《Legend of the Awakened Goblin [Tower Climbing LitRPG]》


 Prologue

    The Great Forest Dungeon was bigger than a mountain. It was a giant monolith on the horizon, impossible to miss. Even from the moment Marijan entered Izylia, he could see the gigantic tree so terribly far away. The land between the country and the dungeon was untamed wilderness with nothing more threatening than a few hungry coyotes. Everything dangerous would be through the front door.


    It had been a long adventure from Brukiya. So long that it was difficult to believe the Great Forest Dungeon was now so close.


    Marijan looked up at the massive tree. The clouds obscured the top, making it look like a giant pillar of wood that stretched to the heavens. Just before him was a pitch black door big enough to fit an entire building through.


    ¡°One last check?¡± Branko asked. The soldier had already unsheathed his longsword to check over the blade, as if he hadn¡¯t done so every night of their journey.


    Marijan checked his belt for potions. Buff Intelligence, Shield, Invisibility, and two Heal potions all hung from his belt. They clinked when he walked. Branko had told him numerous times that they were giving up any amount of surprise with the noise he made, as if Branko didn¡¯t clank with his chainmail.


    The Great Forest was going to be Marijan¡¯s first dungeon. It was most people¡¯s first dungeon. Rumors said it was the easiest, at least as far as dungeons went.


    ¡°Ten years in the making,¡± Marijan said, grinning. He waved his hand, trailing a little faint light behind his finger. His index opened right before his eyes, which drew Branko¡¯s attention.


    Level: 8


    Strength: 82


    Constitution: 83


    Dexterity: 102


    Intelligence: 135


    Wisdom: 105


    Charisma: 103


    ¡°When did you level up?¡± Branko asked as he sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Last night when I lit the campfire. You didn¡¯t notice?¡± Marijan grinned. ¡°Jealous?¡±


    Branko rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll level up fast enough protecting you from the goblins.¡±


    Marijan had no doubt about that. He had heard so many stories about the first floor of the Great Forest. Most of the dungeons were complete mysteries. Even if Marijan found someone who had conquered the dungeon, they wouldn¡¯t tell him anything about it. People liked to keep the mysteries of the dungeons to themselves. And for good reason. But the people of Izylia had many stories about the goblin caves on the first floor.


    ¡°Quick, sneaky,¡± Marijan said, repeating the warnings he had gotten.


    ¡°Rude,¡± Branko finished.


    They both laughed.


    Ever since Marijan had been assigned the class ¡°Wizard¡± on his fifteenth birthday, he had been eager to adventure. Branko had trained hard to become a soldier, and he was a damn good one.


    ¡°Give me one more second,¡± Marijan said.


    He flipped his index to his spells. Three Power 1 spells were ready to go at a thought.


    Illuminate


    Discharge


    Fire Arrow


    Examine


    Those were good for quick mobs, but anything stronger would require one of his Power 2 spells, which he was still uncertain about, even if Branko thought Marijan had all the confidence in the world.


    Lightning


    Electrify


    His intelligence was high enough to cast both, but the drain on his mana was deadly. The minimum intelligence for Lightning was 145. As soon as they found difficult enemies, he would need to use his Divine Intelligence Buff potion. It only lasted twenty four hours, so if it ran out, it would make the rest of the floors difficult. Unless they managed to find more potions.


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    ¡°Ready?¡± Branko asked.


    Soldiers had so little to prepare before battle. Marijan was jealous.


    ¡°You¡¯re leading, aren¡¯t you?¡± the wizard asked.


    Branko strapped his shield to his forearm and strode right into the black doorway. Marijan followed and shivered as the absolute darkness washed over him. His stomach turned as if he had just been dropped from a cliff, then he immediately found himself in a cave. The black doorway was right behind them, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through again, even if they tried. The only exits were at the end of each of the ten floors beside the stairs leading up to the next floor.


    Entering Great Forest Dungeon


    First Floor


    Two bars appeared at the bottom left of Marijan¡¯s vision, one red and one blue. Outside, he had to open his index to find his mana and health.


    ¡°Do you see your health and mana?¡± Marijan asked.


    Branko nodded, scanning the wide hallway before them. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping mineral-filled water on the uneven ground. Light from outside, despite the pitch-black door, illuminated the hall until it split into three hallways.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get dark in there,¡± Branko said.


    Marijan pointed at the soldier¡¯s sword and cast Illuminate, causing the blade to glow like a torch. His mana bar drained about a quarter of the way. It refilled on its own, but it was terribly slow. At 150 Intelligence, the recharge rate would double.


    Branko pointed it toward the ground, keeping the light from his eyes. ¡°Follow close. Quick, sneaky, rude.¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± It had taken ten years to get ready for the first dungeon. There were stories of fifteen year olds going into a dungeon right as their class was assigned, but Marijan didn¡¯t believe it. His intelligence was hardly high enough for Power 2 spells, and he had trained hard.


    Branko¡¯s footsteps echoed with the dripping water. He lingered at the fork. The middle entrance had some soft candlelight and some chatter. The right was silent and wound around a tight corner. The left was the widest path, but had the sound of stone scraping on stone.


    Branko nodded to the middle, then shuffled forward. Marijan had nothing in his hands. Even as a trained wizard, it felt odd to not carry a weapon. He felt a little naked compared to Branko¡¯s sword and shield combo.


    Just inside the middle path was a broken wooden chair. Splinters covered the stone ground. Some mushrooms had started to grow out of the chair legs. Branko carefully stepped over the broken pieces, then grunted and held his shield up. An arrow pinged off the metal shield.


    Marijan hopped over the chair legs and crouched to the side of Branko.


    Two goblins stood amongst shattered furniture, throwing insults at them. The goblins were short green people with wild hair. One had bright orange hair like fire, and the other had sky blue hair that stuck up in tight curls. They wore ragged clothes and oddly wide faces with long, pointed ears.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Marijan said. He had never seen a goblin before. They were only present in two of the dungeons, and were most commonly known for the Great Forest.


    One had a bow and was drawing another arrow, and the other had a wooden club that it had just lit on fire from a nearby candle.


    ¡°Some help,¡± Branko said, keeping his shield up.


    Marijan pointed his finger and casted Fire Arrow. It formed alongside his finger, looking just like the arrow the goblin was about to shoot, except Marijan¡¯s was made entirely of fire. It formed quicker than the goblin could draw his bow. As soon as it was formed, Marijan shot the arrow, letting the recoil push his arm back.


    The fire arrow flew through the air, identical to a normal arrow, and lodged itself right in the center of the archer¡¯s forehead. The goblin said something quietly, wobbled, and collapsed. Marijan saw the experience notification float quickly through his view. He needed a lot before level 9, but any small amount would help, even the 10 he got from the goblin.


    Branko, with the threat of archery gone, charged through the broken furniture and shield bashed the other goblin. It flew back and crashed into a stalagmite.


    The goblin jumped back to its feet and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll piss on you,¡± right as Branko sliced its head off.


    ¡°Ten experience?¡± he asked. ¡°Is that a joke?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the first floor. And the first room.¡± Marijan tried to keep it calm, but between illuminate and fire arrow, his mana was below half, and it was only crawling back up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Branko asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m at half mana.¡±


    ¡°How much does that potion buff?¡± Branko sheathed his sword and looted the goblins, pulling a few gold pieces from each. He checked the nicked sword the one had held and tossed it to the side.


    ¡°Forty points. It would put me at Power 3 spell level.¡±


    ¡°How much faster is that recharge?¡± Branko unsheathed his sword and used it as a light as he rummaged through the rest of the room.


    ¡°More than twice. It should last at least twenty four hours.¡±


    ¡°Use it. The dungeon should be quicker than a full day from what we learned.¡± Branko walked past Marijan and waved him along.


    ¡°Are you sure? This was so expensive.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to run into more archers or even goblin wizards. We need your spells. Drink it.¡±


    Branko looked left and right, then decided to take the wide path, which had been the left-most fork. He held the sword out, letting the light spill around the corners. ¡°With how little experience the goblins are giving, we¡¯ll be better off finding the stairs quickly and ascending to the second floor.¡±


    Marijan pulled the white potion from his belt and swirled it in front of his face. It looked like snow inside the round bottle. He had never drank a buff potion before, and was worried he might vomit if it tasted horrible, which it most likely did. Would a buff still stick if he vomited? There was only one way to find out.


    Branko passed between two narrow rocks and leaned to the side, then waved Marijan forward. ¡°Looks like there are several goblins ahead.¡±


    Marijan pulled the cork from the bottle and sniffed the potion. It smelled of an algae-filled pond. All he had to do was keep it down.


    Marijan lifted it, finally ready to drink it, just as a goblin jumped from a shadow-covered rocky ledge beside him. Branko didn¡¯t even notice as he kept his eyes on the goblins around the corner.


    The purple-haired goblin with bright green eyes smirked as he drove a jagged knife right into Marijan¡¯s stomach. The wizard gasped, unable to warn his comrade. The potion left his numb fingers and spilled across the face of the goblin. The white liquid vanished as soon as it splashed across his green skin.

 Chapter 1

    Owin pulled his jagged knife from the wizard¡¯s stomach. Warm blood spilled over his hand as the glass bottle shattered on the stone floor. Everything was suddenly clear. His brain recognized his surroundings, even as they felt entirely foreign. Two bars appeared in the bottom left of his vision, and even as he tried to brush them away, they remained.


    ¡°Marijan!¡±


    Owin turned. A tall, armored human was steps away, already swinging his sword. Luckily, Owin was fast. He ducked under the sword swing and felt it tear through some of his purple hair.


    Owin leapt and wrapped his arms around the human¡¯s torso. There was a space of sunburnt skin between the helmet and the body armor that Owin drove his knife into over and over until he and the human crashed to the stone floor. Owin rolled away and looked around.


    What was happening?


    Where was he?


    Who was he?


    Thoughts, ideas, and words that he had never learned exploded in his mind. It was as if Owin was learning everything at once, as if he had gone through years of education in a single second. And still, he didn¡¯t know what was happening or where he was.


    A sensation tickled the back of his mind. He tried to scratch it, both physically and mentally. A screen appeared before his eyes. Owin tried to swipe his hands through it, but they passed through without touching anything.


    The top said Index. There were five tabs just under the title, reading Attributes, Class, Spells, Journal, and Map.


    Owin looked at the Attributes tab, which suddenly switched the screen.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 15


    Constitution: 20


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 105


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    Owin blankly stared at the numbers for a few seconds, then focused on the Class tab. It flipped like a book to a new page.


    Race: Goblin


    Class: Deficient Wizard


    Note: Stats of a 10 year old wizard. Not suitable for combat as an adult.


    Within the Class tab, he found another, hidden section labeled Features. It looked fuzzy, as if it was about to disappear like smoke. When Owin focused on it, words immediately started appearing in front of his eyes.


