Thrash grunted, hitting the floor with more force than he’d expected. The second he had, he knew what was coming. It was cold and dark, and he was locked in place like an anchored ship. He didn't need Mush, nor his Boss Boy Gloves, to tell him - though both did. He felt his burning gloves vibrate his hands, the message echoing out from them and into the room.

  Boss Alert

  Nearby boss detected - prepare for battle!

  BOSS FIGHT! Mush shouted at Thrash, voice bouncing within his skull. It’s a reunion! Try not to get distracted this time, dear.

  Distracted? Thrash grunted again, reviewing the room around him. Actually, fourteen cultists were quite distracting. Fingers crossed Pierre doesn’t try to kill us.

  Thrash glanced toward his friend, who, like him, was stuck in place, eyes wide in panic. The farmer seemed to be straining his body, desperately trying to release himself.

  ‘It’s a boss fight,’ Thrash called out to him. ‘Hold on - movement is restricted until it starts.’

  Pierre’s eyes snapped in his direction, swallowing deeply. ‘Thrash! I thought I’d lost yer. Can yer see anything?’

  Thrash frowned. He looked around the room. It was dark, but not impossible to make out. The floor was once again a large, vast chamber, the walls circling around them, heavy and imposing. If Thrash were on the leaderboards, with crowds of people watching him, it really would feel like a gladiator’s arena. In fact, the harder he squinted, the surer he was that dozens of eyes were watching from atop the crumbling, stone walls. It was as if the cultists were with him. Once again, runes littered almost every rock, either shining bright or masked beneath the thick, twisting vines and brambles. Opposite Thrash, on the furthest side of the arena, greyed out stairs led to Floor Six.

  He turned again to Pierre. ‘It’s dark, but I can definitely see the room. You really can’t?’

  Pierre swore. ‘No, I’m blind. I can’t see a thing.’

  ‘It’s an arena. The floor is muddy, there are lots of pools of water to avoid, okay? The walls are covered in vines, so I’m presuming we’re about to face the Painswick King. Can you see your interface?’

  ‘Aye,’ Pierre said, trying to mask the worry in his voice.

  ‘Here - I’m sending the description of the boss to you.’

  Thrash quickly found the description, double checking with Mush that it would still be the same. She confirmed, and he fired it Pierre’s way. He added a comment, sending it via his interface.

  Watch out for the rock throwing attack - it hits hard. I’ll hit from afar to start, you try and catch a swipe here and there. You’ve got his blade, so you know what to look out for there - though his is more like a club, I think.

  Aye, Pierre replied. And its health?

  It’s got 350 health points - right, Mush?

  Mush beeped in response. Thrash rolled his eyes. Of all the times to go silent, you choose now?

  Mush beeped again. Your assumptions are correct. Please do not message for the coming few minutes. Mush is heavily preoccupied.

  Mush - I should always be your sole focus, dammit!

  She refused to answer, so Thrash swore at her. Then, the ground rumbled, the earth rocking beneath his feet. He glanced towards the other side of the room, the vast, broad shoulders of the Painswick King rising from the ground, thundering and roaring as its outstretched arms reached towards the sky. Its head emerged in an explosion of red blood, upturned dirt and stone soaring across the arena and colliding with the walls. Thrash noticed the starry eyes at the top of the walls vanish, disappearing into the darkness.

  ‘Get ready, Pierre,’ Thrash warned.

  The ghastly, vine-covered beast roared, emerging in full, lifting its short, muscular legs out from its hole and onto the ground, the floor evidently shifting as it stood. Once again, it wielded the thorny club, lifting it above its head as it turned to face them, its glowing green eyes shining ominously. On its head, Thrash could see the crown, exactly as it had been before. It shone golden. In an instant, the beast roared again, the atmosphere changing.

  Begin!

  Quest for XP VS Painswick King

  Thrash dropped and rolled, immediately jumping towards Pierre. ‘Pierre, are you good? Can you see?’

  Pierre ran forwards, blade shaking in his hands. ‘Aye,’ he shouted. ‘Heading in from the right.’

