Title: [7th floor] Nethack story of Sery the tourist
       Author: Solène
       Date: 24 November 2020
       Tags: nethack gaming
       Description: 
       
       Sery is back in the fourth floor 4 of the underworld. What mysteries
       are to be discovered? What enemies will be slayed so we can make
       our path?
       
       
       ## Everything is awesome
       
       Sery is in the fourth floor, she found stairs to go deeper but she
       also heard coins flipping. Maybe a merchant is around? That would
       be the right opportunity to buy weapons, armor and food.
       
       ```
                      --------------
                      |............|
                     #.@...........+
                     #|............|
                     #|..>...$.....|
                     #--------------
                     ###
                       #
                       ##
                        #
                        #
                        #
                        #
                -- -----#
                     <  #
                |      |
                |      |
                --------
       ```
       
       After walking to a new room south-east, she found a large room with a
       hobbit statue `h` and a potion on the floor. The potion is not
       identified, so using it will be very risky.
       
       The large room was a dead end. Back to the previous room Sery was now
       surrounded by enemies.  A gas spore `e`, a green mold `F` and a giant
       bug `:`! She also felt hungry at the time, but she had to fight. Eggs
       and pancakes will be for another time.
       
       ```
                  --------------
                  |.F..........|
                 #.:.....@..e..-#
                 #|............|#
                 #|..>...d.....|#
                 #--------------#
                 ###            #
       ```
       
       While fleeing to the ascending stairs to search a merchant on this
       floor while escaping enemies, a gecko was blocking the way. Sery had to
       fight with her fists and fortunately the gecko didn't oppose much
       resistance. But a few steps later, a goblin was also in the path.
       Sery's dog location is unknown, it was certainly fighting in the
       previous room.  Sery decided to drink a potion to recover from her 2 HP
       left and go back to the room, in hope the dog can help her.
       
       It worked! The dog was just behind and charged the goblin would die
       instantly. The dog was starving and ate the goblin freshly killed, Sery
       was hungry too but preferred eating some pancake that wasn't fresh, it
       had better taste than the remaining goblin meat tin can she had in her
       purse.
       
       ```
                                      --------------
                                      |            |
                                     #.............-#
                                     #|            |#
             ---------------         #|  >         |#
             .........o....|         #--------------#
             |.............|         ###            #
             |.......$....@d##         #            #
             --------------- ###       ##           #
                               #        #           #
                               #        #   `##################
                               #        #           #--------- --
                               #        #           #|         h|
                               #-- -----#           #|          |
                               #     <  #           #           |
                                |      |             |          |
                                |      |             |          |
                                --------             ------------
       ```
       
       On the first steps in the room, she found a graffiti on the ground:
       
       > Atta?king a? ec| vhere the?c is rone i? usually a ?a?al mistakc!
       
       The message didn't make any sense. The room had a goblin statue and
       some gold on the ground, it's all Sery had to know. The room was calm
       and nothing happened when crossing it. Sery seemed to be blessed!
       
       ```
               -----
               |....##  
               |@..| ###
               -----   #
       ```
       
       Nearby she found a very small room with no other way than the entrance.
        This looked very suspicious and she decided to spend some time looking
       around for a clue about a secret door. She was right! A few minutes
       after she started to search, she found a hidden door! The door was not
       locked, which was surprising. Who knows what was waiting on the other
       side?
       
       After walking a bit in a small and dark corridor, a new room was here,
       with an empty box along a wall and a grave in a corner in the opposite
       side of the room.
       
       ```
                    -----
                    |    ##                           --------------
                   #-   | ###                         |            |
                   #-----   #                        #             -#
                   ##       #                        #|            |#
                    ##      #---------------         #|  >         |#
                     ##     #         o    |         #--------------#
             ---------#      |             |         ###            #
             |.......|#      |              ##         #            #
             |........#      --------------- ###       ##           #
             |.......|                         #        #           #
             |(@......                         #        #   `##################
             |......||                         #        #           #--------- --
             ---------                         #        #           #|         h|
                                               #-- -----#           #|          |
                                               #     <  #           #           |
                                                |      |             |          |
                                                |      |             |          |
                                                --------             ------------
       ```
       
       The large box was locked! Without lock pick she wasn't able to open it.
        After all she went through in the dungeon, anger gave her some
       strength to break the box padlock after a few kicks in it.
       