    Racial Feature: Goblin Cunning


    Goblin Darkblades, skilled in stealth, have developed heightened agility. They move twice as fast as other creatures with similar dexterity.


    While he read through the description, the words ¡°Goblin Darkblade¡± became fuzzy and vanished, leaving a blank section, while the rest of the description remained untouched. He focused on the blank spot, expecting something to appear, but it remained empty.


    Owin checked his Spells tab and found a single item.


    Examine


    It provided no other details. He flipped to Journal and Map, which were both blank. He tried to scratch the same itch as before and closed the screen, leaving his vision clear, other than the two small bars at the bottom. The red bar said 20, and the blue said 53.


    A goblin walked around the corner and looked at the two dead bodies. The goblin wore ragged clothes and had long yellow hair. She kicked one of the bodies. ¡°Dead?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    She kicked it again, then walked back around the corner.


    Owin watched her leave, then hurried after her. ¡°Wait,¡± he said.


    The goblin turned around. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Just around the corner was a stone water basin with the yellow-haired woman standing beside it. Behind her, crumbling stone benches were lined up like pews before an altar with another four goblins standing beside it. They chanted something over and over that Owin couldn¡¯t quite make out. Candles burned all around the oval room, melting wax onto the stone cave floor.


    ¡°Cave,¡± the woman said.


    Owin walked through the rest of the room, watching the goblins continue chanting the same thing, over and over. The woman stayed beside the water basin and stared at the wall, as if she wanted to do nothing else. They hardly noticed Owin walking around.


    He went back around the corner and took the potions from the wizard¡¯s belt. There were two bright red potions like blood, one dark blue, and one that looked like clear water. His pants had pockets, but the potions were too big to fit in the small trouser pockets. Instead, he held them all in his arms and waddled through the narrow rocks into the wide cave entrance.


    Owin sat on the ground, carefully placing the bottles beside him. He opened the index back to Spells and used Examine on each of the bottles in turn. The blood red potions were healing, the water was invisibility, and the dark blue was shield.


    Owin didn¡¯t know what any of that meant. He lounged on the sloped edge of the cave and flipped around the index. The map had populated a small area, showing the altar room and dungeon entrance with everything else covered in a black fog.


    Owin wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Owin wasn¡¯t even sure what he was. He looked at his hands, seeing the stubby fingers and long claw-like nails. His skin was green like moss, though he wasn¡¯t sure where that thought had come from. What was moss?


    Someone appeared from the black doorway right in front of him. It was a man in heavy metal armor. Almost no skin was visible. His eyes glowed blue under the barbute helmet. He had a series of glowing potions hanging from his belt.


    A thin man wearing a black mask appeared beside him. He was lean and covered almost entirely in black cloth. He had multiple daggers all over his body.


    ¡°We should be able to catch those amateurs before they ascend,¡± the armored man said. He stopped and cocked his head at Owin. ¡°Is that a mob?¡±


    ¡°Right in the entrance?¡± the masked man asked. ¡°That is odd.¡± He flourished two daggers.


    Owin stood, grabbing the clear and blue potions. He smashed the glass of the shield potion on the side of his head. A translucent blue sphere appeared around him, spiraling.


    ¡°Was that a shield potion?¡± the armored man asked.


    Owin drew his jagged stone knife. His mind was spinning. Everything was confusing. But he felt a need to kill these strangers.


    Eliminate the outsiders, a voice said in his head. Drink the potions.


    Owin popped the cork of the invisibility potion and chugged it. The protective shield and his knife disappeared, even from his own view.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± the masked man asked. ¡°Have you ever seen a first floor mob go invisible before?¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°No.¡± The armored man took a two handed hammer from his back. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Owin walked quietly. Water dripped nearby from the stalactites. Both the masked man and the armored man swept their gazes back and forth.


    ¡°Are those health potions?¡± the masked man asked, pointing to the two blood red bottles where Owin had just been.


    The armored man grunted. ¡°Even on the second floor of the Tundra Dungeon didn¡¯t have any mobs healing themselves.¡±


    Owin stood right in front of the two men. He flipped the knife in his hand. He leapt, landing on the masked man¡¯s torso. He wrapped his legs around him and stabbed over and over into the man¡¯s face until a bloody spray covered Owin¡¯s skin, giving a clear view of his position.


    The man collapsed dead as the armored man kicked Owin. The shield immediately shattered like glass, staggering Owin. He felt the armored gauntlet wrap around his neck before he regained his awareness.


    ¡°What are you?¡± the armored man shouted. He chucked Owin down the hall where he crashed through a stalactite and landed on the hard ground. The red bar in the bottom of his view was down to 2.


    Drink the red potion, the voice in his head said.


    Owin quickly popped the cork and drank a full potion, refilling the red bar to 20.


    The armored man quickly advanced, swinging his hammer with the intention of smashing Owin. The goblin rolled away, feeling the earth tremble from the strike. He landed on his feet and met the blue eyes of the armored man. The rest of his face was hidden by the helmet, but his eyes shone brightly and bored a hole into Owin. His invisibility had faded, leaving him exposed.


    ¡°Who?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°What?¡± the man asked, lifting his hammer for another swing.


    Owin opened his index and quickly used Examine.


    Hero


    Cato Kollund


    Knight


    Level: 10


    Strength: 148


    Constitution: 149


    Dexterity: 93


    Intelligence: 84


    Wisdom: 73


    Charisma: 75


    Cato hesitated and opened his own index. Owin watched him flip to his Spells, where he only had Examine.


    ¡°What the fuck are you?¡± Cato asked.


    Kill him before he kills you, the voice said.


    Owin screamed and leapt at Cato. The Knight caught Owin and threw him back to the ground. He crashed against the stone, air knocked from his lungs. The rounded head of the warhammer hung in the air over him, about to strike.


    Owin rolled to the side as the hammer struck and shattered the stone floor. Owin threw his stone knife, which clinked off the man¡¯s helmet with no visible damage. The man swung his hammer horizontally. Owin jumped over it, barely clearing the massive head. He landed unsteadily, wobbling and swinging his arms to keep himself upright. Despite his best efforts, Owin fell onto his butt and met the armored man¡¯s eyes again.


    The hammer fell with surprising speed. Owin had already dove forward, but the hammer still caught his foot and shattered every little bone inside. Blood sprayed from the ripped skin. Owin howled in pain and crashed into the armored shin of Cato.


    The red bar in his view lowered to 5.


    Potions dangled from Cato¡¯s belt right above Owin. Before the knight could recover from his swing, Owin reached up, grabbed a vibrant orange potion, and drank it. It tasted like salt and made him shiver.


    A small notification appeared in the top left of his view.


    Strength +30


    Strength: 45


    45 was still far below Cato¡¯s strength, but it was enough for Owin to stand despite his crippled foot. He grabbed a red potion and poured it on himself, knowing he had no time before Cato swung again. The healing potion filled the red bar and the bones of his foot twisted and stitched back together.


    Cato¡¯s knee caught Owin in the jaw and tossed him backward. His health lowered a quarter of the way, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as bothered, especially after experiencing the pain of his foot being crushed.


    ¡°Are you a Hero or not?¡± Cato shouted.


    Owin grabbed his stone knife from the ground and readied himself for Cato¡¯s next charge.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Cato growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Cato¡¯s index opened again as he cast Examine. ¡°It says you¡¯re a Hero named Owin. But you¡¯re a goblin. All Heroes are humans. Are you some kind of shapeshifter?¡±


    Cato¡¯s hammer hung menacingly in the air. The sunlight that passed through the black doorway shone on the rounded edge. Owin waited for another voice in his head to tell him what to do, but it was silent.


    He turned and bolted just as Cato¡¯s hammer crashed into the stones, throwing shards all over. A few cut through Owin, ticking his health down a few numbers. He scrambled through the right passageway, turning a tight corner into a thin hall.


    ¡°You left your healing potion,¡± Cato shouted.


    Owin ran without looking back until he rounded a corner with a mostly melted candle. The wick flickered with a weak flame, just strong enough to illuminate a goblin with wooden armor. She held a spiked club and looked down at Owin with jade green eyes.


    Owin ducked under and scuttled past. He used Examine on the goblin woman.


    Great Forest Mob


    Goblin Berserker


    Level 7


    There were no other stats or information. She didn¡¯t even acknowledge Owin, and instead lifted her club and screamed. A red burst rippled off her. The air shimmered all over her body.


    Heavy armored steps clanked down the passageway. Owin could keep running, but he didn¡¯t know the caves. He flipped through his index to the map, but only the places he had actually been were clear. Whatever was around the next turn was hidden in dark fog.


    ¡°You found a friend,¡± Cato said, emerging from the darkness. His index flashed and he scowled. ¡°A mob.¡±


    The spiked club smashed against his hammer, pushing Cato back a few inches. The berserker shouted and swung again. Cato quickly used the shaft of his hammer to smack the goblin in the face. Her head flew back, spraying blood across the stone walls. Before Cato could manage a full swing, she recovered and flashed red again. This one was different, covering just her club.


    Cato took a step back as she swung, managing to dodge the full attack. She was about to move forward in another attack. Cato countered, swinging his hammer down. Owin kicked the goblin in the back of the knee, forcing her to drop to her knees before she could step. The hammer crashed into the ground right in front of her, shattering more stone.


    Owin sprinted past the berserker and slipped between Cato and the cave wall. The human turned and swore under his breath. Owin stayed within the candlelight, just barely visible in the narrow cave passage. Cato would only be able to swing vertically, and it was obvious whenever he was preparing.


    The berserker¡¯s club smashed into Cato¡¯s armor.


    He chuckled as he lurched forward a step. ¡°Your attacks can¡¯t pierce my armor¡ª¡± Cato¡¯s face twisted as he held up his hand. Blood dripped from underneath his gauntlet. ¡°A bleed?¡± He turned to look as the berserker smashed her club against his armor again.


    Owin sprinted forward and leapt, driving his knife right into the dark opening of the barbute helmet. The jagged blade ground against bone as Cato¡¯s corpse crashed to the ground.


    The berserker looked blankly at Owin then returned to her position in the passageway.


    Owin used Examine on the rest of the potions on Cato¡¯s belt. He had three Healing, one more Strength Buff, and something called Detect.


    What now? He looked around the next corner, where the dark passageway continued. He could see in the dark well enough, but the narrow hall took another sharp turn just beyond.


    Interesting, the voice said inside his head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    If you survive to the top of the tower, we will speak. Continue, thrall, and we will see what you are capable of.


    Owin ran back through the cave to the masked man¡¯s corpse. He undid the belt and tightened it around his own waist. It was far too big and even the smallest hole hung loose around Owin. He used the knife to poke a new hole, making the belt fit around his midsection. The health potion he had abandoned was gone, so he went back through the passage to Cato. The berserker remained staring into the passageway, not acknowledging Owin.