  Thrash lost sight of his companion, having to quickly duck as a boulder hurled toward him and smashed into the wall with a deafening thud. Stone fragments rained down as he shielded his face. He snapped his view towards Pierre again, the farmer moving with swifter than expected agility, approaching from the right, blade at the ready as he closed in on the towering monster. Thrash could see the king’s attention quickly shift toward Pierre.

  ‘Shit,’ Thrash grunted. ‘Hey!’

  Thrash summoned Whip It, an entanglement of vines surging from his palm and soaring towards the beast. Thrash ran to his left, the beast taking damage for the first time.

  20 damage points dealt.

  330 health remaining.

  Pierre ducked a swing from the beast, cutting deep into one of its legs. A flurry of damage points rose from the king, Pierre managing a lucky strike of 16 points alongside inflicting bleed. It roared in anger, swiping at Pierre, missing, and then swiping again.

  ‘4 bleed points per second for five seconds,’ Pierre yelled, throwing himself aside as the beast swung his club into the ground, sending an explosion of stones out like a tidal wave. Thrash was struck on the right side of his body, grunting as he almost avoided the wave of damage.

  You have received 26 points of damage.

  You have 156 health remaining.

  Thrash swore. He twisted his Ring of the Forked Tongue, whispering the phrase beneath his breath. ‘I will destroy you.’

  That’s the spirit, Mush said to him. HEY - STOP THAT!

  Stop what? Thrash asked. He swore as a large ‘Resist’ floated above the monster, cancelling out the ring’s poison damage. He quickly ingested a Shiny Apple, restoring his mana by 50 points, and then activated his One with the Foe skill, the sticky sensation rolling over him.

  Mush didn't answer him, her presence absent once again. He turned to face the mob. Pierre had managed to strike it another two times, dealing 32 total damage points. Each blow that connected tore the creature's odd skin, green sap leaking from its body and onto the ground, sizzling where it landed. Unfortunately for Pierre, the third strike was caught by the beast’s own club, the horrifying monster lifting a thorny hand and slamming it against Pierre’s chest.

  Pierre half-screamed as he tore through the air, landing not far from Thrash. A flash of damage rose from his head, showing a horrifying loss of 80 health points. The boss started moving towards him, unable to see Thrash.

  Eat an apple and stay down, Thrash ordered, sending his message to Pierre. I’m invisible - let me get some hits in.

  He ran forwards, taking full advantage of the boss’ distraction. It swung its club down again, repeating the stone-throw attack, barely missing both Adventurers as Pierre ducked and Thrash swerved to the side. Stones splintered the ground, a crater appearing behind Pierre.

  Thrash withdrew Sigrid, the blade shimmering blue in his hands, though only he could see it. He launched another Whip It attack, dealing 22 damage points, approaching from behind the beast. He had a sudden thought, glancing down at Sigrid. Sure enough, the skill was absolutely available to use. Thrash grinned. He activated ‘Bonder of Blades’. A one time message popped up on his interface.

  Commiserations! You have activated ‘Bonder of Blades’

  This title allows for a one-time per combat increase in damage. Additional 50% attack damage.

  Thrash reached the rear of the beast, Sigrid primed for a critical shot. Thrash launched Roots of Wrath, trying to hold the boss in place. Fortunately for him, it worked beautifully, the beast roaring in anger, trying to lift its legs as though they were stuck in quicksand. A timer appeared above its head, counting down from five seconds. Thrash swung. He laughed. Not only did his base attack deal critical damage, the 50% increase managed to punch a brutish hole in the king.

  56 damage points dealt.

  184 health remaining.

  ‘Oh, harder, daddy, harder!’ Sigrid wailed.

  Pierre was suddenly at his side, grinning wide, still unable to see Thrash. ‘Yer a thorn in my side!’ he roared in laughter, bashing the beast. Thrash grunted with amusement, dodging yet another wide swing aimed in his direction.

  The two pounded against the king with every ounce of strength they had left.

  22 damage points dealt.

  17 damage points dealt.

  24 damage points dealt.

  26 damage points dealt.

  101 health remaining.

  ‘Stop, daddy, please!’ Sigrid moaned with each hit.

