"That's all I remember," I told the official, putting on my best traumatized expression. It wasn't hard, considering I'd nearly died. "The kobolds came from nowhere. We weren't prepared."
The official nodded sympathetically. "Rest assured, we'll be investigating how such a simple dungeon could cause this level of casualties. Your testimony will be valuable."
He patted my shoulder and moved away to oversee the body retrieval.
I sat alone on the log, staring at nothing, letting my thoughts drift to the shop menu and what 500 points could buy. A health potion? The leather armor? Or should I save for one of the skill books?
"Jin Harker?"
I looked up to see a woman approaching – not one of the rescue squad. She wore expensive-looking robes in deep blue, with silver embroidery around the edges that seemed to shimmer slightly in the sunlight. Her Guild badge marked her as significantly higher ranked than the rescuers. Platinum-tier at least, maybe even Diamond.
Instinctively, I straightened my posture. High-ranking Guild officials weren't known for wasting time on failed adventurers like me. Unless there was a problem.
There's always a problem.
"I'm Investigator Reyne," she said, her voice soft but precise. "Mind if I ask you a few additional questions?"
My survival instincts – the only part of me that's ever worked properly in dungeons – immediately started screaming. Official investigation? That wasn't standard procedure for a simple kobold warren disaster.
Something in her tone made me uneasy. "I already told the other official everything."
"Yes, I heard." She sat beside me uninvited, maintaining perfect posture even on the rough log. Her robes arranged themselves flawlessly without her seeming to adjust them. Definitely Diamond-tier. "It's just... interesting."
"What is?"
Her eyes – pale gray, almost silver – studied my face. I resisted the urge to look away. Eye contact is important with predators. Shows you're not prey. Even when you absolutely are. "This is the second time you've survived a total party wipe in the past year. Quite fortunate."
My blood went cold. I hadn't expected anyone to connect me to that previous disaster. It had been in a different city, under different circumstances. Different dungeon, different party, same result: everyone dead except the coward who hid instead of fighting.
Me.
"I... I guess I've had bad luck with parties," I managed.
"Or exceptionally good luck, depending on how you look at it." Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Two disasters, eight total deaths, and each time, Jin Harker walks away."
She knew the exact number. Eight deaths. Eight people I'd watched die while hiding, surviving through cowardice or quick thinking, depending on your perspective.
"What are you suggesting?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.
"Nothing, yet." She stood smoothly. "But the Guild tracks patterns, Mr. Harker. Coincidences interest us."
Great. I'd made it onto some Guild watchlist for the crime of not dying when I was supposed to. Just my luck. The universe has a twisted sense of humor – first it makes me too cowardly to be a proper adventurer, then it punishes me for surviving when braver people don't.
She handed me a card with the Guild insignia and her name embossed in silver. The card felt unusually heavy, probably enchanted. Fancy.
"When you're recovered, come see me. We'll discuss your future prospects."
Translation: Come explain yourself before we decide you're responsible for these deaths.
"What exactly does an Investigator do?" I asked, trying to buy time, to understand what I was dealing with.
Reyne paused, considering me. "We investigate anomalies, Mr. Harker. Dungeons operate according to certain patterns, certain rules. When those patterns break – when someone survives what they shouldn't, or dies when they shouldn't – we take notice."
"So surviving is suspicious now?"
"Surviving repeatedly when everyone around you dies? Yes, that's precisely the kind of anomaly we investigate." Her silver eyes narrowed slightly. "Especially when the survivor shows no signs of exceptional combat skill or magical aptitude."
Ouch. Accurate, but ouch.
As she walked away, I felt the weight of the receipt in my pocket. It seemed heavier somehow, more substantial.
Eight deaths, and I was still here. Still alive. And now, potentially, growing stronger with each loss.
I waited until Investigator Reyne's carriage disappeared from sight. The rescue team was busy loading the last of the bodies onto their transport. Nobody was paying attention to the lucky survivor.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and felt the cool, smooth surface of the receipt. A promise of power, if I was willing to pay the price.
If the Guild was already suspicious of me, I needed every advantage I could get. And if this strange power could give me those advantages...
Well, those people were already dead. Nothing I did now would change that.
"Open Shop," I whispered.
The air in front of me rippled, and once again I was looking at the translucent blue menu:
DUNGEON SHOP
Available Points: 500
ITEMS:
- Health Potion (Minor) - 50 points
- Reinforced Leather Armor - 200 points
- Skill Book: Basic Swordsmanship - 300 points
- Skill Book: Trap Detection (Novice) - 300 points
- Kobold Fang Dagger - 150 points
I studied the options carefully. The health potion was tempting – healing magic was expensive in the city, and adventurers without dedicated healers died from minor wounds all the time. But at only 50 points, I had to wonder about its effectiveness.
The armor might help me survive another disaster, but if my strategy remained "hide until it's over," then better protection wouldn't change much.
The skill books, though... those were interesting. Skills normally took months or years to develop through training. Having one instantly downloaded into my brain would be a massive advantage. Basic Swordsmanship would make me less useless in a fight, but Trap Detection could potentially keep a whole party from disaster.
Also, not dying to traps meant more survivors, which meant fewer points for me.
See? I'm not completely heartless.
As for the dagger... I leaned closer, reading the smaller text that appeared when I focused on the item:
Kobold Fang Dagger
Weapon crafted from the enchanted fang of an Alpha Kobold.
Deals minor bleeding damage (5 HP/sec for 3 seconds).
Grants 10% increased damage against reptilian monsters.
Status effects and type advantages. Interesting.
I checked my remaining mundane gear – my own dagger had been damaged in the fight, its blade chipped from when I'd dropped it scrambling away from that first kobold.
Decision time.
"I'll take the Kobold Fang Dagger and a Health Potion," I said to the floating shop menu.
The menu pulsed once, and text appeared:
Purchase confirmed:
- Kobold Fang Dagger (150 points)
- Health Potion (Minor) (50 points)
Remaining points: 300
The menu disappeared, and for a moment nothing happened. Had it worked? Then I felt a weight against my hip and a slight pressure in my pocket.
Careful not to draw attention from the distant rescue workers, I reached down to find a sheathed dagger now attached to my belt. It hadn't been there before. The sheath was made of dark leather with small red symbols etched along its length. I partially drew the blade – it was slightly curved, yellowish-white like a fang, with a rippling pattern along its surface that caught the light strangely.
I resheathed it quickly and checked my pocket. Sure enough, there was a small glass vial filled with shimmering red liquid. The health potion. I'd expected it to look more... magical. This looked like something you could buy at any alchemist's shop in the city, though the liquid seemed to move slightly on its own, swirling gently despite the vial remaining still.
I'd done it. I'd actually used the points from the receipt to purchase real, physical items. Items that had materialized out of nowhere.
The surviving rescuer approached, interrupting my thoughts. "Transport's ready. We're heading back to the city if you want a ride."
"Thanks," I said, making sure the new dagger was covered by my tunic. "I appreciate it."
As the transport rumbled toward Ravengate, I made my decision. I would see Investigator Reyne in three days, as instructed.
But first, I needed to find another dungeon expedition to join.
Preferably one that looked doomed to fail.