After the first chaotic encounter, the group lay exhausted in the damp light of their magical equipment. Leo Richter nodded briefly, his gaze still fixed on Katjenka’s ranger map, which showed the red dots of the approaching monsters. The first steps in the Vermin Den were over, but the challenge had only just begun.

The group moved deeper into the cave. The main passage indicated by Leo’s map was not as straightforward as they had hoped. After just a few meters, they came across a vertical rock face. A smooth, wet ascent that rose a good ten meters into the air. The soft crackling of too many legs could be heard from above. The monsters could climb walls. They couldn’t.

"And now?" gasped Markus Brandt, the warrior whose face was ashen. He looked up at the slippery wall, then at his bulky armor.

"We need to get up there," Leo said, his voice analytical as he eyed the wall. "Our ranger and thief... Katjenka, Luna. Can you do that?"

Katjenka Novalina shrugged her shoulders. "I’m a ranger, not a squirrel. And this axe isn’t exactly meant for climbing." Her gaze flitted to Leo. "Let’s be honest, Judge. I had my best friend with me when we were dragged in here. I’m still pissed off that we’re here and she’s gone. And I have no idea how we’re supposed to get up walls like this while these critters..." She pointed upwards with her axe. "...Just crawl up." Her voice was filled with bitterness.

Luna stepped forward. Her green eyes scrutinized the wall. She opened her game menu and switched to the equipment tab. Her daggers were good, but useless here. She clicked on the store. New weapons, armor. And then: adventure equipment. Ropes, grappling hooks, climbing gear. She tapped a bundle of "Light climbing hook and rope (10 coins)".

"Coins," she mumbled. "Does anyone have any coins? I need ten for this." She looked at the group questioningly. "You get them by selling monster items in the store. Or from chests, if we find any."

Leo opened his group camp. There lay the remains of the insectoid beetles. "We have... three Vermin exoskeletons and three antennae," he stated. "Can you sell that?" He selected a feeler in the store menu. A pop-up appeared: Vermin feeler (1 coin).

"Feelers are worth 1 coin," said Leo. "An exoskeleton is two. So we have... nine coins in the group camp. That’s not quite enough."

"I still have some," said Katjenka. "From the bugs I flattened in front of the portal. My personal camp. Five exoskeletons and three feelers. That makes thirteen coins." She sold one of her exoskeletons to the system and received two coins.

"That’s enough," said Luna. She bought the rope and the hooks. They materialized as shining, perfectly crafted objects in Luna’s hands. The illusion became reality again.

Luna skillfully threw the hook upwards. It caught in a crevice. "I’ll go first," she said and began to climb the wall with surprising speed, her thief skills and the rope she had bought making her movements fluid. She was soon at the top, securing the rope.

"Markus, try it," said Leo. Markus’ trembling began again, more subtle this time, but noticeable. Walter Steiner stepped a little closer to him, raising his staff only slightly, a silent gesture of support. A wave of calm emanated from him. Markus’ trembling slowed down. A hint of relaxation slid over his face. The cleric had used his anxiety-relieving skill. Markus laboriously but successfully climbed to the top, supported by Walter’s skill and guided by Luna’s rope. It took time, but everyone made it, Walter Steiner last, led by Clara.

As soon as they reached the top, they found themselves in a narrow crevice. It smelled of mustiness and something sweet, decay. A glow in an alcove caught Luna’s attention. She crept forward and came across a small, perfectly carved chest, its metal decorated with intricate patterns. A barely visible glint revealed a wire snare, a trap lurking just outside the chest. Her thief instinct warned her.

She bent over the chest. Her fingers, trained by years of pickpocketing, danced over the wire mesh of the trap. A barely audible click, and the tension eased. Trap disarmed. Then she turned her attention to the lock. The small lockpicks from her inventory (a lockpick set costs 1 coin, she already had it in her starting equipment) slid into the mechanism. Concentration. Dexterity. The metallic click of a lock being broken was music to her ears.

The chest burst open. Inside were shiny coins, ten in number, which flashed in the magical light of her equipment. Next to them, in a small hollow, were three vials. Red, blue and green.

Clara took a red vial carefully. "Healing potions," she murmured.

Leo activated a mental scan, his analysis skill. A thin, blue beam of light, visible only to him, scanned the potions. Detailed information immediately appeared in his interface: Minor Healing Potion (Restores 50 Health), Minor Mana Potion (Restores 50 Mana), Minor Stamina Potion (Restores 50 Stamina).

"These are healing, mana and stamina potions," Leo confirmed, his gaze still fixed on the information displayed. "Loot. Straight to the group camp. Good. Knowledge was now not only his currency, it was his greatest arsenal. Personal preferences for starting equipment were a variable that had to be utilized. And the mechanics of the dungeon offered more than just combat."

Leo mentally pulled out his grimoire. He had only just studied his party’s abilities. He had no physical attacks to adapt, no passive bonuses or skills that required a weapon. Only Clara and Walter had active skills that could enrich his arsenal. He chose Damage Dampener from Clara and Worry Minder from Walter. Two subtle impulses ran through him. His control grew.

They continued to move through narrow passages, sometimes crawling, sometimes forcing their way through crevices. Markus was visibly more nervous, his breathing shallower. He flinched with every drop of water that fell from the ceiling.

"I... I don’t think I can do this," Markus whispered as they entered a particularly dark section. "My girlfriend... I don’t know what’s wrong with her. And these critters..."

Suddenly Katjenka pointed to her map. The red dots moved quickly. "Three from the left, one from the right!" her voice was sharp, anger giving way to concentration. "They’re coming!"

Next Chapter: The Heart of the Beasts