Zephyr looked at her father, but he just kept smiling at her.

He was actually serious.

Taking a deep breath, Zephyr asked the others, "OK.

Status check - is anyone injured? Ozzy shrugged.

"He hit me with the flat of the blade; just bruised me for 10 points.""No one injured - then I need to know how prepared everyone is.

I have a full load of concussion bombs, fire bombs, acid bombs, and a couple of sleep bombs.

A dozen basic healing and mana potions, and 4 stamina potions - plus, various buffs and utilities.

I'll be second line I guess, but if they come at me, I'm just defensive with my staff and covering for backline.

I have full health and mana.

Dad?"Aliester pointed to his bandolier and pouch on his side.

"Full load of all my potions; my spatial inventory carries a good amount of advanced healing and mana potions, along with a few dozen utility of the standard sort.

I have only a few small concussion bombs, as for some reason all of my stock seems to have been pilfered.

Luckily I had extra fire bombs to grab." "I'll be backline.

I don't use as much offense as Zephyr and can't throw as far as her staff sling.My health is full, as is mana and stamina."Ozzy was amused by the way the two alchemists went through their predungeon checklist.

Aliester had most likely done some adventuring at some point in his career and approached it professionally.

Zephyr had obviously been trained in the same style.

Ozzy spoke when Aliester was done.

"I'm full up on my stats except that 10 points I mentioned.

I'll be trying to use this new weapon to attune to it, but if we run into more than a couple of rats I'll start swinging with my fists.

My cleavers only get used on meat, bone, or undead creatures."Zephyr looked at Ozzy.

He had the size for a tank, but what he wore was barely leather armor.

She was pretty worried about him getting torn up.

But of the three of them, he was the obvious front line fighter.

She didn't like the whole 'party leader' thing.

It felt like a big weight of responsibility.

"Do you have any spells or special abilities Ozzy? Suzette has some magic, and Rolly is crazy when he goes full Shepherd on people.""Spells? Not really.

A couple of cantrips - one light, one dark.

I took one called 'Cleansing' from the list of light magic cantrips - saves a ton of time after work cleaning my clothes; probably good to use it on wounds.

For my curse, I took 'Weakness'.

It gives one creature a vulnerability to one attack form for a minute.

Just an extra 10 points of damage per hit, but every bit helps.""Not much else.

I can see a bit in darkness, look menacing, and insult their mothers.

Oh, and I'm a bit fire resistant if I know I'm about to burn."This was starting to worry Zephyr.

They really didn't have much of a party here.

But Dad always stressed that you 'played with what you got,' so they'd have to make do.

"Dad, give Ozzy three each of your advanced stamina and healing potions.

Use those when you need them Ozzy; dad probably has a bunch."Ozzy took the three healing potions but shook his head at the stamina.

"Keep those, I won't need them.

Contract Workers have a lot of stamina, and we regen fast." Zephyr frowned at that.

Warriors always needed more stamina.

"You'll be using a lot, fighting.

How much do you have at this point?"Ozzy brought up his sheet.

"I just hit level 4.

That upped my stamina to nearly four thousand; sitting at 3880.

Health is at 1240.

I can regain my stamina in about two hours if I'm eating and resting, and about four hours for health.

"That brought a surprised squeak out of Zephyr.

"Oh my god!! How do you have that much? I've got a little over 300 stamina and health at level 4."Aliester cleared his throat.

"Now dear, it's generally rude to be asking someone for their abilities.

Although, I am astounded by that stamina number.

Suzette had said all the workers had traded a unique build that traded off many of your primary skills for increased statistics.

This just confirms it.

I'd think based on his physique that he also has a very high CON and STR for his level.""But since you were forthcoming with your own numbers, I'll let you know that at Level 8 I now have over 600 health and stamina.

That's considered high for a spell caster.

But, of course, my build is a bit of a hybrid.

Alchemists tend to have high CON.""And I have very high mental stats; I'm proud to say I have over 1000 mana.

That usually isn't achieved by most mages until the third tier.

Zephyr laughed.

"1080 to be exact, he may have mentioned it to me or mom a few times."Ozzy looked puzzled.

"Now that's interesting.

I just hit 1040."Zephyr looked stunned.

But Aliester was completely flabbergasted.

"1040??!! But how? You're a butcher!""What my rude father is trying to say is: "My good sir, that is an impressive feat.

We don't mean to pry but perhaps you could explain?" Zephyr felt that as party leader she should set a good example for her father.Ozzy looked at his sheet then dismissed it.

"Not much to explain.

Contract workers get 200 health, stamina, and mana at level 0 and it goes up 200 a level.

It comes in handy.

We don't get tired, and we can work long shifts.

If we get small injuries, it's no big deal.

And some skills use cantrips.

Suzette does all the brewing now for Derek.

He can barely do two casks a day and he's drained.

She was going to do 10 this morning before we got sidetracked by rats.

"Aliester shook his head sadly.

"Thirty years of studying, level 8, and a 17 Intelligence and I'm barely ahead of you by 40 mana; which you can only use for cantrips."Zephyr bounced up from where she was sitting.

"Come on Daddy, let’s go kill some rats! That will make you feel better!"Moving down the large hallway, they all wondered at the architecture.

The stones were quarried and shaped, but not polished like the interior of most buildings.

Every ten yards there were half pillars on each wall supporting elaborate arches.

The ceiling in between them a couple of feet higher up and rougher, as it was hewn from solid stone.

Each pillar had a brazier attached to it, throwing mostly shadows and not lighting even as far as the ceiling.

Some of the stones seemed to have carvings on them, but they were so worn that you could never quite make them out.

Now and then a gargoyle stared down from an arch or perched next to a sconce.

Ozzy made a habit of tapping their heads with his weapon, just in case.

After a couple of hundred feet, they came to a cross road.

The muddy foot prints of the rat-kin turned right.

They heard nothing from either direction.

Both men looked at Zephyr.

"You’re making me pick? Fine, let’s go to the left then, and see what we find besides rats."

This corridor seemed almost identical to the first.

But about fifty feet in, Ozzy felt a flagstone move under his foot and emit a tell-tale 'click' sound.

He yelled "Trap!" and started to step back, but before he could, the jaws of a steel trap shut on his leg, immobilizing him.

Zephyr saw small cracks open in the stone and large centipedes poured out.

"Dad.

Small firebombs, take the right!" Ozzy couldn't stomp bugs with his right foot immobilized at an odd angle.

He was trying vainly to swat them away with the billhook, but it was poorly suited to the task.

The firebombs went off to either side of him.

Forewarned, he took no damage and burned a bit of stamina.

Most of the bugs were incinerated, but there had been dozens.

Your party has kille 37 giant centipedes.

You have been bitten 13 times for 13 points of physical damage and 85, 59 poison damage.