       The box contained the following objects:
       
       - a pyramidal amulet
       - a food ration
       - a black gem
       - two green gems
       
       She still had some room on her bag, it wasn't too heavy for now so she
       decided to take everything from the box.
       
       Kicking the box consumed energy and she decided to restart a little,
       and eat something. The food ration from the box looked very tasty but
       it may be poisoned or toxic so she avoid it and ate goblin meat in tin
       can. It wasn't good, but did the job.
       
       She looked at the grave, it was old and only had engraved words on it
       which appeared to be
       
       > Yes Dear, just a few more minutes...
       
       A corridor in the room was leading to a dead end. There was nothing.
       Even after searching for a long time, Sery didn't find any way there so
       she decided to go back and descend to the next floor.
       
       On a way back, she had to fight monsters: a newt, a sewer rat, a gas
       spore! After the fights, hunger was back again! It was time for a good
       meal: goblin meat and food ration. It did hit the spot and Sery felt a
       lot better.
       
       
       ## Fifth floor
       
       In the fifth floor, a potion `!` was lying on the ground. There was
       some light, it wasn't completely dark, without a lamp or a torch this
       would be a real problem.
       
       ```
           ---------
           |.......+
           |.......|
           |@......|
           |..d.!..|
           |........
           ------- -
       ```
       
       
       In a corridor leading to a room in the south, she had to kill a coyote
       in the way.  The room had a teleportation trap and an apple `%`, food!
       
       Going east, she walked through a long corridor until a dead end. After
       searching for some time she found a way to get a body through a hole
       and get to the other side. A boulder was in the tunnel but she have
       been able to push it, fortunately the bolder was rolling fine.
       
       ```
           ---------
           |       +
           |       |
           |<      |
           |       |
           |        
           ------- -
                  #
                  #
                  ##
                   #
                   ##
                    #
                    #      #           #                    ##
                 --- ------#           #             #      @
                 |         #################################`
                 |    ^   |
                 ----------
       ```
       
       Sery found a new room with two potions and a gnome. It was hard for
       Sery to know if the gnome was hostile
       
       ```
                       -.--|--
                       +..!G.|
              #        |...!.|
               ########d@....|
               #       |.....|
           ####`       -------
       ```
       
       
       The dog got triggered by the gnome presence and ran to fight the gnome.
       The gnome was definitely hostile. Sery ended quickly in hand-to-hand
       combat with the gnome.
       
       The camera's flash! She thought it should work, after all the camera
       still had forty seven pictures to take, or enemies to blind.
       
       It worked, the poor creature got blinded, the dog was biting its back.
       After a few hits, the gnome died, leaving a bow on the ground.
       
       Continuing her way, Sery found the room with the descending stairs.
       There were a homunculus `i` and a sewer rat `r` waiting. She knew the
       rat was an easy target but the other enemy was unknown. It didn't
       appeared friendly and she doubted to be able to kill it without risking
       her life.
       
       ```
           ---------
           |       +                                               -------------
           |       |                                               |...........|
           |<      |                                               -....>!.....|
           |       |                                               |...........|
           |                                                       ....i....r..|
           ------- -                                               -- -------@--
                  #                                                         ##
                  #                                                       ###
                  ##                                                    ###
                   #                                                - --)--
                   ##                                               +     |
                    #                                      #        |  )  |
                    #      #           #                    ########      |
                 --- ------#           #             #      #       |     |
                 |         #################################`       -------
                 |    ^   |
                 ----------
       ```
       
       Sery decided to go back to the long corridor which had cross ways.
       
       ```
           ---------
           |       +                                               -------------
           |       |                                               |           |
           |<      |                                               -    >!     |
           |       |                                               |           |
           |                                                                   |
           ------- -                                               -- ------- --
                  #                                                         ##
                  #                                                       ###
                  ##                                                    ###
                   #                                                -.--|--
                   ##                                      #########i@....|
                    #                                #######        |..)..|
                    #      #           #             #      ########......|
                 --- ------#           #             #      #       |)....|
                 |         #################################`       -------
                 |    ^   |
                 ----------
       ```
       
       The homunculus was fast! It found Sery back from where they met. Sery
       was in troubles. The homunculus seemed hard to escape and while fleeing
       in a corridor, a dwarf zombie `Z` blocked the way.
       
