that Thrash had her out without Mush whispering to it. It was quiet.

  He opened up his Vendor Exchange, scanning through some of the messages and offers he’d received. He was a little worried that he hadn’t heard from Sam the Wise recently, but it wasn’t as though the two were close - or had even met, for that matter. Thrash filtered through the spam, noting three of the best offers.

  Offer Received: Cultist Robes (x3)

  Offered By: Senior (on behalf of the Cult of Kime)

  Offer Amount: 25x Gold Pieces

  Offer Received: Cultist Bracers (x2)

  Offered By: Senior (on behalf of the Cult of Kime)

  Offer Amount: 15x Gold Pieces

  Thrash accepted these sales, jotting down the cult’s name for later. He was relieved that the Starr-Crossed Lovers hadn’t attempted to make an offer - he assumed any future encounters with them would involve revenge, not business. Given that the robes were priced elsewhere for 10 gold each, he was content to offer a 5-gold discount. The bracers were typically far cheaper, so he was glad they’d approached him for the deal.

  He quickly skimmed through another offer.

  Offer Received: Trusted Dagger of Minor Poison

  Offered By: Ivy

  Offer Amount: 20x Gold Pieces

  Once again, he accepted, quickly checking the leaderboards for an ‘Ivy’. None appeared, but he did note three Adventurers listed as ‘Senior’; one at Level 22, one at 24, and one at 25. That was something else to keep an eye on - just in case.

  Satisfied with an extra 60 gold to his name, he dismissed the window.

  Bedroom 2 upgrade? Mush asked immediately.

  Thrash snorted, ignoring her as he swiped to check the new items he wanted to equip. First was the spell book he’d looted from the Painswick King, titled Roots of Wrath, allowing him to immobilise a single target for five seconds. It would most certainly be helpful on the upcoming descent. He activated it, adding it to his interface alongside his ‘Whip It’ spell. There was no achievement notification, but he hadn’t expected one. It felt good to add another spell to his arsenal. Mush was surprisingly silent - hopefully too distracted to notice.

  The second item he wanted to review was the ‘Rune of Enhancement’, which could upgrade one of his spells, reducing both its cooldown and mana cost. He weighed his options: Whip It would benefit enormously from this, but so would his new spell. Did he want to increase his power, or increase his crowd control? He sighed, closing down his interface for the moment. It could be a future problem. He was happy with his current setup, and who knew what spell might be around the corner?

  Thrash stood, clapping his hands. ‘Right - I’ve got one last thing to check. Do you need anything beforehand, Pierre?’

  ‘Health Apples,’ Pierre requested. ‘Half a dozen or so?’

  Thrash retrieved the apples and handed them over. When Pierre tried to offer payment, Thrash shook his head. ‘You don’t pay here, Pierre. Not anymore.’

  Pierre grinned, winked, and then pocketed the apples and coin. ‘Thanks.’

  Thrash waved him off. He pocketed a handful of Health Apples, also taking some Shiny Apples for his mana. He inspected the rest of his gear, making sure he was fully prepared, and then nodded to himself. He scanned his inventory, bringing out the final item he wanted to play with.

  ‘What’s that?’ Pierre asked.

  Thrash passed along the description, the two reading it together.

  Cursed Scale

  Item Rarity: Rare

  Ancient, dark scales are said to be imbued with malevolent magic. Combine with gear of your choice when crafting to add a secret, dark effect to it.

  If your armour starts whispering at night, don’t say we didn’t warn you. If Mummy starts whispering, pucker up, bitch.

  Pierre’s eyes met Thrash’s, concern within them. ‘Pucker up?’ he repeated with a frown. ‘Does she mean to hurt yer?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know anymore,’ Thrash admitted. ‘She has her moments, but most of the time she’s complaining or threatening me. Oddly enough, the only respect I've seen from her was after killing those cultists. It probably struck her as a ‘Brigwell move’, as she’d call it.’

  Pierre nodded thoughtfully. ‘I can see that.’ He pointed at the Cursed Scale. ‘So, yer able to add a dark effect to something?’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Thrash said. He composed a message to Mush, still in the Pet Room. Do you have any information on Cursed Scales?

  Cursed scales are used in crafting to add a secret, dark effect to a piece of gear, she replied.

  Thrash looked back at the item description. Sure enough, she had repeated it almost word for word. He sighed, gesturing at Pierre. ‘Mush isn’t helpful. I’ve had a quick look on the Vendor Exchange. These can go for up to 100 gold pieces, so it must do something exciting.’

  Pierre shrugged. ‘Try it. Yer got nothing to lose.’

  Thrash nodded in agreement. He scanned through his items, including the gear he was wearing, trying to decide which he’d risk altering. That ended up being fairly difficult, each of his items quite useful at this stage. Instead, he opened up his Crafting interface, adding the Cursed Scale to see what options were available. Two stood out.

  Crafting: Pernicious Ring

  Items Required: Ring of Charming, 25x Gold Pieces, Cursed Scale

  Description: Using your Cursed Scale will add a secret effect to the Ring of Charming.

  Thrash looked at Pierre. ‘Pernicious?’

  Pierre shrugged. ‘Ask yer robot.’

  Thrash didn’t need to. Mush had sent him a quick message. Hurtful, bad, or hateful. Mush recommends saving your Cursed Scale for a better item.

  Thrash thanked her, passing the description onto Pierre and moving on to another potential crafting item.