    He took each potion and placed them through the loops on his new belt. They were heavy and made him waddle off balance. The potion was dull orange, much dimmer than the one he had stolen from Cato during the fight.


    Apprentice Strength Buff


    +10 Strength


    Duration: 3 Hours


    The duration became hazy, as if obscured by fog. The time was replaced with ¡°???¡± Owin quickly drank it and watched the notification flash in his vision.


    Strength +10


    Strength: 55


    The belt was still heavy, but he could walk without wobbling. Owin tossed the glass bottle to the side where it shattered. The berserker didn¡¯t seem to care. Owin waved his hand in front of her eyes a few times.


    Mobs on the first floor are lifeless, as you are meant to be, the voice said.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    No answer. Only the sound of water dripping from stalactites filled the dungeon. Owin wandered through the passage until his foot clicked on something, lowering a whole portion of the floor.


    Four spears exploded from the wall right above his head. If he had been a few inches taller, his head would¡¯ve been skewered by all four blades. Owin ducked down even further and inched forward.


    The room opened into a wide cave with a bar, benches, and even a burning chandelier on the ceiling. The room was filled with goblins of all kinds. There were two more berserkers, a handful of archers, a couple of spears, and a few that looked just like Owin, but with different colored hair.


    At the far end of the room, stairs led up into a black door. A smaller black door was set into the wall with the word ¡®Exit¡¯ written above.


    None of the goblins stirred at his appearance.


    Owin looked at the bloody knife in his hand. What would happen if he killed a goblin with it? He walked to the nearest berserker and slit her throat. The goblin dropped to the ground, pressing her hands into the gushing blood. She was dead before long.


    Owin checked her body and found nothing of use. Her club was far too heavy and the wooden armor was too big for his squat form. He checked through the rest of the room, opening drawers behind the bar and checking the pockets of all the goblins. There were a few gold pieces, which Owin didn¡¯t care about, and a couple of health and mana potions. He grabbed the potions and hooked them on his belt. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything else on the floor. Even thinking back to the altar, there weren¡¯t containers or any items Owin could see. He checked his map, ensuring there weren¡¯t any passages hidden by fog.


    That was the whole floor.


    Owin hurried halfway up the steps and looked back. What was he doing?


    Ascend, the voice said.


    Owin looked up, as if he could see whoever was speaking to him. He still didn¡¯t know who he was, but there was nothing for him on his floor. He passed through the black doorway.

 Chapter 2

    Great Forest Dungeon


    Second Floor


    A small cabin appeared before Owin. A fire crackled in a metal stove with a huge bear rug lying on the wooden floor in front of it. Two men sat at a table in the center of the room with steaming mugs and juicy slices of ham.


    Great Forest Mob


    Cultist


    Level 10


    They both turned to Owin. Their faces were mostly hidden by their deep hoods. They stood, knocking over their chairs, and brandished knives. The one on the other side of the table also pulled a wand from inside his sleeve.


    Before Owin had a chance to react, a small bolt of electricity shot from the wand and struck him in the chest. He flew back and crashed into the doorway, but collided with the black fog as if it were a solid stone wall. His health dropped to 10 and his breaths felt like inhaling fire.


    ¡°Goblin scum,¡± the nearby cultist said. He walked over and crouched beside Owin. The fire continued crackling calmly in the stove and their food smelled delicious.


    Owin drove his knife right into the cultist¡¯s neck. He stumbled back, grabbing for the knife handle as blood bubbled out of his mouth. Owin rolled to the side as the wand shot another bolt, which zapped harmlessly on the wooden floor.


    The closest cultist swung with his own knife, despite the one in his neck, and barely caught Owin¡¯s arm, cutting right through his green skin. It was a shallow cut and only ticked his health down to 8.


    With his new belt, he was able to quickly pull a health potion off and drink it, filling the bar back to 20. Owin chucked the glass bottle at the cultist¡¯s head. He fell, hit his head on the table, and collapsed in a heap on the floor.


    0 Experience


    The cultist across the table ripped his hood off and shouted. He aimed the wand and shot again. Owin moved to dodge, but the lightning covered the distance immediately and threw Owin against a chair just under a mounted boar¡¯s head.


    The wand sizzled as it dropped from the cultist¡¯s hand. Little rivulets of blood ran from his eyes and nose. Owin sat up, using the chair as support, and used Examine on the wand that sizzled on the tabletop.


    Apprentice Level Wand


    Spells: Bolt


    0/3 uses remaining for today


    Note: Further use without charges will result in health drain


    The cultist rounded the table, keeping his eyes on Owin. His face was contorted into a wicked scowl that caused the blood to run over deep wrinkles. ¡°You killed Giullus.¡± His hand shook as he held the metal knife.


    ¡°You attacked me.¡± Owin climbed on top of the chair. His knife was still stuck in Giullus¡¯s neck. What was a cultist? What did they want? Why were they attacking him? Owin still hadn¡¯t figured out where he was, and before he could even investigate more, he was in some place entirely new. He was getting angry.


    Owin leapt from the chair and landed poorly on the table, spilling the steaming drinks over the weathered tabletop. He scrambled over the dinnerware and grabbed the wand, pointing it right at the cultist¡¯s face.


    New Spell Available


    The notification appeared for just a moment in the corner of his eye. Owin opened his index and flipped to Spells. The moment the index appeared in front of his face, the cultist ran. Owin quickly selected Bolt and felt a shock rip up his arm as the wand sizzled loudly. A bolt of electricity struck the cultist right in the face, knocking him onto his back.


    Health: 7/20


    Owin fought the pain and slipped the wand into his belt. He grabbed a fork and knife from the table and leapt off, landing right on top of the cultist. His face was charred from the bolt, and he screamed as Owin landed and drove the utensils into his face. Another notification of 0 Experience floated through his vision.


    He drank another health potion, then retrieved his stone knife and checked the cabin for anything useful. A bookshelf held some old tomes and scrolls, and a barrel was filled with wine. Owin popped off the top and sniffed it, recoiling from the pungent sour smell. He ate the cuts of ham and drank what little tea was left that he hadn¡¯t spilled.


    His index had more information hidden that was easy to flip through while he was eating. There were details for each attribute, tabs on his map for inside or outside, and an option to select current or complete quests in his journal.


    The Class tab was still blank.


    Someone laughed nearby, causing Owin to jump to his feet and brandish his knife. He flipped his map to Outside, but all he could see was the roof of his current building. There was an entire conversation happening, but he couldn¡¯t make it out through the walls. Owin looked at the wooden door that was about twice his height. Going out there would mean more fighting. He didn¡¯t hate it, but what was he fighting for? Who were these people?


    ¡°Who talked to me before?¡± Owin asked.


    He waited in silence.


    ¡°Who?¡± he repeated. ¡°Why am I fighting? Where am I?¡±


    You speak so casually to Ruvaine, Goddess of the Great Forest. You are in my domain, thrall. You ask why you fight, but the answer is simple. You fight to survive. Ascend to the top and conquer my dungeon or you will die. If you wish to live as the unique creature you are, then you will play my game. This will be the last time we speak, unless you defeat my herald and reach the eleventh floor. Play my game, thrall, or you will not survive this floor.


    Owin climbed off the table and opened the door. The sky was blue outside with only a few puffy clouds in the sky. A bird sang not far away. A cobblestone plaza filled the space between buildings. To Owin¡¯s left, the land became hazy. When he approached, it appeared more solid like a wall. He pressed his hand against it and couldn¡¯t push through. The hazy wall went as far as Owin could see.


    ¡°Master Dindross said to find an assistant,¡± someone said. ¡°Where are we going to find an assistant here? That mad alchemist isn¡¯t going to help with anything, and the satyrs will happily rip us to shreds.¡±


    Owin sidled to the corner and peeked around. Two more cultists stood in the center of the plaza, laughing about the idea of a satyr assistant.


    Great Forest Mob


    Rattis


    Cultist Magus


    Level 12


    Great Forest Mob


    Kidibose


    Cultist Hunter


    Level 13


    Rattis carried a gnarled wooden staff and wore identical robes to the two cultists Owin had killed inside the cabin. Kidibose carried a bow and had a quiver hanging from her hip. She wore a shoulder cape with a hood, but had mud-covered boots and tights on under her tunic. Both of their faces were mostly veiled from their hoods.


    ¡°Play the game?¡±


    A yellow light floated above Rattis¡¯s head. It didn¡¯t cast any light onto the things around it, and when he turned to look around the plaza, the light followed his head. Owin used Examine on the light. His vision was immediately overwhelmed with huge, bolded words.


    New Quest


    Assistant of the Malignant Spirit


    Reward: A favor from a powerful man


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    The reward wasn¡¯t clear, but it did pique Owin¡¯s curiosity. Plus, everything around them was covered in dense forest. Pine trees lined the small village in all directions, even when Owin looked back at the hazy wall.


    ¡°I can assist,¡± Owin said.


    Both cultists looked at him and didn¡¯t immediately attack.


    ¡°Can you?¡± Kidibose asked. Her smirk was all Owin could see of her face. ¡°A level one goblin?¡±


    ¡°Sister,¡± Rattis said. ¡°Master was clear that the assistant couldn¡¯t be a member of the cult.¡±


    Kidibose sighed. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, goblin.¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    There were four other buildings in the village, all bigger than the little hovel he had just left. Kidibose and Rattis immediately left, passing between the buildings, through the plaza, and into the dense forest beyond.


    Owin lagged behind, taking a chance to peek into the windows of the buildings he passed. Each one had at least one cultist inside, always with a hood over their head even if the rest of their outfit was something entirely different.


    Owin hopped the little curb at the end of the plaza, ducked under a few low branches of poorly maintained trees, and found Kidibose and Rattis standing right in front of a rusted metal gate set in the center of a tall stone wall. Inside, there were dozens of graves, and beyond the cemetery was a tall, ornate building topped with a dome and some golden statue at the very peak.


    Rattis opened the gate, having to force it as it creaked. Rust drifted from the hinges.


    ¡°Hurry inside,¡± Kidibose said.


    Owin walked past the cultists and found two skeletons standing right inside the gate. Their bones clattered with every little movement. They each held greatswords that looked far too heavy for them to carry.


    Great Forest Mob


    Skeleton Berserker


    Level 14


    Neither skeleton made any move to attack, so Owin quickly hurried past. He had struggled plenty with a level 10 cultist. Even if he used the bolt wand again, he doubted it would be enough to stop a skeleton.


    ¡°Evening,¡± Rattis said to a skeleton, nodding his head.


    The sun was still high in the sky.


    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Kidibose said, obviously annoyed.


    Some skeletons dug new graves along the outer walls of the cemetery, leaving dirt piles between each new pit. All ten rows of graves in the center were covered in marble blocks with little markers at the top of each. Most had horns carved into the marker, though some had the horns carved into the block itself.


    Two more skeleton berserkers stood outside the door leading into the cathedral. They were idle, letting the broad blades of their greatswords rest on the mossy dirt.


    Kidibose and Rattis led Owin right over the top of the marble-covered graves as if it was some odd path. Rattis wished the skeletons a good evening and headed inside.


    Owin felt uncomfortable as he stepped into the massive room. The domed ceiling was high above and glowed with unnatural light. There wasn¡¯t a single window in the cathedral and torches lined the walls.


    Roughly carved columns in six rows of two led from the door to a huge onyx statue of a winged creature. From so far away, the figure in front of the statue looked even smaller than Owin.


    ¡°Master Dindross,¡± Rattis said, dropping to one knee. ¡°I bring you an assistant, as you requested.¡±


    ¡°Approach,¡± Dindross said. His voice echoed through the cathedral.


    Owin didn¡¯t wait for Kidibose to hurry him along again. He walked forward confidently. One hand held his belt up and the other on the bolt wand. His stone knife was tucked into his belt near where he was holding it up. The whole thing was unsteady, but how else was he going to carry everything?


    A few more skeletons appeared between rows of columns. They carried different weapons, some wearing armor, some wearing robes. One was missing half his skull and an arm, but still stood with a mace.


    Owin opened his index and quickly used Examine.


    Great Forest Mob


    Nosolus Dindross


    Chosen Magus of the Malignant Spirit


    Level 16


    ¡°A goblin? You aren¡¯t Naxile¡¯s servant?¡± Nosolus asked.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Owin stood right in front of the cult leader. The human was more than twice as tall as Owin. He wore a robe, much like the first cultists, but with no hood. His head was bald with some faint white hairs growing back and tattoos of horns that curved around his ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Fascinating.¡±


    Owin waited as Nosolus waved the skeleton guards over. They lumbered, dragging greatswords. A few remained hidden amongst the columns with bows and staves.


    ¡°This new creature is going to assist us with the alchemist and satyr problems,¡± Nosolus said.


    A skeleton nodded.


    ¡°He will need an escort.¡±


    The skeletons remained near motionless.


    ¡°I will do it, Master,¡± Rattis said from the front door. His voice echoed quietly.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Nosolus asked.


    ¡°Magus Rattis, Master.¡±


    Nosolus scratched the top of his head and considered the hooded man. ¡°Goblin, do you have magic?¡±


    Owin pulled the wand from his belt. It still sizzled quietly.


    Nosolus took the wand and regarded it for a moment. ¡°I suppose this counts. Those satyrs have some dangerous spells.¡± The cultist handed the wand back and nodded toward the front door. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Kidibose, Master.¡±


    ¡°A hunter will be a better fit for this task. You will escort the goblin to the satyr village.¡±


    Kidibose bowed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    The skeletons, now not needed, wandered back to their previous positions. They wobbled and leaned on weapons to stay balanced.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Owin asked. At least this time when he asked, there was more purpose. What was he doing? And what was a satyr?


    ¡°Oh, yes. You see . . .¡± Nosolus crouched until his eyes met Owin¡¯s. They were spirals of glowing red. He hadn¡¯t noticed from below. The cultist didn¡¯t even have pupils. ¡°The damn satyrs in the forest have stolen something from me.¡± He gestured to the statue of the winged creature just behind him. ¡°Do you see what is missing?¡±


    Owin had to lean to the side to see around the cultist. The winged creature was crouched with its clawed hands splayed over the edge of a pedestal. Its feet were wide and webbed, but otherwise looked normal. Nothing was missing on the limbs. He followed the arms up to its face where there were clearly no eyes.


    ¡°The eyes.¡±


    ¡°Observant little creature. Yes, the satyrs stole the Malignant Spirit''s eyes, and it will not forgive them. We will reclaim the eyes and complete our mission.¡±


    ¡°What about the alchemist you mentioned?¡±


    Nosolus stood back upright. ¡°We will worry about that little problem once you have secured the eyes. Now, off with you. I have matters to attend to.¡±


    Owin regarded the skeletons again. It didn¡¯t seem like the cultist had much of anything to do, and based on what he had seen from the goblins in the cave, Owin strongly suspected Nosolus would remain exactly where he was at the moment. At least most of the mobs were a little more alive.


    Kidibose eagerly waved Owin on as he hurried back to the front door. Rattis bowed slightly and stood aside as the hunter led the way over the graves and into the coniferous forest beyond. Kidibose only walked for a few minutes before she slowed and took her bow off her shoulder.


    ¡°Do you know where we¡¯re going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Owin looked around. It all looked like forest. More and more of the same forest.


    ¡°If we find the river, we¡¯re going in the right direction.¡± She pulled an arrow from her quiver. ¡°I think.¡±


    Owin drew his knife and kept his other hand holding his belt, right by the sizzling wand. He wondered when it would stop sizzling. It didn¡¯t hurt to touch, but his ragged clothes had singed.


    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± Kidibose asked.


    ¡°Below.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± She looked back and pulled her hood down. ¡°Below where?¡± She had long red hair that was tied back to hide underneath the hood. Dark, but faded tattoos covered the top half of her face, almost giving the appearance of wearing a hood even with it down.


    Owin pointed at the dirt beneath his feet. Grass, moss, and other small plants grew in clumps around the bases of trees, but most of the forest floor was exposed dirt and fungus with roots snaking all over the top or protruding from underneath.


    ¡°Huh.¡± That¡¯s all Kidibose said as she pressed herself against a tree and peeked around the side. She nocked an arrow and held a finger up to Owin.


    He pressed himself against the bark of another tree. Branches snapped just on the other side of the tree. Kidibose slowly drew her arrow, causing the arrowhead to shine yellow, casting light onto the forest floor.


    Owin let his belt go and it quickly clattered to the ground. No potions broke, but it clinked loudly. Something growled. Kidibose nodded and stepped around the tree. She shot the arrow. A trail of bright light followed it and illuminated a giant wolf with rippling fur. The arrow stuck into its forearm, singeing the fur around the wound.


    The wolf growled and lowered its head. Its black eyes were pits, and its mouth foamed and dripped drool.


    Owin opened his index and switched to Spells. It took so long each time, even as he practiced. He had to figure out a faster way to access the different parts of the index.


    Great Forest Mob


    Grim Wolf


    Level 10


    ¡°Some help?¡± Kidibose asked as she drew another arrow from her quiver.


    The wolf growled and lunged, crashing against the tree Kidibose hid behind. It fell to the side, stunned. Kidibose drew her arrow back, but Owin had already reached it and drove his knife into its head.


    0 Experience


    Kidibose crouched beside the corpse and placed a single finger on its chest. ¡°Aim for the heart. ¡°It¡¯s the easier target.¡± She held out her hand and pulled Owin to his feet. ¡°Do you just jump at everything?¡±


    Owin nodded. He grabbed the belt, made a new hole, and tightened it even further than before. He stuck the bloody knife back in his belt.


    Kidibose laughed. ¡°Clean the knife. Use the wolf¡¯s fur or the dirt on the ground. You¡¯re just smearing blood on your clothes.¡±


    Owin did as she said and put the knife back in his belt, though there was still blood smeared across his ragged tunic. ¡°What was that arrow?¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Kidibose pulled the bowstring back until her arrow glowed with yellow light.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s an arrow dipped in light.¡±


    ¡°Dipped . . . in light?¡±


    Kidibose shrugged and relaxed her bowstring. The glow faded from the arrowhead. ¡°If there is one grim wolf, there¡¯s probably more. Stay alert.¡±


    ¡°What are satyrs?¡± Owin asked.


    Kidibose clicked her tongue. ¡°Hard to explain. Have you seen a goat?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was going to be the only comparison I could make. I think you¡¯ll just have to see for yourself. They are nasty people. Stealing and all that.¡±


    In the silent forest, Owin could hear the gurgle of the nearby river. As Kidibose said, if they found the river, they were heading in the right direction.


    ¡°What do you do when you¡¯re not hunting?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I run the bakery in the village.¡± Kidibose wound between some trees. The forest floor sloped down to a deep blue river that was much wider than Owin had been expecting. Kidibose stopped at the top of the hill.


    ¡°What¡¯s a bakery?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Kidibose leaned on a tree and watched the river. Owin caught a glimpse of two more grim wolves below. Their fur shuddered and moved on its own.


    She pulled the bowstring back. The arrowhead turned blue and looked like a little triangle container of water. ¡°If we survive, I¡¯ll make you some baklava. We just need those eyes.¡±


    Owin pulled out his wand and knife, holding one in each hand. ¡°Have you been to the satyr village?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve met a few. Ready?¡±


    Owin hopped forward, landing on the slope. He slid down a few feet before hitting a root, and started tumbling toward the bottom. Kidibose shouted something, but Owin couldn¡¯t make it out as he bounced along. His health only ticked down two points before he landed right on his bottom between two grim wolves.


    A water arrow struck the one on Owin¡¯s right. Water exploded from the arrowhead, soaking into the wolf¡¯s fur. Owin pointed the wand and activated Bolt. Pain ran up his arm as his health ticked down another three points. Electricity hit the wolf right in the nose and spread up its face.


    Both wolves growled. Even the injured one seemed unphased. Owin shot another bolt and felt the sting as the wand sizzled loudly. The wolf backed up a step just as the other wrapped its jaws around Owin¡¯s arm. Sharp teeth stabbed into his skin, tearing through muscle. The wolf whipped its head and threw Owin. He landed heavily on the dirt and rolled to a stop inches from the river.


    His health was nearly gone, little more than a red sliver. He pushed himself up with his one working arm. Kidibose was between the wolves. She drew an arrow that fully turned to stone. The heavy arrow drove through the injured wolf¡¯s head and pinned it to the ground. The other leapt at her, which she deftly dodged.


    Owin drank a health potion, filling his bar to the top. His arm stitched back together, but some pain still lingered. He was slow getting back to his feet. The wand was easy to find, still sizzling in the dirt close by. Kidibose pulled a shortsword and slashed at the wolf. Her blade glowed red just as it struck, then she jumped backward.


    The wolf didn¡¯t look injured where she had struck, but gashes appeared and blood exploded on the back of the wolf¡¯s legs. It limped toward her, still growling. She drew another light arrow and hit the wolf between the eyes.


    ¡°Are you trying to die?¡± she asked.


    Owin shook his head.


    She stomped up to him and pulled the wand from his hand. ¡°Stop using this!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Did you not notice it burning your veins? It¡¯s out of uses for the day. If you need range, we can find you a crossbow or something.¡± She shook her head like he was an idiot. ¡°Wait until tomorrow to use this again. Bolt isn¡¯t going to kill a grim wolf anyway. That¡¯s what someone would use on goblins.¡± Kidibose cocked her head. ¡°No offense.¡±


    Owin took the wand back and put it in his belt. ¡°I will keep using this,¡± he said as he held out the stone knife.


    ¡°What¡¯s your highest stat?¡± Kidibose asked.


    Owin looked at his attributes through the index.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 55


    Constitution: 20


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 105


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    ¡°Intelligence.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have guessed. You¡¯re fighting like you¡¯re a soldier or berserker, when you¡¯re a wizard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any spells.¡±


    Kidibose scoffed. ¡°How are you alive? What level are you?¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    She groaned. ¡°What was your dexterity?¡±


    ¡°Thirty.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Forget the crossbow. You wouldn¡¯t even be able to hit the ground.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°One hundred thirty four.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin nodded. He got it. It was simple enough to see the difference there.


    Kidibose played with her bowstring, playing a note as she flicked it and looked at the wolf corpses. ¡°If the satyrs want to fight, we won¡¯t last long. We need to find a better way for you to fight. Do you have any class abilities?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°How did I end up with you? Walking into the satyrs is going to be certain death.¡±


    Owin thought back to what the cult leader had said. There were hints that the satyrs were dangerous, but nothing about the quest said they needed to kill them. Owin checked the journal, where the goal of the quest only said ¡®Acquire the Eyes of the Malignant Spirit.¡¯


    ¡°Nosolus didn¡¯t say we had to kill them to get the eyes,¡± Owin said. ¡°We can find another way.¡±


    Kidibose continued flicking her bowstring. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Do you have a plan?¡±


    Owin did not have a plan, nor had he ever made a plan before. Up to this point, he had been acting on instincts. Everything was new and confusing, but slowly, things were starting to make sense. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Kidibose pulled her hood up and tapped each of the ten arrows left in her quiver. ¡°Ready to move then?¡±


    His health was lower than bigger mobs. He was fine on the first floor, with the other goblins because they were as strong as he was. The grim wolves seemed easy enough, but after hearing about Kidibose¡¯s stats, Owin was clearly going to be outmatched by most people.


    If he wanted to learn more about the world, if he wanted freedom, he had to climb the tower. The goddess had made that clear. To climb, he needed strength and knowledge, both of which he was currently lacking.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Owin sat with his back against a tree and opened his index. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to sit and look through everything. It took too long to open the index and switch to the different tabs, especially when he needed to quickly examine something.


    Under Spells, Examine was listed under Power 1, which glowed slightly. He focused on the words and the glow brightened until all he could see was white light.


    Three Spells Available


    Power 1


    Owin slid the words aside and found a whole column of spells.


    Fire Arrow


    Ice Arrow


    Lightning Arrow


    Energy Arrow


    Discharge


    Illuminate


    Smoke Cloud


    Flurry


    Freeze


    Bolt


    Focusing on any spell gave a rough estimate of damage and mana use based on his 105 intelligence. Surprisingly, even with intelligence as his highest stat, the spells were nearly useless. His mana bar was half as big as his intelligence, giving him 53 mana points. Even casting the lowest spell would cost 35 mana for Smoke Cloud.


    It was still better than nothing. He quickly selected Smoke Cloud, Bolt, and Discharge.


    Equip to Quick Select?


    Owin selected yes, and found icons for all three spells and Examine in the bottom right corner of his view. He checked it, quickly using Examine on Kidibose.


    Great Forest Mob


    Kidibose


    Cultist Hunter


    Level 13


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± All he had to do was focus his attention on the icons for a brief moment before they would cast. With the wand, he could use Bolt more often without worrying about mana, especially if he had the health to sacrifice.


    Discharge was a mystery. Smoke Cloud was clear enough. There was no damage associated with the spell. Discharge had an estimate of 1-80 damage without any other information.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Kidibose had been leaning on a tree. ¡°There¡¯s a bridge just north of here. Keep an eye out for grim wolves or satyrs.¡± As she walked, she took an arrow and pointed it at the water, swearing quietly, then slid it back into the quiver.


    Bird songs rang through the forest, accompanied only by Owin and Kidibose¡¯s steps on dried leaves and broken sticks. It was the first true lull Owin had had since becoming aware. Pine cones littered the forest floor. Most of them were old and dry, but a few fresh ones fell as Owin walked past.


    The bridge appeared just over a short hill where the water ran quickly down the slope. It was a rickety wooden bridge with ropes keeping the sections just above the water. Kidibose walked right onto it without any hesitation.


    ¡°Do you have a plan yet?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have spells.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call that a plan, but you¡¯re fearless enough, I¡¯m trusting you will keep me covered.¡±


    The rope railing of the bridge was higher than Owin¡¯s head. He had to reach up to hold it as he walked unsteadily over the wooden planks. They were warped and waterlogged, splashing down into the river with even the slightest weight. His feet were immediately splashed with water. It cleaned the dirt off his bare feet, but they would only get muddy on the other side.


    ¡°Stop, ghost!¡± a voice shouted.


    Kidibose dove to the side, already drawing an arrow. Meanwhile, Owin was barely across the bridge as razor-sharp leaves flew from above and stuck into the ground right at the edge of the bridge.


    He watched the trees, but found nothing. The trees didn¡¯t even have leaves like the ones that had stuck into the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯re not ghosts,¡± Kidibose shouted, aiming her bow into the trees. ¡°I can¡¯t see a damn thing.¡±


    Something dropped from the trees, landing heavily right in front of Owin. Dirt puffed off the ground from the solid landing. It was a short creature with extremely hairy legs and wide, dark hooves. It had a belt and bag around its waist where the fur transitioned into thick gray skin. Its torso looked short compared to its legs, and its arms were muscular and long. The creature had no neck, and instead had a head like a turtle with a wide mouth and beady eyes with little horns that curved from the top of its head.


    Great Forest Mob


    Satyr Wizard


    Level 12


    ¡°Careful, Owin,¡± Kidibose said as she let her bowstring relax.


    That was when Owin felt something behind him. The creature hadn¡¯t even disturbed the rickety bridge.


    Great Forest Mob


    Satyr Umbra


    Level 14


    The satyr directly behind him was shorter than the other one, but it was even more muscular and had appeared from nowhere. ¡°Not ghosts,¡± the satyr confirmed.


    ¡°As I said,¡± Kidibose stored her arrow in her quiver.


    Neither of the satyrs relaxed. The umbra held a straight bladed shortsword in its three fingered hand, while the wizard had a wand sticking out from a belt wrapped loosely around its midsection. It was more of a ribbon than a belt. Owin didn¡¯t see any use for the piece of fabric.


    ¡°Why is Naxile¡¯s assistant here?¡± the wizard asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Kidibose quickly said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t know who Naxile is,¡± Owin said.


    The wizard had a perpetual frown and looked past Owin at the other satyr. They didn¡¯t seem amused.


    ¡°You look the same,¡± the wizard said.


    ¡°So do you two,¡± Owin said.


    The umbra grunted behind him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here for the eyes,¡± Kidibose said.


    The wizard turned his attention to Kidibose with his hand hovering near the wand¡¯s handle. ¡°Cultists.¡±


    Kidibose made a show of putting her hood up. ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cultist,¡± Owin said. He stuck his hands up. ¡°I killed some cultists.¡±


    ¡°They started it,¡± Kidibose blurted. ¡°Right?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°A goblin and a cultist who talks before attacking?¡± The wizard, still frowning, nodded to the umbra. ¡°We can allow you to meet our governor, but even the slightest move will be your death.¡±


    Owin used Examine on the umbra again, and had no doubt they were telling the truth. He hadn¡¯t seen what an umbra could do, but the satyr''s ability to appear so suddenly and silently behind Owin was enough to tell him that he should avoid a fight. At least, for now.


    Until Owin figured out how to continue building his strength, he had to be cautious, like Kidibose had said.

 Chapter 3

    The satyrs walked together ahead of Owin and Kidibose. The umbra frequently glanced back and looked like he was about to lunge at Owin, even if only in an attempt to make him flinch. It was odd.


    Kidibose watched the trees, frequently swerving as she nearly tripped over roots or clumps of underbrush. She had taken her hood off again and slung her bow over her shoulder. She had her hands clasped together, keeping them far away from any weapon.


    As far as Owin was concerned, the forest looked a lot like it did when he first saw it. Nothing much changed from one tree to the next. He took the opportunity to open his index and review his Attributes tab. It took up most of his view, but he still managed to follow the hazy shapes of the satyrs.


    The only stat that had changed since Owin first saw his attributes was his strength. In his first moments of awareness, he had received a notification for intelligence, but the memory had already become fuzzy and difficult to remember.


    His strength had changed when he had stolen the potion from Cato, and then from the Apprentice Strength Buff. It originally had a time limit, but that had vanished. Owin closed his index.


    ¡°Have you seen¡ª¡±


    The umbra turned and fully faced Owin, halting him. ¡°I will be watching.¡± Some smoke appeared around his hooves, then the umbra vanished completely.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kidibose said. She cleared her throat. ¡°I should stop being impressed. It¡¯s not a good look.¡±


    The wizard remained standing at the base of an exceptionally large pine tree. Owin changed his mind. There were some interesting differences between trees, just not all of them.


    ¡°Beyond is our village. You will show respect or you will be executed. We do not allow violence in our village.¡± The satyr grabbed the wand from his belt. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Kidibose nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t complicated,¡± Owin said. He had been reeling to figure out what was happening, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. At least, he hoped not.


    The wizard turned and waved them on, leading them past the large tree and into a clearing. Tall pine trees ringed the clearing, each one pruned to allow room for spiral ramps up into tree houses built near the tops. Wooden bridges hung between platforms, creating a full ring around the central, and largest, tree that held a full building, including a stone chimney that released a plume of smoke into the sky.


    Two satyrs wearing mismatched armor stood at the bottom of the ramp. While their armor was an odd combination of different metals, their long spears were identical. The guards glared at Owin, even from hundreds of feet away.


    Great Forest Mob


    Satyr Soldier


    Level 14


    ¡°Up the ramp. The governor will be waiting for you,¡± the wizard said.


    ¡°The governor knows we¡¯re here?¡± Kidibose asked.


    As she asked, Owin saw the umbra materialize on the platform around the treehouse. He had his hands clasped behind his back and watched them from above. His squat face was scowling.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Owin said, setting off. Kidibose stayed right beside him, constantly looking around.


    ¡°This place is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen a strength buff potion before? Or any other attribute?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Hm? Sure. Rattis has used wisdom potions while working on some things before.¡± She looked at the potions hanging from Owin¡¯s belt. ¡°You don¡¯t have any from the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°I had some. How long do they last?¡±


    ¡°A few hours for most. The rarest ones can last a whole day, I¡¯ve heard.¡± She flicked the detect potion. ¡°That one would¡¯ve been good to find the grim wolves.¡±


    Owin nodded. The strength potion had originally said it had a three hour duration before the words faded away. What about the intelligence potion?


    The satyr soldiers didn¡¯t acknowledge them as Owin passed and ascended the spiral ramp. It was made from smooth planks of wood that weren¡¯t slippery, despite their appearance.


    ¡°Ooh,¡± Kidibose said, catching a whiff of something cooking from the outer circle of houses. Owin¡¯s stomach rumbled from the smell. ¡°That reminds me of a tart I made a few days ago.¡±


    The umbra waited for them at the top of the platform. His sword rested on the railing while his hands remained clasped behind his back. It was an obvious challenge. One Owin wouldn¡¯t fall for. He didn¡¯t stand a chance against a level 14.


    ¡°The goblin and the cultist,¡± a new voice said.


    The governor stood in the doorway. He looked similar to the others, but with a white beard that covered most of his face. This satyr wore a leather vest with nothing underneath, revealing fluffy white body hair that continued down his chest.


    Great Forest Mob


    Governor Gropnil


    Satyr Soldier


    Level 16


    Gropnil stepped inside the house and calmly sat himself into a rocking chair. A fire crackled in a hearth with a small pot on a grate. Whatever was inside bubbled and filled the house with a savory smell.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Gropnil said, gesturing to a few stools around the room. The room was small, only holding a table, the chairs, and a bearskin rug in the middle of the floor. A door led to the rest of the house, but it was closed.


    Owin sat on a stool that allowed him to watch the door and the governor at the same time. Kidibose sat on the floor beside Owin.


    ¡°You have come for the Malignant Spirit¡¯s eyes,¡± Gropnil said.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°I will not be giving them to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kidibose said, sounding disappointed.


    Owin had been expecting that. The satyrs and cultists were enemies, after all. Enemies tended not to just give each other things.


    ¡°How can we get them from you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Kill me.¡±


    Kidibose exhaled loudly. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said, placing his hand on Kidibose¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why did you steal them?¡±


    ¡°To stop the resurrection of the Malignant Spirit.¡± Gropnil calmly rocked back and forth. Owin noticed the umbra appear in the doorway with the shortsword in his hand, though he kept to the outside of the threshold.


    Journal Updated


    ¡°The eyes resurrect the spirit?¡± Kidibose asked.


    ¡°Are you not a cultist?¡± Gropnil asked.


    ¡°Baker,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°What would happen if the spirit was resurrected?¡± Owin asked. The umbra tensed at the question.


    A fight was feeling more and more inevitable. The umbra was looking for any reason to kill them. But what could Owin do against somebody that much stronger? Kidibose was close in level, but she wasn¡¯t going to be as helpful in such a small room. Her ability with her shortsword was useful, but compared to someone who could teleport or go invisible, or whatever it was the umbra had done, her ability would be nothing.


    Owin opened the Journal and read the brief update to the quest. The wording had changed from ¡®Acquire the Eyes of the Malignant Spirit¡¯ to ¡®Resurrect the Malignant Spirit.¡¯


    ¡°What do you know about the Malignant Spirit?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ancient being, an enemy of Ruvaine from a realm beyond.¡± Gropnil reached to the shelf above the fireplace and grabbed a wooden box. He unlatched it and pulled out two ruby gems, each about the size of his palm. ¡°They cannot be destroyed. Keeping them away from the cultists is all we can do.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t want to resurrect it, what can we do to help?¡± Owin asked.


    A light appeared above Gropnil¡¯s head. Owin used Examine on it and immediately had a new journal entry.


    New Quest


    Enemy of the Malignant Spirit


    Reward: A favor from the satyrs


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    ¡®Kill Nosolus, Chosen Magus of the Malignant Spirit.¡¯


    ¡°If the cult leader is dead, the rest of them will fall into disarray.¡± Gropnil turned to Kidibose. ¡°No offense intended.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m rethinking this cult thing,¡± she said.


    Owin now had two quests, but they were opposite of each other. One would fail if he completed the other, but he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what would happen. The reward was almost identical, and not nearly as specific as Owin would have preferred.


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    If they walked into the cult compound and immediately started fighting, they wouldn¡¯t last long. The skeleton berserkers alone were dangerous, and if Rattis and the others joined in, Owin would be asking to be slaughtered.


    ¡°We will help,¡± Owin said. He stood and left, forcing the umbra to step aside. Kidibose scrambled to her feet and ran after him. Owin didn¡¯t wait, immediately descending the ramp. Thoughts swirled through his mind. There were a few ideas he had, but the potential consequences were unclear. How could he plan if he didn¡¯t know what to expect?


    The umbra and governor watched from atop the platform. Owin strode right past the wizard without even acknowledging the satyr. By the time they were alone, they were back in the woods heading east.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to fight Nosolus,¡± Owin said.


    Kidibose took her bow off her shoulder and drew an arrow, wiggling it between her fingers. ¡°You know, I was going along with what you were saying, but I was a little worried there. I don¡¯t think I can kill my master.¡±


    ¡°For now, we will tell him the satyrs won¡¯t give it up without a fight and that I need to be stronger before we can complete the quest.¡±


    ¡°Fighting them would make most people stronger, but you¡¯re a little different.¡±


    ¡°I need potions like the ones I asked about.¡±


    ¡°Those are temporary.¡±


    Owin nodded. Temporary for most people, but not for him.


    ***


    They managed to follow the same trail back, avoiding any more encounters with grim wolves or other wildlife. They avoided the compound and went straight to the cemetery where Rattis waited at the gate beside the two skeletal guards.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back,¡± Rattis said. ¡°Master Dindross will be elated.¡±


    ¡°Will he?¡± Kidibose asked. She had kept an arrow out of the quiver, fidgeting with it in her hand the entire hike back.


    ¡°Did you find the eyes?¡± Rattis asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin would share the rest later. He didn¡¯t need to repeat himself.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Kidibose said.


    Rattis joyfully led them over the graves. His staff tapped against the marble slabs as they passed over the top. Rattis wished the skeletons a good evening as he entered the cathedral, which was now more accurate as the sun was setting.


    Nosolus Dindross remained right in front of the statue of the Malignant Spirit. He ran his hands over the small hairs growing on his head and grinned upon seeing Owin. ¡°My assistant returns.¡±


    ¡°The satyrs will not give us the gems,¡± Owin said even as he walked through the rows of columns. Skeletons wobbled as they watched him from their positions.


    ¡°Then you shall take it with force,¡± Nosolus said.


    Owin stopped in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough. I need buff potions. Intelligence or strength. Something to help me fight.¡±


    ¡°Those are temporary,¡± Nosolus said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Nosolus scratched his face, leaving white lines of dry skin. ¡°The other task I have for you is to visit Naxile, the alchemist. She will have potions.¡± The cult leader looked past Owin at Kidibose, who was talking rapidly to Rattis. ¡°Go to Naxile and acquire what I need.¡±


    Journal Updated


    Owin had been expecting another quest. Instead, it added a line under ¡®Resurrect the Malignant Spirit¡¯ that said ¡®Acquire the materials from Naxile.¡¯


    ¡°Keep the hunter with you. Naxile will know what to do upon seeing you.¡±


    Owin nodded and left. Kidibose had her hand on Rattis¡¯s shoulder and was speaking directly into his ear. The magus nodded and shushed Kidibose as Owin neared.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out,¡± Rattis said.


    Kidibose smiled. The tattoo covering the top half of her face wrinkled as she raised her eyebrows. It was obviously a fake smile, and Owin felt like he was to blame.


    Rattis greeted the skeletons again, who never did respond. When they reached the woods just outside the cemetery, Rattis pulled his hood down. He had gray hair that had receded until it left only a ring around the back of his head. His eyes were gray, though he could clearly see and looked sadly at Kidibose.


    ¡°A spirit that is the enemy of Ruvaine?¡± Rattis asked.


    Kidibose nodded.


    ¡°That is not the message Master Dindross had told us.¡± Rattis leaned on his staff. ¡°You plan to stop him?¡±


    ¡°I think he has an idea,¡± Kidibose said, gesturing to Owin.


    ¡°It will take some time,¡± Owin said. ¡°Are you going to help us?¡±


    Rattis looked over his shoulder. The cathedral¡¯s lights shone through the pine trees. ¡°I feel conflicted, but yes, I will assist when the time comes.¡± He pulled his hood up again. ¡°Careful around Naxile. She is volatile.¡±


    Kidibose and Rattis spoke quietly as Owin walked away. He felt like he should give them some amount of privacy. It only took a minute before Kidibose silently joined him with her bow ready.


    She led them past the compound , heading farther south west than they had gone to the satyr village. Kidibose fidgeted with her bow string as she walked a few strides ahead of Owin.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight Nosolus with me,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You think I¡¯d rather unleash a demon on the world?¡±


    Owin looked into the endless sky above them. Was it even there? Somewhere in this forest, there was a staircase that led to another black door that led to another floor, which meant there wasn¡¯t actually a sky above them, just like the hazy wall he found beside the cultist village. If the Malignant Spirit was resurrected, it wouldn¡¯t be unleashed on the world, whatever the world was actually like outside the Great Forest Dungeon.


    The forest seemed to grow bigger as the sun finished setting, leaving them in a dark maze of trees, roots, and underbrush. Kidibose swapped her bow for her shortsword as night fully washed over them.


    ¡°When will my wand work again?¡±


    ¡°Not until after midnight. You have spells, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    She stopped and pulled the detect potion off Owin¡¯s belt. ¡°Drink this in a few minutes. It¡¯ll send out a few pulses that will tell you where any living creature is nearby.¡±


    Owin swirled the potion in the round bottle. Would it last forever like his buffs? The invisibility on the previous floor hadn¡¯t lasted long. Neither had the shield.


    Despite the difficulty seeing, they were able to make it downhill to another section of the river. Moonlight shone off the clear water, giving Owin just enough light to see a broken wooden bridge.


    The water was calmer in this section of river, but Owin had never been in a body of water before. Could he swim? Would he need to?


    Kidibose strode right into the water. It came up to her waist and pushed her off balance, just a little. ¡°Come on,¡± she said, offering a hand.


    Owin took it and stepped off the river bank. He immediately found himself fully submerged with water splashing up his nose and battering him from all sides. Kidibose dragged him through, sputtering and fighting to stay near the surface, until she was able to drag him onto land.


    Owin stayed on the ground, lying face down on the dirt, for a few moments. ¡°That was horrible.¡±


    ¡°It helps if you actually swim.¡±


    A branch broke nearby.


    ¡°Drink it, now,¡± Kidibose said.


    Owin jumped to his feet. Water dripped off his flattened hair. The potion, still clung tightly in his hand, glowed gently in the night. He flipped the cork off with his thumb and drank the whole thing. It was sour.


    Five different things flashed in his vision, too fast for him to make it out. It was disorienting as each thing appeared nearly at the same time.


    ¡°How many did you see?¡± Kidibose had positioned herself right in front of Owin. ¡°Quickly.¡±


    ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°Counting me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The second pulse went off. Kidibose was marked as a Human Hunter. The others were three grim wolves and something called a vile bear. Owin told Kidibose as each one popped up, slower than the first pulse.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± was all she said before the glowing eyes of the vile bear shone right before them.


    Kidibose ducked and swung her shortsword, which flashed red again. Blood audibly sprayed, but Owin couldn¡¯t see where. Another pulse went out just as a bear paw flashed in front of Owin, catching Kidibose in the arm and easily tossing the hunter to the side, out of his sight.


    Great Forest Mob


    Vile Bear


    Level 12


    The bear¡¯s face was elongated with a long nose and teeth that curved out to the side out of its mouth. White eyes glowed, set under a deep brow. Its growl was low and rumbled Owin¡¯s chest. The beast was huge.


    Owin threw the empty potion bottle at the bear¡¯s face. Glass shattered. The bear hardly reacted. With his hand still out, Owin used Bolt from his spells. Electricity shook his arm, shooting through his veins until his fingertips glowed and launched a quick bolt of electricity, identical to the one from his wand. It struck the bear right on the nose.


    The bear didn¡¯t seem to notice. It roared and swung at Owin, who dove forward. The bear cleaved through the dirt, throwing up debris that rained into the nearby river.


    Owin brandished his knife and stabbed beside him as a grim wolf appeared. The knife cut into the wolf¡¯s eye before it had even realized Owin was there. It yelped and fled back into the dark.


    Another wolf yelped farther away. The detect potion had worn off, so the best Owin could do was hope that Kidibose was managing on her own. Realistically, she stood a better chance than he did.


    The vile bear turned to Owin and huffed. Hot, rancid breath washed over him. Some hair on its nose was singed and still glowed gently.


    Unfortunately, his mana bar had dropped almost all the way down from a single use of Bolt. With 53 mana, any Power 1 spells could only be used once without drinking a mana potion, of which he only had two.


    Despite what Kidibose had said, Owin felt his old instincts calling to him. The way he had fought as a mindless mob, and the way he had fought when he had first awoken still seemed to fit the best with his current stats.


    There were some reservations in his mind, some slight ideas of better options, or at least, safer options. None of those were loud enough to stop Owin from leaping right at the bear¡¯s face.


    It roared as the goblin landed right on its face. Owin squeezed with his legs, desperately trying to stay atop the bear. He stabbed down with his knife, cutting through flesh. The bear shook its head, violently throwing Owin right off. He hit the ground, landing hard on his shoulder, and rolled until he hit a tree. His knife flew from his hand, disappearing into the night.


    His health dropped three quarters. He groaned and grabbed a potion from his belt. A scowl contorted his face as he drank the bitter potion. The blue mana bar filled.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Owin said, sitting up.


    The bear¡¯s eyes glowed in the dark as it lumbered closer. Blood ran from its head, matting its fur.


    Owin smashed a health potion against his head. While it wasn¡¯t the best way to take them, it worked, and it was a little faster. He lost one point of health, but the bar filled immediately after.


    Full mana meant another spell. Owin still wasn¡¯t sure what discharge was, but there wouldn¡¯t be a better time to figure it out. In fact, if he didn¡¯t find out, he might die.


    The bear charged as Owin stood and leapt. He landed right on top of the bear again. He bounced off its head and grabbed fur with both hands, clinging to the side of the bear. Owin swung himself up as the bear lurched and tried to shake him off.


    Once he was on top of the bear like one rides a horse, he pressed both palms into the bear¡¯s skin, through as much fur as he could push aside, and selected Discharge.


    His hands glowed blue as electricity ran through them. He could see the outlines of bones and veins as electricity flowed into the bear. It didn¡¯t hurt his hands at all, but it caused them to shake uncontrollably. The bear roared and fell as it ran, smashing its face right into the ground. Owin jumped off, landed on one foot, and rolled until he sat on the dirt.


    0 Experience


    ¡°Great,¡± he said.


    His mana bar was completely empty, with Discharge using every point he had available. The fur around where Owin had used the spell had caught fire and now burned, lighting up the night.


    Kidibose appeared at the edge of the firelight, covered in blood. She had two gashes on her arm. She walked confidently into the firelight and sat beside Owin, resting her head against a tree.


    ¡°Spells?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Nice.¡± She elbowed him. ¡°The good news is that Naxile''s house should be close. She lives by the river.¡±


    ¡°The bad news?¡±


    She grunted. ¡°I¡¯m not doing so well.¡±


    Owin unhooked a health potion and held it out to Kidibose.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s too expensive. You should keep those. You earned them.¡±


    ¡°I took them off a person who tried to kill me before. Take it.¡±


    Kidibose frowned and grabbed the red potion. She swirled it in front of her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never had one.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a little sweet.¡±


    Kidibose tried to pull the cork out as her injured arm shook. Owin reached over and plucked the little cork out and tossed it into the dark.


    She drank the potion, and the gashes on her arm immediately closed. ¡°Wow.¡± Kidibose looked over her arm. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single cut.¡±


    ¡°One fixed my broken foot.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± she said again.


    That left Owin with only a single mana potion left from what he had found in the goblin caves. He would need to find a new source of health potions. An alchemist seemed like a good source for that kind of thing. The vile bear continued burning a few feet away like a relaxing bonfire in the quiet night.


    Owin found his knife near the river bank, stuffing it back into his belt. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I guess.¡±

 Chapter 4

    The alchemist¡¯s house was a beacon in the night. Lights poured out of every window, even with the curtains drawn. It was a huge building compared to everything else Owin had seen on the second floor.


    ¡°Have you been here before?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. I just know of Naxile,¡± Kidibose said.


    Owin took that as a full answer, though he was still curious what that actually meant. How much did Kidibose know about the dungeons and how things worked? It seemed like she didn¡¯t actually know she was a mob in the dungeon, though Owin obviously didn¡¯t either before the buff.


    ¡°What was the warning from Rattis?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s volatile, as he said.¡± Kidibose shrugged. ¡°Could be a joke about her class, or it could mean she¡¯ll literally blow us up.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a joke.¡± Owin slowly approached the door, trying to peer through the windows. He couldn¡¯t make anything out through the thick curtains.


    Kidibose confidently knocked on the door with her bow slung over her shoulder and her shortsword sheathed at her hip.


    Owin was less confident and kept his hands near his wand and knife. Rattis had given that warning for a reason. And even if that reason was unclear, Owin was going to be on guard the entire time.


    The door creaked open just a sliver, revealing the wide forest green face of a goblin.


    ¡°Who?¡± it asked.


    Great Forest Mob


    Ponk


    Goblin Alchemist


    Level 8


    Ponk had bright green hair, just a shade off of his skin, and blue eyes like a cloudless sky. Some burns scarred his face, especially around his mouth. He looked between Kidibose and Owin, then closed the door. A lock audibly locked in place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants us to go inside,¡± Kidibose said.


    Owin approached and knocked again. ¡°We¡¯re here for Nosolus Dindross, Chosen Magus of the Malignant Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you know his full title.¡±


    The door immediately opened again, revealing Ponk and a human woman with tangled hair. Owin immediately used Examine.


    Great Forest Mob


    Naxile


    Human Alchemist


    Level 15


    Naxile looked older than anyone else Owin had seen. Her hair was gray and her face was wrinkled, especially around her eyes. She looked tired as she peeked around Ponk, who had once again opened the door.


    ¡°Nosolus, you say?¡± she asked.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°A goblin?¡±


    Owin nodded again, unsure of what else to do.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Ponk opened the door the rest of the way and held it as Owin and Kidibose entered. He closed it and latched it shut as soon as they were inside. Owin didn¡¯t love the door being locked directly behind them.


    The main room was dominated by a giant green container in the center, latched to the floor. Desks, shelves, and other random storage covered the walls.


    ¡°Why would Nosolus send a goblin and a . . . cultist?¡± Naxile asked.


    Owin walked inside and let Kidibose close the door behind him. The hunter still held her bow tightly. She stuck right behind Owin and looked a lot more agitated than he was trying to let on. His goal was to learn more about Naxile and the goblin before doing anything rash, though it seemed that Kidibose would give away his intentions quickly.


    ¡°He said you would know what to do,¡± Owin said quickly before Naxile could look at Kidibose for too long.


    The older woman grinned and crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, he did?¡± She turned her back to them, casually walking back to the green tank in the center of the room. It bubbled as if boiling. Naxile pressed her hand against the glass. Her reflection, still grinning, looked right at Owin. ¡°It¡¯s not often you see a goblin around these woods.¡±


    ¡°Where did you find Ponk?¡± Owin asked.


    Ponk, still standing nearby, stared blankly at Owin.


    ¡°Are you from the caves?¡±


    Ponk didn¡¯t respond. The goblin had his arms crossed in front of his chest and looked like he was daydreaming.


    ¡°How is Nosolus doing?¡± Naxile asked. She stayed near the center tank, but paced around it, watching Owin from afar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just sent us here.¡±


    Naxile tapped the glass with her long nails. ¡°Have you retrieved the eyes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin took another look at Ponk, who loudly sniffled and wiped his sleeve across his nose, leaving a trail of snot. Owin stepped past the goblin and surveyed the various large tanks and oddities along the walls. A hand, posed as if casting a spell, was mounted on a table across from the door. A candle burned precariously close to the hand. ¡°I need buff potions. Nosolus said you would be able to help.¡±


    ¡°Ponk, do we have some?¡± she asked, still pacing. She dragged her nail over the glass container. Whatever liquid was inside bubbled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Would you take our friend to the back and manage that?¡±


    Ponk bowed, wiped his sleeve across his nose again, then walked past a stone table to a wooden door. ¡°In here.¡±


    Owin looked back at Kidibose, who was crouched beside a desk in the front. A glass container held a skinned taxidermy rat posed as it climbed up a branch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. We will have a cup of tea and wait for you two to finish. Cultist, come over here,¡± Naxile said. She grabbed a mug from a drawer under the posed hand, then approached a stone tank against the wall and turned a spigot. It gurgled, then released a stream of steaming liquid into the mug.


    Ponk held the door open a few feet from Owin. The goblin grunted. ¡°Storage.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kidibose said, hurrying over to the tank. ¡°Premade tea? Marvelous. I could use something like this in the bakery.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Naxile said, placing her arm over Kidibose¡¯s shoulder.


    Ponk shoved Owin in and closed the door behind them. Three identical shelves took up most of the room. A barrel sat oddly in the way, and cabinets covered the far wall. Most of the shelf space was taken up by dried flowers or stones of various colors. None of which Owin recognized.


    ¡°What is buff for?¡± Ponk asked. The goblin shoved the barrel aside. Something inside thumped, but it moved easily.


