Chapter Nine: Death Boons

  ~Run 2, Entrance, Floor 1, Sewers of Aerlyn~

  I jolted awake, a rancid odor devastating my nose. Instinctively, I yanked my hand to my face and pinched my nose in a fruitless effort to block out the stench. Gone were the roses and vibrant blues of the sky where Jamie and I sat eating lunch today. The world had changed around me. Jamie? The pleasant thought of her faded, and I shook my head in desperation to recall her image in my mind. As the sweet memories melted away, I focused on figuring out where I was.

  My feet squished in foul water, its cold, vicious touch sliding across my skin like frostbitten slugs, while the chill of the stone floor seeped into my feet as if I were walking on ice. Familiarity with this place sparked as I took in my surroundings. My heart ached at the thought of what brought me to this place. Ma always said Penance was a lie, a rumor the church started to keep us in line. A flash of light burst through my head as my brain tried to think. Ma, Jamie, who were they?

  A torch flickered in front of me, and I moved forward to the light, each step a struggle as I battled against the fog of memories. I'd been here before. At this exact moment… I kept waiting for the synapses in my head to make the connections. Still, I didn’t hesitate; I sloshed through the ankle-deep sludge, the sound echoing in the large chamber as droplets of muck reflected crystal light. Crystal, my spectral companion, hovered silently like a physical thought.

  The suffocating darkness clung to every surface of the room, to my clothes, arms, and hands, smothering me despite the torch's feeble glow. My heart raced as I approached the torch and removed it from its sconce, the only lifeline in this abyss. With each step, I edged closer to the wall, hoping—desperately—for an exit. The flames of the torch flickered and merged with Crystal’s light, casting eerie shadows and revealing the sewage seeping from the walls, unnervingly flowing in the wrong direction.

  As I neared the exit, a sudden thought halted me in my tracks. A dark halo surrounded her, my death boons, physically shimmering like stardust. That had not been around her before. [Hello Rod. How are you feeling?] I blinked. And then I remembered. The rats. Those goblins. Death. I shuddered. I still felt a shadow of lingering pain where the hammer had crashed into my head. At least I got death boons out of the deal. “Death boons.” I gasped out the word like a lifeline.

  [Yes, you have 7 death boons to spend to get stronger. Would you like to do so?]

  “Hey, Crystal. How do I spend my Death Boons?”

  [That was an excellent first run, Young One. Good work. As for your question, you spend Death Boons here at the entrance, so thank you for not leaving the entrance yet. Your run starts once we leave this first room. ]

  [However, all in all, this was an impressive streak. Most Penitents die to the Necromancer on their first try. While indeed a challenge, we can earn our freedom together.]

  "You're trapped here too, Crystal?"

  [Of course, all creatures in Penance must seek redemption. Very few reach for or achieve it, but we are all governed by the same rules. It is why creatures, chests, crates, and even torches appear again. We are all just prisoners here. Before we get sidetracked again, let us discuss the Death Boon store.]

  [Death Boon Stat costs start at 1, then scale by 5, so 1 for 1, 5 for 2, 10 for 3, 15 for 4, etc.]

  [Player classes.]

  [Base classes: Each Base class costs 3 Death Boons to unlock. After death, class is unavailable for three runs. Classes are unlocked randomly. Clear the second floor for advanced classes.]

  [Unlock 5 more Dungeon Boons by purchasing all of the basic boons.]

  [Different quests become available as you move onto the 3rd, 5th, and 7th floors.]

  The text floated in the air on a canvas parchment that I could physically touch, making it much easier to read the large amounts of text suddenly before me. As soon as I finished reading the parchments before I could say anything, Crystal started to "speak" again.

  [More categories and wider availability of Death Boons become available as you reach lower levels of Penance. I suggest you first spend your Death Boons to unlock a class, but you can purchase any Death Boon you see fit.]

  “Alright, let's use those points to purchase a class then. How does it work exactly?”

  [It could be more convenient, but all Class boons are based on a die roll.]

  My brow furrowed, heat rising in me. I buried the emotion immediately, fear taking its place. I didn’t want to upset Crystal now that it was actually being helpful. “Is everything here left to chance? What if I end up with something lame like the barbarian or cleric classes?”

  [Then, you will have to run through without a class. But neither of those classes is lame. And a starting weapon is a huge benefit that makes the Torch Bearer class pale in comparison.]

  “Well, I still hope I don’t get either.”

  [Of course, Rod. Now, would you like to purchase a class?]

  “Yes, let's roll the die.” The die tumbled through the air; each bounce sending out waves of sewage.