  Crafting: Necklace of Repenting

  Items Required: Tinfoil Necklace, 25x Gold Pieces, Cursed Scale

  Description: Infusing the Tinfoil Necklace with a Cursed Scale will add a new, dark effect.

  ‘I didn’t even know that this could be upgraded,’ Thrash snorted, showing Pierre the potential item while fingering the necklace around his neck. ‘Mush would not be happy with this choice.’

  Pierre laughed, eyeing Thrash’s necklace. ‘Yer probably best off trying that, yer know? Yer other gear is useful, and this one has no current effect. The fact yer able to choose it is quite interesting, see.’

  Thrash agreed entirely. ‘Ah, screw it. Let’s try it.’

  Taking a deep breath, he confirmed his choice. Energy swirled around the necklace as the crafting interface burst with vibrant colours and the clanging of anvils, signalling the transformation.

  Crafting Successful!

  You have created the ‘Necklace of Repenting’

  ‘The Necklace of Repenting,’ Thrash repeated to Pierre. Mush was either disinterested or unimpressed with his choice; she remained entirely silent from the Pet Room. A moment later, a message appeared, the new item gleaming in the centre of his interface. He’d also gained a new achievement - one that he needed to review.

  Cursed Effect Unlocked: Echoes of Repentance

  Description: Increases base strength by an additional 10%, but has a 0.5% chance to inflict visions of past failures, resulting in an immediate loss of 5% of total health.

  Note: Visions occur instantly; no additional harm can be inflicted while the effect is active.

  Thrash felt a shiver run down his spine, contemplating the weight of his new accessory.. ‘Well, that’s a twist…’ he muttered. ‘Visions of past failures?’

  ‘Yer think it’ll show things from before yer took on Starr Eternal?’ Pierre asked, looking up at him with concern.

  ‘I doubt it,’ Thrash said, twisting the ring on his finger. ‘Those should be permanently erased. But I guess we’ll see soon enough, right?’

  Pierre gave a half-hearted nod. ‘I reckon so. Do we head on, then?’

  Thrash nodded and shouted. ‘Mush! We’re going to head down!’

  There was an enormous racket, Mush rocketing out of the Pet Room and flying toward them. She beeped, almost as if she were panting. Thrash crossed his arms, eyeing her. ‘What’s going on, Mush?’

  Mush flew up high. ‘Nothing, man-child. Mush wanted to see you off.’

  Pierre clapped her on the back of her metal body. ‘Bye, Mush.’

  Mush retaliated by slapping Pierre on the back, forcing him to lurch forwards. Thrash caught him before he fell. ‘GOODBYE, FARMER.’

  Mush whizzed away. Pierre swore at her, standing up straight and brushing himself off. ‘I don’t know how yer deal with that one.’

  HE HAS NO CHOICE; I AM HIS MOTHER, Mush yelled in Thrash’s interface, making him wince again. I WILL WATCH THE GOOSE.

  Pierre raised a brow, inviting Thrash into a newly created party. ‘What did she say?’

  Thrash shook his head. ‘Something about being my mother. I wouldn’t worry about it.’

  ‘It’s out of me mind,’ Pierre said, smiling. Then, furrowing his brow, he glanced at Thrash. ‘Did yer get any dungeon experience for completing me first quest?’

  Thrash opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when he couldn’t remember. ‘Hold on,’ he said, bringing up his Quest interface. He scanned through, finding his and Pierre’s first quest together. Sure enough, completing the quest had awarded some dungeon experience points. Thrash grinned at Pierre.

  ‘I’ll take that as an affirmative,’ Pierre grinned back. Thrash didn’t need to say a word; the quest came in from Pierre in an instant, alongside a party invite with the same name.

  Quest Update: Quest for XP

  Farmer, Pierre, has enlisted your support. He needs to descend 5x Floors before the day is out!

  You’re not going to go down in history, but Mummy will go down on you.

  Correction - with you. Mummy meant ‘with you’.

  Or did she…?

  Reward 1: Pierre offers 10x gold pieces

  ‘It’s a small amount, just to add a reward, see’ Pierre said.

  ‘It’s spot on,’ Thrash said, smiling, frustrated he’d missed another potential avenue for experience. ‘Great thinking. You’re better at this than I am.’

  Pierre rolled his eyes. ‘I’d be slower with a damn pacifier in me head.’

  Thrash laughed, rubbing the back of his head. The smile on his face lingered for a moment more before it faded away. He was pretty sure he’d be a damn sight different without the pacifier. Whether it would be for better or for worse, he was unsure.

  ‘Hey now,’ Pierre siad, clapping his shoulder. ‘Yer pacifier isn’t who yer are, see. Come on - lets get busy. With the quest, and with yer sleep and party buffs, this should be a walk in the park. Should be experience-central.’

  Thrash felt his stomach tingle again, warmth spreading to his chest. ‘Thanks, Pierre.’

  Pierre waved a hand, moving to the staircase. ‘Yer ready, now?’

  Thrash nodded. ‘Lets go.’

  10 followers and I'd love to reach 20!

  Stats:

  Inventory - Equipped Gear Only:

  Skills and Titles:

  Additional Benefits

  Dungeon Benefits

  - Enhanced Rest: Experience a 20% increase in base health, strength, and intelligence after resting in a bedroom.

  - Improved Comfort: Gain a 20% boost to charisma when hosting guests.

  Spells:

  Sigrid Skills: