Chapter 5: Beneath the Ashes
The undead scratched and clawed at the boarded windows, their groans rattling through the thin walls like a slow drumbeat of doom.
Andrew, pacing the room like a general in training, knocked over a loose rug and paused.
"Wait… what's that?"
Underneath, nestled into the rotting wooden floor, was a trapdoor. Iron handle. Rusted edges. A faint draft seeped through the cracks.
"You've got to be kidding me," Mario said, gripping his shield. "Secret passage? This place has DLC."
Andrew smirked. "All the best haunted houses come with a secret level."
He pulled the trapdoor open with a creak that echoed through the room. A ladder disappeared into blackness. The air smelled of mold, damp stone, and something far less pleasant.
"You're not actually suggesting—"
Andrew had already started climbing down. "I'm suggesting we don't wait around to become zombie appetizers."
Mario sighed. "You're lucky you have plot armor."
The tunnel led into the village's sewage system—a narrow, stone-lined corridor with ankle-deep water and just enough torch sconces to be creepy.
They crept forward, every splash of their boots echoed tenfold. The deeper they went, the louder the noises above faded—replaced by something… worse.
A wet dragging sound. Ragged breaths.
Shadows flickered ahead.
Andrew motioned for silence.
Suddenly , an undead lunged from the side tunnel, jaw gaping, teeth yellow.
Andrew reacted on instinct. His sword glowed faintly green as he slashed clean through the creature's skull. It collapsed with a groan, unmoving.
Another emerged. Then two more.
Andrew spun, magic blazing from his hand. FIRE BURST exploded in a confined arc, blasting the undead into the tunnel walls. Two dropped. One kept moving.
He stepped forward, blade steady, and finished the job with a downward strike.
Mario stood frozen, wide-eyed.
"You okay?" Andrew asked, breathing hard.
Mario stared. "You… you just turned into a boss-level NPC."
A soft ding sounded again, and a new panel floated in front of Andrew:
[LEVEL UP]
New Skills Unlocked.
+1 Strength | +2 Magic | +1 Reflex
Andrew's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I think I am the main character."
Mario blinked. "Wait, what does that make me?"
Andrew paused, deadpan. "The guy who dies in the second battle to fuel my trauma arc."
Mario raised a brow. "…Sure."
They followed the sewer deeper until they found a stairwell that led to a hidden substructure—carved stone walls, columns, and old iron lanterns.
A room opened at the end, and inside: a library.
Ancient books. Sealed scrolls. Symbols carved into marble. It looked untouched for centuries.
"What is this?" Mario asked, stepping carefully inside.
"A library," Andrew muttered, running his fingers along a dusty spine. "In the sewer. Because of course it's in the sewer."
Suddenly, a growl echoed behind them.
Three more undead emerged from the corridor. One was faster—lunging before Mario could raise his shield. It sank its teeth deep into Mario's shoulder.
"AHH—GET IT OFF!" he screamed.
Andrew reacted in a blur—sword slashing across the creature's neck, then torching the next one with magic.
Mario dropped to his knees, panting, clutching his arm.
"You okay?" Andrew asked, panic in his voice.
"It bit me. I think I'm gonna turn into one of those things—"
"No. No way. Not letting that happen." Andrew scanned the room. His eyes locked onto a glass case in the back. Inside: a glowing vial marked in silver with a single word:
CURE
He smashed the case, grabbed the vial, and helped Mario drink it.
The bite wound sizzled. Mario groaned. Then… nothing.
"I feel… okay?" he said, blinking.
Andrew nodded. "No zombification today, thanks."
"You sure you're not the protagonist?"
"I'm starting to believe it."
They exited the sewers through a crumbling stone archway and finally reached the outskirts of the village. The fog was clearing. The drums were silent.
And standing on the road ahead were three figures in long cloaks. One tall, one slim, one built like a tank. Their faces weren't clear, but something about them felt… familiar.
Mario whispered, "Wait… is that—?"
Andrew stepped forward. "No way… Are those—?"
The tallest figure pulled back their hood.
And Andrew's jaw dropped.