  The timer ran out, and as Thrash raised Sigrid to slash again, the Painswick King let out an ear splitting roar, swinging its club in a wide circle. The shockwave from the blow rippled outward, knocking both Thrash and Pierre off of their feet. Thrash didn’t see where Pierre landed, but he felt the impact of a large, pointed thorn burying itself into his shoulder as he hit the stone floor with a thud. His invisibility flickered, his body slowly appearing as though he were an old television screen, the static fading as his being knitted itself together. His vision swam as he struggled to pull himself up, the king approaching, club held above his head.

  Thrash leapt into action, rolling across the wet, muddy floor with increased vigour, desperate to survive the encounter. He had too much planned - revenge and otherwise - to fall to this beast. He tried to find Pierre as he rolled, but came up unsuccessful, eyes covered in mud.

  I’d get to your feet if I were you, Mush announced in his interface. You need - CAN YOU PLEASE STOP THAT!

  Thrash growled in anger, the robot as distracting as ever. However, he moved to his feet, groaning as his legs straightened. He turned to face the monster, who had been pummelled with Pierre’s blade, inciting bleed damage once again. Red text appeared above the boss, 16 damage points having been dealt. A large ‘6’ floated repeatedly, indicating the bleed damage. The boss roared, this time, facing upwards. Thrash followed his gaze, clouds having now covered the entirety of the sky. A raindrop hit him in the forehead, and an instant later he felt the piercing blow of what felt like a needle follow directly in place. He yelped, taking 12 damage points. He squinted through the falling water, eyes widening in horror.

  ‘Pierre!’ he shouted, the farmer running frantically away from the king. He evidently couldn’t hear him, so Thrash tried via his interface instead. Pierre - there are dozens of thorny looking birds above, they are diving with pointed beaks. Be careful.

  Pierre briefly looked up, Thrash running in his direction, the mud turning to sludge beneath his feet. He ate another Shiny Apple, the last in his inventory, and fired his final Whip It spell. He cursed as it only hit for 19 points, wishing he’d upgraded it. He yelped as another thorny bird swarmed him, dealing another 12 damage.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  Pierre suddenly stopped running, facing the monster with his blade raised high. Thrash legged it towards him, desperate to help finish it off. However, Pierre expertly dodged a wide swinging attack from the king, who roared in fury, and then hit the beast twice in succession.

  16 damage points dealt.

  16 damage points dealt.

  15 health remaining.

  Pierre roared again, the farmer’s chiselled chest exposed in the rain. He jumped into the air, Thrash finally in range to attack, and swung his blade down on the king’s head. In an instant, the birds exploded, each like a small firework, guts and bones spreading across the arena. Thrash covered his eyes with an arm, and then looked up, Pierre standing upon the vine-ridden beast, grinning like a madman. The words ‘Combat Over’ rolled across Thrash’s interface, his achievement icon spinning like a hamster wheel.

  ‘You good up there?’ Thrash asked him, shaking his head as he regained his breath. Pierre’s health was at 6 - the lowest he’d ever seen.

  Pierre nodded, pouting his lips. ‘Close one, eh?’

  Thrash grinned. ‘Eat a damn apple.’

  Pierre held out the most interesting of the mob drops, Thrash squinting at it through his damp eyes, still wiping guts from his head. Mush outright refused to meet them in the shopfront, and had forbidden them from entering the pet room, so the two men were taking it in turns to use the bath in the bedroom to wipe themselves clean - which made a nice change from wiping themselves down with water from Mummy’s Tea Set. Pierre had a hold of all of the loot they’d collected, so upon Thrash finishing his speedy bath, they both sat on the floor, legs crossed.

  ‘I keep meaning to ask, when yer fight, does it feel like anything yer used to do?’ Pierre asked Thrash, who was wiping his face dry with an old towel.

  Thrash thought for a moment. ‘Not really. Memories aren’t really my forte, are they?’

  Pierre grunted. ‘Yer certainly seem to move well. Yer muscles haven’t quite forgotten, have they?’

  Thrash smiled, moving to the fire and throwing a piece of wood onto it. It crackled in response, the flames absorbing to wood in an instant. ‘You're not wrong. I can definitely feel the years of training, but I can’t remember any of it. It’s like vague history at this stage. Maybe in the future? I don’t know.’

  ‘Makes sense, I suppose,’ Pierre grunted. ‘I couldn’t imagine losing all of me memories…’

  Thrash shrugged, and Pierre realised he wasn’t going to elaborate further. He sniffed. ‘Anyway, where do yer want to start? I really should head back to the farm soon, but let's get yer sorted.’

  Thrash looked at the item in Pierre’s hand and considered the question, the fire warming his back. He’d already completed the quest from Pierre, accepting the 10 gold coins and pocketing them. He heard a crash come from the corridor, wincing as Pierre turned his head towards the noise.

  ‘The farm would be a lot less lonely with something like her about,’ Pierre noted, almost jumping when another noise echoed through the dungeon. He looked at Thrash. ‘Yer think it’s safe to assume she’s hatched the egg?’

  Thrash grinned. ‘I’ve no doubt in my mind. Let's check the quest and descent stats before we ruin her fun.’

  Thrash brought up the Weekly Challenge, reviewing the description once more. Before he could even inspect it, it was marked in a successful green. He checked it off as complete, sharing the resulting notification with Pierre and swiping the associated achievement and rewards away for now.

  Commiserations! You have completed the Weekly Challenge: The Dead Returned

  The vengeful Undead Miners of Painswick Hill have been vanquished!

  You've burned 20 Undead Miners and collected 10 Bones, fulfilling the challenge and earning your rewards.

  As much as Mummy likes a good bone, don’t let them rise again.

  Reward 1: 150 Dungeon Experience Points

  Reward 2: 100 Gold Pieces

  Bonus Reward 1: 50 Dungeon Experience Points

  Bonus Reward 2: Canary's Mercy

  ‘That’s great news!’ Pierre smiled, clapping Thrash on the back. ‘What’s yer dungeon experience at now?’

  ‘We’re over halfway to Rank D,’ Thrash noted, checking his stats. There was a high chance some of his achievements would give him some experience, but for now, he was taking it slow. ‘That brought us up to 650 total points. We need a total of 1,000 to rank up.’

  ‘Right,’ Pierre noted, a questioning finger on his chin. Another explosion sounded outside the bedroom. ‘Damn, she’s loud. Do yer have anymore?’

  Thrash nodded. He and Pierre had done a fairly good job, managing to kill 22 Undead Miners before hitting Floor Five, and with the 6% Party all the Time experience bonus, he gained 926 experience points - leaving him one kill off of Level 8. He wished they’d managed to kill a few more miners, but it’d have to be next time. He shared the Descent Statistics with Pierre.

  Descent Statistics: Mines of Painswick Hill (Single Trip)

  Number of Adventurers: 2 - Thrash (Dungeon Master), Pierre (Farmer)

  Floors Completed: 5

  Enemies Defeated: 22x Undead Miners, 1x Painswick King (Boss)

  Single Trip Experience Gained: 1,853 XP

  Dungeon Experience Gained: 185 XP

  Pierre whistled. ‘That’s a good number, see.’

  Thrash nodded, quickly checking Dungeon Management rather than trying to do the maths. ‘We’re at 835. Damn, that’s close. With one more challenge, or another lucky achievement, we’ll be there.’

  Pierre yawned, and then clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Nice work. Yer on the right track. What was the item - Canary’s Mercy?’

  ‘Oh - right,’ Thrash said, yawning as well. He quickly checked off the 100 gold pieces, sending a brief message to Mush.

  We’re at 234 gold pieces, Mush.

  Mush shouted with a new level of extremity. ORDER A BABYSITTER! MUMMY NEEDS HELP.

  Thrash shook his head, looking at Pierre. ‘The egg has definitely hatched. She’s asked for a babysitter.’

  Pierre snorted. ‘Isn’t she yer babysitter?’

  ‘Don’t get me started,’ Thrash said. His new item, Canary’s Mercy, was hovering in his interface, waiting to be examined before disappearing into his inventory. Before he shared it with Pierre, he noticed one piece of text, allowing a sigh of relief. He didn’t like the idea of hoarding anything that belonged to a patron, but this item was explicitly marked as a Dungeon Master exclusive.

  ‘Right - here we go,’ Thrash said.

  Canary's Mercy

  Item Rarity: Rare

  Commiserations! You’ve been awarded Canary’s Mercy.

  This discreet, metal bird is more than just a pretty item. Originally crafted to spare a miner’s lungs, this tiny avian friend might just spare you the fear in your heart - and Mummy knows how frightened you can get. Cuddle up, now.

  How could the Earth-based humanoids send such beautiful birds to die in their coal mines? Starr Galaxy considers it a highlight of animal cruelty. But don’t worry, here we send humans into dungeons every single day… with not a canary among them.

  WARNING: This item is exclusive to the Dungeon Master class.

  Effect 1: Senses the total amount of mobs on a dungeon floor, chirping to indicate the count.

  Effect 2: Its metal casing will change colour depending on the highest-level mob on the floor: green (low threat), yellow (moderate), red (high threat).

  Thrash nodded approvingly, bringing out the small item and equipping it. For now, it seemed to make its home upon the Dungeon Master’s Pickaxe on his back, sitting upon the small orb that he had gotten so used to. Pierre reached his hand around to touch the bird, a small purr emitting from it.

  ‘I’m liking the dungeon master items,’ Thrash said, grinning. ‘This is the type of thing I expected to have to help me.’

  ‘It’s just a matter of time until yer Rank S, eh?’ Pierre smiled back. ‘What about Sigrid? How’s she doing? Yer said she levelled up?’

  Thrash nodded, looking at the sword laying on the bed beside them, slowly pulsing blue. ‘Yes, she’s moved up to level 4. Nothing crazy there, though. Once she’s level 5, she’ll have a new skill to choose.’

  Pierre grunted. ‘It’s interesting, how yer sword chooses it for yer.’

  Thrash shrugged. ‘I’d rather her than Mush.’

  Another clang sounded outside of the bedroom. Mush yelled into Thrash’s interface. MUSH HAS ONLY EVER MADE THE RIGHT CHOICES, MAN-CHILD. EVER!

  Thrash winced at the noise, but straightened himself out. ‘You mind showing me the items we picked up? Is there anything decent?’

  Pierre hummed, eyes scanning his own interface. He was silent for a moment, and then coughed when he was ready. ‘Right, with the mining we did along the way, this is me list. The king only dropped the bottom item, as yer know.’

  Thrash opened up the list as soon as it was shared.

  Items Acquired:

  31x Gold Pieces

  10x Bones

  3x Rusty Pickaxes

  23x Stone Pieces

  18x Copper Ore

  12x Iron Ore

  Miner’s Shackles (x1)

  Glowstone Shard (x1)

  Painswick Key

  Thrash reviewed the list. It was fewer items than he’d expected, but it would do. ‘Other than the key, what can you part with?’ Thrash asked the farmer.

  Pierre stood, stretching, and then held his hand out to pull Thrash up. When he spoke, he sounded cautious. ‘Honestly, I could use it all, if yer happy? Bones and ore are key for me crafting, and the Glowstone Shard might be an ingredient I’m missing for a quest on the farm, see. I reckon yer could use the shackles, though.’

  Thrash waved a hand in the air, dismissing his concern. ‘Keep it all. Can you pass the description for the shackles on?’

  Pierre did one better, opening a trade window and passing it across to Thrash without issue. ‘Here yer are.’

  Miner’s Shackles

  Item Rarity: Divine

  Commiserations! You’ve been awarded Miner’s Shackles.

  Once bound in these rusted, mouldy cuffs, no one’s breaking free, no matter how much they squirm.

  These shackles remind us of those who toiled under relentless watch, shackled to their work in life and, well… beyond. But across the Starr Galaxy, you can ease your worried little mind… It’s not just miners that wear these restraints - it's the Adventurers who wander just a little too deep…

  Mummy would like to borrow these. Hold still, now. Always use a safe word.

  Effect: Immobilises a captured Adventurer for a set duration, reducing their movement speed and applying a stamina-draining effect.

  Note: This item can be used multiple times.

  Note: This item can be upgraded.

  Thrash pouted his lips in thought. ‘I’m not sure what to think about these. You’ve got to be a certain type of someone to lock an Adventurer in place.’

  Pierre nodded in agreement, moving to the door. ‘They might be worth saving for whenever another of yer cultist friends visits?’

  Thrash nodded. ‘I’ll ask Mush. She might have some more information on them.’

  ‘Speaking on Mush,’ Pierre grinned, pushing the door wide open. ‘Yer hear that?’

