Joe’s breaths came in heavy gasps as he claimed the loot from the dead bugs before they disappeared in a rainbow haze. A light drizzle coated him as they moved on, the soft earth squelching beneath his boots.

  TJ grinned wiping monster weevil guts from his machete. “If this is the welcome party, I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for us deeper in.”

  Joe checked his stats and grinned.

  [Congratulations Ascender 50 you have reached Silver Rank Quantum Resonance Level 31.]

  There were no hard decisions to make. He added six flex points to his constitution stat so that he would be less likely to die, because whatever he was going up against could be faster or stronger than him. Plus, use of his respawn token would decrease his life expectancy as well as his ascender number. His stomach knotted. After seeing what happened with Luna and the Lich’s unreliable system resets, he couldn’t be as reliant on others.

  He sighed, hoping he’d gain a new skill. So far, he’d only gained abilities for his Quick Wit skill. This set of level up notifications were no different.

  [Bonus Rewards for rogue class.]

  [Quick Wit Level 5! Ability Glitch Flick improved - Clever misdirection.]

  He continued scanning, but the new debuff was a harsh reminder of the price he'd paid for the loot box information. Thanks to Caspar taking one of his memories, he could see the Cat Got Your Tongue debuff long before reaching QRL 40. If Halcyon was right, the blue flame had somehow managed to save most of his memories compared to the others. It wasn’t his place to tell them, they’d find out soon enough about the debuff. He closed his interface as they approached the dirt mounds.

  Taking the lead, Dawn guided them toward the nearest tunnel entrance, the path dotted with puddles large enough to swallow a boot. Joe took cautious steps, his eyes darting toward the murky water, half-expecting something to leap out.

  Dawn crouched near the tunnel’s gaping maw and tapped her map interface. She dropped a pin location and sent a quick update to the Blanche Brigade. Within moments, Nick’s response came through the chat.

  Nick: Inbound in T minus 20 minutes. Found weevils the size of a pony. Taming them as mounts. Go on ahead, we’ll catch up.

  Joe blinked at the message. “Pony-sized weevils. Of course he’s taming them.”

  The air inside the tunnel was thick and humid, carrying the scent of damp earth, decay, and an odd sweetness that made Joe’s nose twitch. Activating Quick Wit, he picked up faint drilling noises in the distance, mingled with clicks and the occasional chittering echo.

  The ground beneath their feet was a compact blend of rock and dirt, the walls covered in a lattice of pulsing, fleshy veins that glowed. Brian crouched to inspect them, his fingers hovering but not touching.

  “Larval Veins,” he announced, his voice low. “These carry nutrients to the queen’s chamber at the colony’s center. Destroying them could disrupt her control over the swarm—but it’ll enrage her.”

  Joe grimaced at the pulsing threads. “Noted. Let’s leave them alone for now.”

  As they ventured deeper, something on the wall caught Joe’s eye. “Are those…drawings?”

  The images reminded him of primitive cave paintings, crude figures and beasts sketched in dark pigments. He stepped closer, tilting his head to get a better look.

  “The hunters look like cows standing on two legs.” Joe squinted at the angular shapes.

  “Are they carrying pole-arms?” Rose's face scrunched. “I thought cows were plant eaters.”

  “Not in this tower.” Joe placed a hand on the wall.

  Rose traced her finger along what looked like symbols near the painted figures. “Oooow,” she sounded out.

  “Oooow?” TJ echoed, scowling. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  Brian stepped forward, inspecting the markings with a smirk. “Moo,” he said, his voice laced with amusement.

  TJ glared at him. “Are you blind?”

  Brian grinned, then, with surprising ease, grabbed TJ and flipped him upside down. “Read it now—from left to right.”

  “Moooo!” TJ growled. “Now let me down, ya smartass!”

  Joe bit back a laugh, his spirits lifting for a moment. Even in a place like this, humor found a way to sneak in. He shook his head and gestured for them to move on.

  Dawn paused at the fork in the tunnel, her gaze distant as she focused on her map interface. Joe scanned both tunnels, Quick Wit sharpening his hearing for any hint of movement, while TJ and Brian stood ready, weapons poised. Rose leaned on her staff, her fingers tapping a slow rhythm on its shaft.

  “This one’s ancient.” Dawn’s brow furrowed. “Barely any activity, not even guards posted. It should take us closer to the lip of the colony’s main entrance, well, if you can call it that.”

  Joe raised a brow. “Lip? You make it sound like we’re diving into a giant mouth.”

  Dawn shot him a look. “Think of a wasp nest. You know, those things dangling from trees back home? Only this one’s buried underground, with one main entrance at the base.”