       She tried to fight it but she lost 9 HP in 2 hits, the beast was very
       powerful. It was time to drink the random potions she got over the
       journey. They were unidentified but there was no choice, except praying
       maybe.
       
       Praying! Sery wasn't a believer but praying was the best she could do. 
       Her pray was deep and pure, she only wanted to have some hope for her
       future and her quest.
       
       **The Lady** heard her pray, Sery got surrounded by a shimmering light.
        The dwarf zombie attacked Sery but got pulled back by some energy
       field.  Sery felt a lot better, her health was fully recovered and also
       increased.
       
       ```
                       #########-.....|
                 #######        |..)..|
                 #      #Z@#####......|
                 #      #       |)....|
               #########`       -------
       ```
       
       Sery got a second chance, she certainly wanted to make a good use of
       it.  At this time, the only thought in her mind was: RUN AWAY
       
       She did run, very fast, to the stairs leading deeper. None enemies made
       troubles in her retreat.
       
       
       ## Sixth floor
       
       No time to look in the room she arrived, Sery got attacked by a brown
       mold, which in turn was killed by her dog.
       
       ```
           ------
           |....|
           |....|
           |.d@.|
           |....|
           |....|
           |....|
           --.---
       ```
       
       The room had only way to the south.  Finding a merchant was becoming
       urgent. Her food supplies were depleting. She had a lot of money but
       that is not helpful in the middle of the underground among the
       monsters.
       
       In the south room there was a lichen `F`, but it seemed peaceful, or
       guarding the stairs to descend to seventh floor, who knows? The room
       had no other entrance than the one by which Sery came, but after
       examining the walls, she found a door.
       
       ```
            ------
            |    |
            |    |
            |  < |
            |    |
            |    |
            |    |
            -- ---
              ####
                 #
                 #
                 ##
             ----- -      -----
             |     |     |....|
             |.F...-#####@....|
             |>    |     |....|
             -------      .!...
                          -----
       ```
       
       Nothing unusual in this floor. Continuing her progresses through the
       tunnels, she ended in a dark room, she wasn't able to see further than
       a meter away.
       
       ```
            ------
            |    |              -------------
            |    |             |          .d|
            |  < |            #-          .@|
            |    |            #----       -.-
            |    |            #
            |    |            ##
            -- ---             #
              ####             #
                 #             #
                 #             #
                 ##            #
             ----- -     ------#
             |     |     |    |#
             |     -#####     |#
             |>    |     |    |#
             -------     |     #
                         ------
       ```
       
       One more step and she came face to face with a homunculus. Fortunately
       the dog was just behind and not fighting any other aggressive animals.
       The dog killed it fast.  But then another homunculus came, which also
       got killed by the dog.
       
       In the end, those homunculus are pretty weak.
       
       Room after room, with only emptiness as a friend, Sery walked for a
       long time.  And then he appeared! The merchant !
       
       ```
            ------
            |    |              -------------                                      ------
            |    |             |            |                                      |????|
            |  < |            #-            |                                      |????|
            |    |            #----       - -                                      |???+|
            |    |            #            ##                                      |??+?|
            |    |            ##            #                                      |+??+|
            -- ---             #            #                                      |.@.
              ####             #        ---- -#                                    -@-
                 #             #        |    -#                                     #
                 #             #        |    |      |            -- ------        ###
                 ##            #        |    -######|                    |        #
             ----- -     ------#        |    |     #|            |                #
             |     |     |    |#        |  <      ##         #### `      |        #
             |     -#####     |#        ------    ######     #   |        ###### - ----
             |>    |     |    |#                       #######   |     _ |     # |    |
             -------     |     #                                 |       |     ##     |
                         ------                                  ---------       ------
       ```
       
       He was a bookseller, selling scrolls... Sery was so disappointed by
       this, she felt helpless for a moment.