  Thrash did, in fact, hear that. It had been relentless for the past five minutes. An incessant clang was sounding from the pet room, followed by consistent squawks. Thrash knew that the goose had hatched, despite how much the robot had tried to keep it a secret. The very fact that Mush had turned silent on him was proof enough. Thrash couldn’t wait to see it. Pierre, however, moved toward the shopfront.

  ‘You don’t want to see the goose?’ Thrash asked him, following his steps.

  Pierre chuckled, shaking his head. ‘I’ll likely have a bunch of me own to deal with by the time I’m back. I think yer best left to this one on yer own. It’ll keep yer brain busy at the very least.’

  Thrash couldn't argue with that. He nodded, pointing to the final item that they had looted, still in Pierre’s hand. ‘Do you have any more information on that?’

  Pierre handed it over. ‘See what happens when yer inspect it.’

  Thrash raised a brow, looking at the item in his hand.

  Painswick Key

  Item Rarity: Rare

  Commiserations! You’ve been awarded the Painswick Key.

  Discover what this key unlocks at your own peril.

  Almost immediately, Thrash noticed a new icon in his interface, a new quest appearing. Another achievement popped alongside it. He glanced at Pierre, who urged him on.

  Quest Update: The Painswick Key

  Uncover the secrets of the Painswick Key.

  Reward 1: Complete this quest to uncover this reward.

  Reward 2: Complete this quest to uncover this reward.

  Reward 3: Complete this quest to uncover this reward.

  Thrash smiled to himself. ‘I like it. It’s so clear and concise.’

  Pierre snorted. ‘Isn’t it?’ He paused, the two of them standing behind the counter in the shopfront, looking over to the stairs. ‘Yer going to be alright, right? Yer mind has settled?’

  Thrash nodded, placing a hand on Pierre’s shoulder. It had only been a short period of time, yet the farmer had changed massively, shoulders broad and chest chiselled, tanned with the experience on the farm. It was as though he’d swelled in size. Thrash wondered whether or not the thought was mutual.

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ Thrash said. ‘I’ve got my achievements - plus the goose. You’ve helped more than you’ll know, Pierre. I’m not sure I’d have managed to keep my head up without you.’

  He expected a comment to appear from Mush, informing him that she was the reason he was okay, but she either didn’t care, or didn’t hear.

  Pierre grinned. ‘Yer want me back tomorrow? We can try to get a little more experience under yer belt, see.’

  Thrash considered this. ‘It’s up to you, really. How’s the farm?’

  Pierre raised his shoulders, leaning on the counter. ‘It’s fine. It maintains itself quite well. I could easily spend some time upgrading it, though.’

  ‘Do that - and let me know if anything cool happens,’ Thrash said, thinking of the goose egg. ‘Hopefully, I’ll have a patron tomorrow and things will improve again.’

  ‘Yer might even hit Rank C.’

  ‘We can only dream,’ Thrash smiled back, before lowering his voice. ‘I’ll let you know if I have any more ideas on the Zorina and Doren situation.’

  Pierre nodded again. ‘Please. Stay positive, Thrash. God knows we need yer.’

  Thrash smiled, Pierre passing through the partition and walking to the portal. ‘I’ll keep you updated.’

  ‘Yer better,’ Pierre said with a final wave as he walked away, exiting the dungeon.

  Thrash breathed in deeply, sighing. He had ten achievements to review, but before he could even inspect his glowing interface, another crash echoed through the chamber.

  ‘God dammit, Mush,’ Thrash muttered.

  I AM ENCUMBERED! SEND HELP! MUSH REQUIRES ASSISTANCE!

  Thrash swore, and then chuckled, walking towards the pet room. He prepared himself, rolling his shoulders, and then pushed the door open by the smallest amount. His mouth dropped.

  ‘Mush, what the -’

  Thrash couldn’t finish his sentence. Mush flew past him, punting him on the head, and sending him backward to the floor. Thrash felt his head connect with the rocky ground, his eyeballs shaking in their sockets. A small figure popped up onto his chest, waddling up to his face. Thrash heard the squawk as he lost consciousness.

  10 followers and I'd love to reach 20!

  Remember, a minimum of 1x posting a week until the New Year.

  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: