Kaius''s legs shook as the undead pressed down on his sword. Leverage or not, it was a bad match up. Even at such a relatively low level its strength clearly exceeded his own. Regardless if he needed to train his skills or not, there had to be a better way than going toe to toe with undead in an avenue where he held none of the advantages.

    A flick of his wrist disengaged their bind. Kaius pivoted his blade, sending the undead''s arming sword skittering down its length and away from his body.

    **Ding! Block has reached level 3!**

    "Still a bit too risky, I think." He thought to himself as he stepped back to create some distance from the undead. Still, he would need to do it at some point, and blocking higher level creatures with a significant strength advantage would do wonders for his skill growth.

    The undead charged back in, sword held ready to slash him. The dance continued unabated.

    He relied on his footwork, allowing a few more stinging glancing blows that failed to penetrate his chainmail. He was careful to avoid anything that looked like it would allow the undead to connect with the full might of its strength. A simple side step or parry took care of those. Even if the chain held up and protected him from being eviscerated, a full force blow would be enough to splinter bone. He''d had enough grievous injuries for one day.

    Finally, with a last glancing slash across his stomach, Kaius got the notification he had been waiting for.

    **Ding! General Skill Available! Would you like to learn: Medium Armour Mastery (Uncommon)?**

    A satisfied smile crossed his face as he saw that he had achieved his intended result from this unorthodox spar.

    The final militiaman tried to capitalise on his momentary distraction, sword lashing out in a heavy chop. Its last attempt. Kaius parried the blow, lunging forwards as his sword screeched up the length of his opponent''s blade. The tip of his sword took it cleanly through its face, joined by a wet crunch as it pierced the bone.

    **Ding! level 13 Wretched Militiaman slain**

    Kaius rose from his lunge, flicking his sword to clear off the worst of the excess viscera. He wiped it briefly on one of the undead''s shirts, before returning it to its sheath.

    As he walked back to his pack he pulled up his latest skills description

    Medium Armour Mastery:

    Level 1

    Uncommon

    If you are too slow? Too encumbered? You will get surrounded. Overwhelmed. If you forgo all but the slightest defence? You cannot avoid a horde. You die. Find the balance, and you might just survive.

    Skill that increases the defensive efficacy and manoeuvrability of worn medium armour.

    Each level slightly increases the integrity of worn medium armour.

    Each level minutely decreases medium armour''s impact on range of motion.

    As Kaius came further around the gentle bend of the glade the clean line of the cavern wall was abruptly disturbed by a pile of rough boulders erupting from the stone, having previously been occluded from his view by the dense vegetation.

    Kaius slowed, dropping from a brisk walk to eventually stop as his eyes narrowed in on the disruption. He palmed the hilt of his sword, loosening it so that he could draw it at a moment''s notice. He was still a good way off, but he had learnt more than once that a moment of carelessness was all it took in the depths.

    Stepping deeper into the treeline, Kaius dropped into an easy stalk as he approached the disruption to the monotony of his surroundings. As he approached, the boulders parted to reveal a massive cave entrance, easily three times his height.

    He flexed his fingers, hand instinctively drifting closer to his sword as he stopped dead once more.

    There was only one other breach in the cavern that he had seen of a similar size, the hunters lodge on the other side of the glade. Where he had faced a Champion. Where he had almost died.

    Unlike the lodge, this opening seemed to penetrate far deeper as the passage shot away from the glade. A poor angle and shadowy interior prevented him from peering deep into its contents. His eyes scanned the boulders, their nooks and crannies providing a perfect spot for an ambush.

    He found nothing.

    Without any evidence of hostiles, and with Explorers Toolkit being notably silent, Kaius forced himself to approach. Ready for a horde to come barreling towards him at the slightest hint of movement.

    Dipping slightly deeper into the trees for greater cover, Kaius brought himself closer with agonising caution. Now positioned front and centre before the opening, he crouched behind a bush and peered deep into the side passage.

    Running deep into the rock, a sharp bend obscured its depths. Its interior was bare, only the rare stalagmite and stalactite breaking up the rough stone that formed its edges. Even in the cave proper he saw no sign of anything living or undead.

    There was one thing that jumped out at him. Muddied by the light of the omnipresent moss, a soft muted glow seemed to emanate from around the caves bend. The only reason he even noticed it in the first place was its soft yellow colour, standing out in contrast with the pale blue tint that he had grown so used to. Whatever it was, there was something down the cave.

    Still, with such a large opening, he doubted it was undefended. He''d be back, but for now he wanted to put a league or two behind him and make a better pace back to his camp. He readied himself to move on, still keeping himself hidden in the dense brush of the tree line in case something was watching.

    The wind changed.

    A soft warm gust washed over him from deep within the cave. It brought with it a scent of power, electrifying and filled with notes of growth, springtime, and the breaching of roots through fertile spring soil. The scent of magic, alchemy, and natural wonders. His skin puckered, hairs rising as a cascade of sparks ran up his spine.

    **Ding! Explorers Toolkit has reached level 3!**

    Explorers Toolkit screamed at him to investigate, the tantalising smell causing his skill to fire with mad abandon at the allure of the bait. His foot paused halfway through his next step as he stopped fast.

    It was bait, sure as a demon lives in the hells. Nothing that could set off a treasure sense skill with that much power would be undefended, let alone in the depths.

    "I really shouldn''t," He thought.

    He would have to be a moron to go in there. Even if there was something good, it wasn''t going anywhere. He could return, stronger and more prepared to face down whatever horrible creature waited to rip his throat out. On the other hand, a powerful reward could change everything, even the kinds that you would find on the second layer.

    "Fuck it."

    Kaius turned back to the cave.