Zane walked into the dungeon, his sword drawn and his shield in front of him. He had no idea what to expect. The area in front of him was dark and he realized he didn't have any way to make light. He stopped just inside the entrance, the light from the entryway still illuminating the area around him. This could be a major problem. He had no knowledge of how to make torches that would last and there was obviously nothing like a flashlight here.
Just as he thought he would have to go back outside and figure out something, lights along the wall started to shine. They gave off a pleasant blue light. Zane walked up and tapped one with his finger. It was some kind of crystal and he saw nothing inside it that could give off light. Tapping it did not make any liquid move and there was no kind of filament or source for the light to come from. He did notice that the hand that was touching the crystal was beginning to tinkle. There was an energy coming off the light. It must be mana. That would make this mana crystal.
"Well, kitty, I'm glad we don't have to be in the dark. Hopefully these things go throughout this entire dungeon, otherwise, I'm screwed." The cat didn't even respond with a meow, though its purring did get a little louder. Zane laughed, amused by himself. Of course, a cat couldn't respond to him, but he'd probably keep talking to her anyway. It was just nice to have someone with him.
He took a deep breath and continued into the dungeon. He was feeling very nervous about this and hoped that things would turn out well. The hall soon opened up into a large room that had a fountain in the middle of it. The fountain had water flowing from the top, cascading into a small bowl that was then overflowing into a much larger basin. What an odd thing to have here. He walked over and touched the water. He could feel the mana in the water and he then scooped some in his hand and took a drink. He could feel the energy flowing throughout his body. It was revitalizing. It also helped to calm his nerves. The cat jumped off his pack onto the edge of the basin and leaned forward, lapping up the water with its tongue.
Zane smiled as he watched the cat drink its fill. Once the cat was done, it jumped back onto his pack and settled down and started to wash its face. Zane grabbed his water bottle and filled it with the mana water. He took a long drink and then refilled it, securing it to his pack. "I hope this isn't the only fountain like this in this dungeon."
He stood back up and, with sword and shield in hand, walked out of the opposite side of the room. This hallway stretched for only a couple 100 feet and ended with a large double set of doors. This is where the dungeon really started.
Zane put one of his hands on the door and both sides swung open without any pressure from him. After he had gone in a few feet, the doors closed and he was sure he wouldn't be able to get back out until he completed the dungeon. He was grateful that the blue lights embedded in the walls were still there.
As he walked down the hall, he could hear a faint squeak ahead of him. Soon he could see a small figure close to the ground. It was some kind of small rodent. Of course, he didn't realize how far away he was from it. As he got closer, he realized it wasn't as small as he thought. It was easily the size of a medium sized dog, but it was obviously a rat. It lifted its head and looked at him with red, beady eyes. It hissed at him and charged.
Zane was surprised and got his shield up in time to catch the rat as it jumped at him and he push it away. It fell to the floor with a large thud and quickly got back on its feet. It immediately jumped at him again and he once again pushed it away with his shield. This happened several more times.
The sixth time the rat jumped at him, Zane didn't block it with his shield. He stepped to the side and swung his sword, slicing through the rat as it flew past him. The two pieces of the animal fell to the floor with a sickening squish.
He wiped the little bit of blood that has splashed onto his face with his hands. He was kind of grossed out by it, but fighting and killing meant that there would be bloodshed. It was inevitable that some of it would get on him.
Zane stared at a dead body for a good minute, trying to decide what he was going to do. One thing he remembered from all these games was that monsters left loot. He wondered if it would be that way here and if he would have to extract the loot himself.
To his amazement, the corpse began to sink into the floor and soon nothing was left except a large tooth. He picked up the tooth, studying it. "I guess this is the loot. At least I didn't have to cut it out of its mouth."
He continued walking down the hallway and found that the area where the rat had been was just a little larger. You couldn't even call it a room, more like the hallway that had just bulged a little bit to make a little more room. He continued past that little bulge and soon found another rat and another bulge.
Just like the first rat, it hissed at him and charged. Zane was ready for it this time and sidestepped, slashing the rat in half. The body disappeared and he got another tooth. "Do you know anything about these teeth, Kitty? Are they worth keeping?" He could almost hear the cat saying, 'Why are you asking me? I'm only here for the ride.' He stored this one away with the other one and kept walking.
He kept walking and the hall went straight. Every couple hundred feet, there was another rat and another bulge. This pattern repeated eight more times. He finally came to another set of double doors. He shook his head in disappointment. "I know they said that this would be a simple dungeon but this is too simple. They could have at least given me a room or a turn." He wondered if this door actually led anywhere or if it was just a room that would be another disappointment. There was only one way to find out.