  “How wonderful!” Halcyon cast a surge of heat against Joe’s chest. “Keep alert. I don’t exactly love the idea of us crawling into an earth-bound death hive.”

  Joe kicked a stray pebble into the shadows.

  According to Dawn’s map, the surface swarms had most ascenders tied up, but a few groups had ventured below. She squinted at her interface, her lips tightening. “Looks like one small group of green zoners is heading this way, fast.”

  Joe leaned in. “How many?”

  “Ten. Looks like an alliance…probably more than one faction working together.”

  TJ smirked. “Let me guess, we can either play nice or see if they’ve got loose teeth.”

  Brian huffed. “We stick to the right, we avoid them. Take the left, and they’ll intercept us where their tunnel meets ours.”

  Joe scratched his chin, weighing the options. “Which one gets us closer to the queen?”

  Dawn hesitated. “Left’s faster, but…” She trailed off, glancing at Brian. “We should stick to the right. No reason to get tangled up in someone else’s mess.”

  TJ let out a low chuckle. “Friendly or not, if they reach the titan first, they’ll lock us out of the fight. Let’s take the left. If they’re hostile, well…” He cracked his knuckles. “I’m all for roasting first and asking questions never.”

  Rose raised her staff, the faint glow of mana humming along its edges. “The system rewards risk. Better to know now if we’re up against allies or backstabbers. I can throw up a defensive shield if things get ugly.”

  Joe nodded. “Agreed. They’ve probably got a map reader too, so they already know we’re here. No point playing coy if they’re sending people to cut us off.”

  With that, Dawn pivoted toward the left tunnel, leading the way. Joe activated Quick Wit, his senses sharp as they moved.

  Several minutes in, the tunnel widened. Joe stiffened as soft footfalls echoed from ahead. A small figure scurried toward them on all fours, head down like it was tracking a scent. Ten paces away, the creature reared onto its hind legs.

  Joe’s tension eased and he loosened the grip on his knife. “Lucky.” The ratfolk’s familiar green aura flickered as he drained a mana potion.

  “I’m so happy I found you!” Lucky squeaked, his whiskers twitching as he looked over his shoulder. Nine green-hooded ascenders emerged behind him, their weapons gleaming in the dim light.

  Joe’s eyes narrowed. “Andras isn’t with you?” He kept his tone light but let the question hang.

  Lucky wrung his little paws together, his brows pulling tight. “He’s…well,” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I cannot say. You understand.” His lips pressed tight, his expression pained.

  Restraining spell, Joe guessed, filing that nugget away.

  Even so, something about Lucky’s timing made his neck prickle. How had he found them so fast on a floor this big? Joe scanned the group behind him. Mostly elves, a couple humans, all silent and disinterested. Not exactly the friendliest crew.

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  “Trouble on the surface?” Joe tugged a cord on his hood.

  “No,” one of the elves said, not bothering to make eye contact.

  “We’re the Titan Slayers.” Rose’s wry smile dared them to react.

  “We know.” The elf in the front snapped, his tone as frosty as his glare.

  An awkward silence followed. TJ broke it with a sharp, “And you are?”

  “Leaving.” The elf growled, shoving Lucky forward. The ratfolk stumbled, but TJ caught him, steadying him with one hand.

  “Oops, how clumsy of me.” Lucky released a nervous laugh, his ears drooping.

  TJ stepped forward, but Brian moved faster, spreading his arms wide with a potion in hand. “I’ve got a cure for that, Lucky.” His deep voice remained calm despite his menacing appearance as he loomed over the elf. “Sadly, there’s no cure for being a prime asshole.”

  The elf flinched, but before he could respond, a scurrying sound echoed through the tunnel. All of the green zoners raised their weapons in unison.

  Lucky perked up, clapping his paws. “No need, no need! It’s only a worker ant, or wasp, technically. Cute, fluffy, harmless. You’ll see.”

  The lead elf raised his blade. “Makes it easier to kill.”

  “No!” Lucky squeaked, his voice rising in alarm. “Killing it will release alert pheromones from a gland in its mandible! This tunnel will swarm with warriors in seconds if you do that.”

  As the velvet ant approached, Brian eased back to join Joe and the others, his eyes narrowing.

  A chat notification pinged across Joe’s vision.

  Brian: These guys are a mix of two factions, both in friendly status with Andras Alliance.

  TJ: Surprise, surprise.

  Joe shook his head, focusing on the ant. Despite being the size of a large dog, Lucky wasn’t wrong. It was ridiculously cute. Fluffy red-and-black stripes ran down its body, and a tuft of fur on its head gave it a punk-rock mohawk. But something about it felt…off. Its movements were stiff, almost mechanical, like a wind-up toy. And its eyes—black crystal fractals that seemed to drink in the dim light of the tunnel—made Joe’s stomach tighten.

  The ant ignored them entirely, zeroing in on the fat globs of jello Lucky had carefully placed on the rocky ground. It hesitated, testing the jello with its pilli feelers before prodding it with its mandibles. After a few clicks, it sliced off a chunk, held it, and turned back the way it had come.

  “Fascinating, now let’s go,” one of the smaller elves drawled, arms crossed as he watched. “Lucky, do your thing.”

  Lucky sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Patience, Dolfric. Didn’t the Elven Dingleberry Clan teach you that?”

  Joe snorted at the name, earning a glare from Dolfric. Meanwhile, Lucky kept going. “If I overuse my Scavenger’s Luck, my mana core strains. You want me out of commission for hours?”

  The lead elf snapped his fingers. “We can take it from here. Map says the hive’s not far. If we follow that pathetic ant, it’ll lead us straight there. Lucky can do as he pleases, but if he stays, he’s on his own.”

  “But Andras said—” one of the younger elves blurted out. The leader slapped him across the face so hard the sound cracked through the tunnel.

  “You’re my bitch, not his,” the leader snarled. “Andras has plenty of his own.” His sharp glare cut toward Lucky, who flinched but didn’t respond.

  Joe clenched his fists, catching the way TJ’s jaw tensed. It would be so easy to start something, but a fight down here, outnumbered and underground, was a losing game.

  Lucky, clearly trying to diffuse the tension, pointed to the jello. “If you’d wait a moment, you’ll see something marvelous. I expect the worker to return with friends to collect the rest.”

  “We’re not waiting.” The leader gestured for his followers to move. “We know where we’re going. Lucky, if you stay here you are no longer under our protection.” He strode off, the rest of his green-hooded crew sneering as they passed the Titan Slayers.

  “Good riddance.” Brian crossed his arms as they disappeared further down the tunnel. He glanced at the ant’s retreating form. “Think we can follow the worker back? Maybe there’s a shortcut.”

  Dawn checked her map again. She shook her head. “If there’s a shortcut, it’s not showing up here.” She turned to Lucky. “Unless you know something we don’t.”

  Lucky shrugged, his whiskers twitching. “I follow instinct and my knowledge of beasts and plants. If there’s another way in, it’s not obvious. Workers and scouts tend to stick to familiar routes. They’ll use the same path we would.”

  Brian tapped his temple. “I’ve identified the ant. Shared the details in chat.”

  Joe’s notification flickered up:

  [Worker No. 42 of the 101st Bajillion Brood:

  Harold the hardworking scout is beloved by his peers, who trust him implicitly after over a million successful foraging missions. Trust is the glue of Harold’s world, binding his colony together as they serve and protect their Queen. Harold is happy. Harold is important. Harold is the kind of ant you’d want on your team.]

  TJ: Little does he know, trust is a fragile thing.

  The sound of faint clicking echoed through the tunnel, followed by a low chittering.

  Joe stiffened, his Quick Wit sharpening his focus. “Looks like Harold’s bringing friends.”

  Dawn crouched, her hands on her knees, watching the ant labeled “Harold” scuttle towards them. The little guy looked determined for a level-one creature. “Look at them, bless their tiny hearts. They’re simply trying to survive like the rest of us.”

  TJ crossed his arms, a skeptical brow shooting up. “If you could, would you keep him as a pet?”

  Dawn stood, brushing dirt from her hands. “No way. I had a pet rat once. Willie. Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’m not putting myself through that again.”

  Joe blinked, surprised. Dawn didn’t usually drop nuggets about her past like that.

  Brian squinted, clearly trying to piece something together. “Wait, weren’t you…ratfolk in your last life? And there were also rats in your world?”

  Dawn hesitated, just a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face before she recovered. “Yeah, that’s not weird where I’m from. We’ve got a character called Hello Kitty. It’s a little cat girl who has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty.”

  Brian stroked his goatee, clearly still mulling over the logic. “I see.”

  Joe, sensing the tension, jumped in with a grin. “Makes total sense. My world had Goofy and Pluto. A dog owning a dog. Nobody blinked an eye.”

  They all stepped aside, giving Harold and his entourage space to access the jello. But when Joe turned back, his stomach sank. The jello was gone. In its place sat a stone about the size of a tennis ball.

  TJ leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, an innocent look plastered across his face. “What? It’s the same shape.”

  The ants didn’t seem to agree. They surrounded the rock, their chittering rising to a sharp, angry pitch. The sound turned eerie, a discordant hum echoing through the tunnel.

  It happened in a flash. Poor Harold, the unwitting hero, didn’t stand a chance. His so-called pals turned on him, swarming over his fuzzy body in a frenzy of mandibles and fury.

  Joe jerked back, alarmed. “Holy! What just happened?”

  Lucky let out a strangled squeak, his paws trembling as tears welled up in his eyes. “No! Poor Harold!”

  Brian tilted his head. “Tragic but it may be to our benefit. Their trust network collapses when faced with deception. It disrupts the harmony in the colony and provides a distraction we can use.”

  Lucky’s tearful eyes widened.

  TJ clapped him on the shoulder, his grin sharp and unapologetic. “See, little buddy. Harold the Brave took one for the team. Let’s honor him by using the chaos he left behind.”

  The chittering around them intensified, echoing off the tunnel walls like a rising tide of anger. Dawn motioned ahead with her staff. “The distraction won’t last. May Nerus have mercy on him. Let’s move.”

  The group moved quickly, their boots crunching against the gritty, uneven floor. They hadn’t gone far when Lucky froze, his ears twitching. “Wait…there’s another ratfolk nearby.”

  Dawn stopped, narrowing her eyes. “How do you know?”

  Lucky blinked, as if the answer was obvious. “By using Picture Sense, of course.”

  TJ’s brow furrowed. “Picture Sense? Are you guys part of some hive mind?”

  Lucky shook his head. “Nothing like that. But we can sense when other ratfolk are nearby and share simple images and feelings.”

  “Like smell-o-vision?” Joe quipped, trying to keep things light.

  Lucky blinked again, clearly not following.

  Dawn’s expression sharpened. “He’s right. Someone’s approaching fast—an orange zoner, and they’re alone.”

  Joe tensed, gripping his weapon tighter. Who in their right mind would travel alone?

  Lucky raised his paws in a calming gesture. “Don’t worry, he means no harm. He’s looking for his faction. Oh…” His whiskers twitched as his gaze settled on TJ. “He’s looking for you.”

  “Me?” TJ’s scowl deepened.

  Joe already had a hunch. A blur of orange shot down the tunnel and screeched to a halt in front of them, kicking up muck.

  “Robyn?” Joe’s brows raised.

  The little ratfolk leapt at TJ, wrapping his tiny arms around TJ’s thick forearm. TJ looked down, clearly uncomfortable, as Robyn clung to him like a lifeline. Before TJ could react, Brian stepped in, gently pried Robyn loose, and gave him a quick, reassuring hug before setting him back on his hind legs.

  Joe folded his arms. “Where are your boots?”

  Robyn wiggled his bare toes in the muck with a sheepish grin. “I’m faster on four paws, so I stored them in my inventory.”

  TJ’s scowl deepened. “Where’s Merv?”

  Robyn’s smile faltered. “He, uh…threatened to punch me in the face if I didn’t scram.”

  TJ’s fists clenched, his knuckles white. “Why the hell would he say that?”

  Robyn hesitated, his ears flattening. “He was…talking to a time loan shark in the red zone.” His eyes widened in panic, and he slapped a paw over his mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

  “Don’t cover for him.” TJ popped his neck as if he was readying to fight. “You owe him nothing.”

  Robyn gulped, looking genuinely frightened. “I just…I didn’t want him to…you know…hurt me.”

  Joe frowned, trying to piece it together. “What was he doing with a loan shark? How do you even know?”

  They don’t exactly hand out business cards.

  Robyn shuffled his paws. “I, uh…I have a skill. Part of my philosopher class. It’s called Reveal Truth…”

  Before he could elaborate, his eyes went wide as they locked onto Lucky. “Wait. Are you Lucky?”

  Lucky tilted his head. “That’s me.”

  Robyn’s jaw dropped. “It’s an honor to meet you! So many of us look up to you. There’s not many of us with Scavenger’s Luck and fewer still make it to the green zone. Do they still treat you like dirt, like the rest of us?”

  “Wow, that’s blunt.” Dawn raised an eyebrow.

  Robyn’s ears drooped. “I’m sorry! Sometimes Reveal Truth makes me say what’s on my mind, even if I don’t mean to. It’s like I’m compelled.”

  Lucky shrugged, his expression understanding. “You can’t help it. Like I can’t help finding things. Sometimes they’re worth finding, sometimes they’re not. We don’t always get to choose, do we?”

  Joe exchanged a look with TJ, silently agreeing that Robyn’s honesty might be more trouble than it was worth, but at least he was genuine.