A while after cooling down from our confrontation, Ren came down with a fever, said she'd also suffer from massive pains everywhere. It seems like the "conversion" the system made her undergo when she became my familiar wasn't as consequence-free as it seemed at first.

I created an ice bag with a cloth from Kael and my [Ice Magic], but it seems to do little against Ren's fever.

We don't have any safe locations where we could let her rest either and who knows when Dan comes creeping around the corner, so she'll just have to endure it. Hopefully, the regeneration from [Sleepless] can compensate for this mistreatment.

We have Ephran carry her for now because he is currently useless in combat anyway without a weapon or proper skills. He protested at first, said the only girl he'd want to touch would be Chloe but he eventually he accepted my orders. I should've never accepted him into my group...

While we continue our way through the poison-gas-filled cave, I receive a message from Lucia. They've finally found Geoffrey and Anna. Only Marca, Iris and our reunion are missing.

Though that meeting came at the cost of Lucia needing to use our fourth and for now last spirit creation. She didn't write what she used it for, but I hope it was worth it in the end. It is one resource less I have to get this group out of this mess. While Ren would be a massive improvement to our chances once she recovers, even she has no chance against Dan, so a spirit or spirit army as a potential sacrifice might be needed. But this option is no longer on the table.

No matter how much we hurry, the cave just refuses to end, but we find no branching paths either. It is just a never-ending, linear path. And all the time, Ren's condition seems to get worse.

After what feels like another day or two, we finally find a huge, mossy door covered in vines.

"Looks like a boss door to me. It's not like we have any alternatives, so are you ready, Kael? Ephran, you'll stay behind and keep Ren out of trouble. Neither of you is in a position to fight."

The weaponless Ephran gives a thumbs-up and replies, "You got it, boss."

Kael readies his axe, "Yeah, we don't really have a say in the matter. I'm ready when you are."

I begin preparing a spell, "Good, you open the door and I'll ready a lightning spell. If something comes rushing at us, I'll try to stun it. Otherwise, we'll stay back and check the situation properly."

Kael nods, "Leave it to me."

My dwarf friend slowly opens the door, but nothing else moves. From here, I can only see a chest in that room but no monster guarding it. The room seems devoid of poison gas as well.

I had such an encounter once already in the past, so I ask the obvious, "Is it a mimic?", but [Appraise] picks up nothing, "No reaction from my skill."

Kael asks hesitantly, "Should I enter the room?"

"Yes, but slowly. I keep my spell at the ready and follow you."

"Understood", he steps into the room and looks around.

I follow him, and also check the room but find nothing.

"Guess this one's just empty", I give up and cancel my spell so I can move at normal speed again, "[Trap Lore] gives me no reaction from the chest either, so it is either safe or too high level for me. Kael, can you open the chest?"

He replies, "Sure, but if anything is out of place we run."

Kael walks toward the treasure chest, then slowly and carefully opens it.

Surprised he tells us, "It is... empty. So all this ceremony for nothing."

"Eh, better than dying due to carelessness."

He agrees, "Indeed."

I turn around to Ephran and Ren, "Come in, there's nothing in here."

Ephran carries Ren in as ordered. Not sure what to do now, Ren looks even worse for wear than before...

"Hey, uh, Mr. Dwarf, could you please step aside for a moment?", a voice asks Kael.

"Oh, yes, certainly", Kael starts to turn around, then stops shocked, behind him he sees Dan.

What the...?

Where the hell did he come from and why didn't we notice him approach us? You can't miss a freaking mountain sneaking up on you like that! I won't believe that, not even with his stupidly high [Stealth].

Shit. Shit. Shit.

We're so dead now...

....

Or not? Dan just pushes the frozen-in-fear Kael to the side, spits out a bottle and shoves it into Kael's hand, "Give that to your sick friend. Make sure he gets better, yeah? Okay, then, uh, see you later?"

Then he starts to slowly walk away.

The mental fortitude from being undead comes through for me once again, "Wait, wait, wait, hold up. What's going on now?"

Dan stops and explains, "Huh? Uh, I was just giving you medicine for your sick friend. It is no fun to play if one side is at such a massive disadvantage, that's all."

Why the hell is he now trying to be helpful? Did I miss an important cutscene?

"I'm more confused about why you're helping us with that at all. You were trying to kill us not too long ago..."

He scratches his maw, "Oh, the game thing? Yeah, no, we're still doing that. But I didn't want to cheat", he mutters, "not again at least."

He continues in a normal speaking voice, "Thing is if I win like that you'd probably feel cheated and not return to play with me again."

We never agreed to your play anyway, jerk, "So you still don't understand? Your 'game' is to the death. And people die when they are killed. They stay dead, they don't come back. Ever."

He shrugs, "I don't follow. Your two friends I killed at the start have already come back. They are with the other group."

"No, they are different. They are spirits, not humans. They can be revived as long as their summoner is alive."

Dan questions me, "Is that so? ...I'll trust you with that then, sorry. But what about the wolf girl? She came back too!"

Wolf girl? Who does he mean? I know no one that would fit that bill.

Maybe he means Lucia's newest spirit? But it hasn't been that long has it? I could've sworn it was only a couple of days ago that she wrote me, not a week plus for the respawn time.

What am I missing?

He points toward the exit, "She's waiting a few doors down this way. Maybe you should ask her how she did that. If you find out we can play even more!"

I'm utterly confused, "I don't know who you mean but it really sounds like something we should investigate."

The monstrosity replies, "Do that, but take care of your sick friend first, I'll tend to another group first, look how they are doing."

"...please refrain from any more killings. If you truly just want to play with us then hold yourself back."

He sounds uncertain, "I'll... consider that."

And with that, he walks away.

I'm glad I'm undead and don't have any relevant bodily functions anymore, otherwise, I'd have pissed my pants during that encounter...

I look at my companions, but they are still frozen in fear.

I shake Kael awake again, "Hello, earth to Kael. Are you still with us?"

He looks completely and utterly out of it, "W-what? N-no, I'm... yes, still here."

"Give me that", I rip the medicine out of his hands, "urgh, all slimy."

I cast some water magic to clean the bottle.

Guess that will have to suffice for now.

[Appraise] doesn't reveal anything useful about the item, and Ren is about to burn up from the fever... I don't really have any other choice, do I?

Hesitantly, I force some of the liquid medicine down Ren's throat. Once I stop, the rest of the bottle disappears into thin air.

I just hope that was enough.

We gather our bearings and rest for a while. Ren does seem to get better over time. The suspicious medicine worked.

A couple of hours later, Ren is fine again as if nothing ever happened, and we start moving on.