    ¡°To get stronger. To be able to fight.¡±


    Ponk looked back at Owin. His blue eyes shone like the daytime sky. ¡°You are level 1.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I am level 8.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Owin stayed near the door, watching the other goblin with curiosity. Ponk touched various things along the shelves as he walked, lifting things, placing them back down, switching positions. It didn¡¯t seem like he was really trying to do anything specifically. ¡°Where are the potions?¡±


    Ponk tapped his long green fingers on the middle shelf. ¡°Cabinet.¡±


    Owin quickly walked past the shelves and threw open the first cabinet door. The lock on the door to the main room clicked. Ponk stood at the door, hand on the lock. In his other hand, he had a bright green potion, much like his hair.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin asked, grabbing the first potion he could reach inside the cabinet and popped the cork off. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to examine it, and now he didn¡¯t want to break eye contact with Ponk.


    ¡°Following Nosolus¡¯s orders.¡± Ponk stepped toward Owin. He pulled an identical orange potion from a bag around his waist.


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    Owin hoped the potion he grabbed was another strength buff. If he was quick enough, he could get the one from Ponk too.


    ¡°Stay here, and we will be friends.¡±


    A flaming arrowhead punctured the door. Ponk turned to look at the same time Kidibose, voice muted by the door, screamed, ¡°You bitch!¡±


    Owin drew his wand and cast Bolt as he splashed the orange potion right onto his face.


    Strength +30


    Strength: 85


    The bolt struck Ponk in the shoulder, causing him to drop the other strength buff. The wand didn¡¯t sizzle or hurt after using it. Was it after midnight? Owin cast another Bolt, trying to aim at Ponk¡¯s face. This one struck the goblin right in the stomach. Ponk stumbled back and threw the green potion. His hand glowed blue as the glass bottle flew. The green liquid inside was suddenly boiling.


    Owin dove forward as the glass bottle smashed into the edge of the closest shelf. Glass shot out, cutting into his skin, as the green liquid burst into a cloud of green smoke. Owin¡¯s arm passed through the cloud, causing him to scream as the skin melted on his arm. He crashed into the stone floor and rolled into the wall. The shelf melted in the acid and collapsed, spilling ingredients into the cloud, which disintegrated them.


    His health was under half. Despite the arm pain, the damage wasn¡¯t severe. If the bottle had hit him directly, he would¡¯ve died immediately. Unfortunately, his mana was still too low to cast any spells.


    There were some things that worked for a reason, and Owin was going to keep going back to what had been successful in the past.


    He grabbed his stone knife and leapt at Ponk. A thirty point buff in strength was bigger than Owin had imagined. He flew through the air incredibly fast compared to before. The alchemist goblin had pulled a health potion from his bag, but he had only just managed to pull the cork when Owin collided with him. Owin¡¯s aim was never great, so he had held the stone knife out right in front of his chest. When he hit Ponk, the knife slipped right between the collarbones, killing Ponk instantly.


    0 Experience


    Owin ripped the knife out and grabbed the partially spilled health potion. He splashed what was left on his face, which was enough to restore his small amount of health. The skin from the acid burns healed, but the scars remained.


    Things clattered in the next room as Kidibose continued her fight. Owin wanted to get out there and help her, but he needed to be helpful. A quick search through Ponk¡¯s bag found a mana potion, which Owin downed immediately, then he grabbed the other strength potion and drank it.


    Strength +30


    Strength: 115


    Owin squeezed the worn grip of his bloody knife. Some gore from Ponk dripped onto his hand as he unlocked the burning door and tossed it open.


    Kidibose was a few feet to the side, breathing heavily. Her hood and pack were torn and tossed on the floor, still sizzling from acid. Half her hair was gone, replaced by sizzling skin just like Owin¡¯s arm from Ponk¡¯s attack. Kidibose had an arrow drawn with a glowing green arrowhead. Her Dipped Arrow ability pulled from the tank of acid in the middle of the room.


    Naxile stood in the opposite corner. She had cuts on her face, and a handful of arrows were stuck in the wall behind her. There was a three level difference between Kidibose and Naxile, which seemed small to Owin, especially when he was able to defeat people ten levels different. But Naxile stood confidently, still holding a mug of tea in one hand while she tossed and caught another potion. This one was a swirl of bright colors.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kidibose asked without turning her attention from Owin.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Naxile¡¯s face suddenly contorted. She looked past Owin at the pool of blood leaking from Ponk¡¯s corpse, just inside the door.


    Kidibose took the opening to shoot her arrow, which was aimed perfectly at the middle of Naxile¡¯s face. It touched her, burning her nose, for just a tiny, brief moment, before it diverted and stuck into the wall, splashing acid over the wood.


    Naxile didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Ponk,¡± she said, dropping her mug to the floor. It shattered, spilling tea across the floorboards. ¡°What did you do to Ponk?¡±


    Kidibose shot another arrow, which cut Naxile¡¯s face before being pushed aside.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hurt her,¡± Kidibose said. Her voice was shaky.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Owin asked. His green eyes were bright as he glared at the old alchemist.


    Naxile grabbed another swirling potion from the bag at her hip. Both hands glowed blue, causing the potions to start bubbling.


    ¡°I was only going to kill the cultist. I would¡¯ve let you live, goblin. But my precious Ponk. What did you do to my Ponk?¡± Naxile¡¯s voice grew louder and louder until she shouted. Tears ran down her face. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Owin pointed his hand and cast Bolt. The small bolt of lightning flew across the room, hitting Naxile¡¯s leg. It bounced off and struck the floor, where it left a scorch mark. She flinched when it hit her, though it left no visible injury.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have her heart. You can¡¯t stop me.¡± Naxile blinked away tears. ¡°The Malignant Spirit will return.¡±


    Owin leapt, feeling even stronger than before. He held his knife out, ready to impale Naxile¡¯s heart. She threw one of the swirling, bubbling potions at the same time he had jumped. The glass bottle broke over his knife in midair, shattering and releasing the bright, bubbling liquid. Naxile¡¯s potion exploded, sounding like thunder. Owin was launched in the opposite direction he had jumped, passing right over Ponk¡¯s corpse. He crashed against shelves and fell onto the stone floor.


    His health bar looked empty.


    1 Health


    Owin groaned as he stood unsteadily. His head spun and his ears rang.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Kidibose shouted, sounding like she was miles away.


    He could barely see Naxile stomp across the room. More arrows bounced right off her skin, barely leaving a scratch. Owin stumbled over Ponk¡¯s corpse and fell beside the burning door. He pulled himself into the other room until he could see Kidibose.


    She dropped her bow, drew her shortsword, and dropped into a crouch as she swung with her Hobbling Slash ability. Naxile¡¯s knees exploded in a shower of blood that sprayed as far as Owin.


    Still, she kept standing and grabbed Kidibose by the throat. ¡°You will be the sacrifice that brings the Malignant Spirit back to our world.¡± Her words were like a snake hissing. Spit flew against Kidibose¡¯s acid-burned skin.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Kidibose called, gagged by the alchemist.


    Owin grabbed the doorframe and tried to stand. Even with increased strength, he was barely able to move. Everything felt distant and fuzzy. One hit and he would die.


    Naxile pulled a curved knife from her bag. Owin¡¯s eyes widened. He sat up and grabbed Ponk¡¯s bag. There was another health potion at the bottom, glowing red as if it was calling for him. He grabbed it, almost dropping the potion with his numb hands, and poured it into his mouth. Most missed, but it still splashed against his skin.


    His health bar filled all the way back up. Owin jumped to his feet, grabbed his wand, and ran from the storage room.


    Naxile had turned to face Owin with Kidibose held in front of her. The curved knife was pressed into her neck, cutting deep enough that a rivulet of blood ran down, over her collarbone, and soaked into her tunic.


    ¡°Good,¡± Naxile said. She used her other hand to drink her own health potion. ¡°I wanted you to watch while I killed your friend.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Naxile, with tears running down her cheeks, grinned. ¡°The Malignant Spirit requires a sacrifice of a devoted member. A heart of a cultist.¡± She pressed the knife harder into Kidibose¡¯s neck. ¡°Nosolus volunteered our baker here.¡±


    ¡°Owin, please,¡± Kidibose said quietly. She squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°Please. I was going to make baklava, remember?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± Owin squeezed the wand so hard he thought it would snap. He wanted his knife, but it had gone flying in the earlier attack. He would have to make do with what he had. ¡°Let her go.¡±


    Naxile shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen. You¡¯re going to suffer, like I am now. You killed my Ponk, I will kill your baker.¡±


    Owin could only attack her with something physical and close. Any ranged attacks seemed to bounce off, however that worked. He didn¡¯t know anything about the alchemist class, but clearly she had something protecting her. Kidibose¡¯s strike with her shortsword had been successful, which meant Owin needed to drive the wand into her heart.


    He took a step and jumped with all his strength, launching him across the room. Naxile face contorted to the most evil look Owin had ever seen. Her curved knife sliced right into Kidibose¡¯s throat and ripped across, splashing blood over the wall. She let the corpse fall just as Owin reached her.


    She was incredibly fast, catching Owin¡¯s head before he could attack. She held him in a single hand and threw his body at the floor. It did minimal damage, but he landed directly beside Kidibose, who was already dead and bleeding.


    ¡°Why?¡± Owin said. He was back on his feet quickly. Naxile stood above him like a monster. ¡°She was innocent.¡±


    ¡°A better sacrifice.¡± Naxile pointed her bloody knife at Owin. ¡°I will cut out her heart and deliver it to Nosolus myself.¡±


    Owin jumped again, stabbing forward with his wand. Naxile swiped with her knife, catching Owin¡¯s forehead. It sliced through the skin and threw him against the blood-covered wall. His health was still over half, which meant the cut wasn¡¯t serious. She had partially missed. Blood ran over his eyebrows and dripped in front of his eyes.


    All he needed was one good attack. One attack right into her brain.


    Owin stuck out his hand and cast Smoke Cloud. Dark smoke immediately covered the whole area. Breathing in it wasn¡¯t any different than regular air, but Owin still fought the urge to hold his breath.


    ¡°You little bastard,¡± Naxile said. She grabbed a potion that glowed yellow like firelight. It didn¡¯t clear the smoke, but it let Owin see a perfect silhouette of the old alchemist.


    He jumped again and collided with Naxile. Before she could even react, he stabbed with the wand, puncturing her eye. Liquid splashed on his wrist and Owin screamed and shoved the wand in as far as he could. He cast Bolt and felt the wand sizzle and burn his hand. His health dropped three points as Naxile¡¯s other eye exploded. Her body stiffened, but Owin wasn¡¯t satisfied. He cast Bolt two more times until the back of her skull blew out, splashing cooked brains onto the wall.


    Owin jumped off as her corpse collapsed beside Kidibose. He canceled Smoke Cloud and stood, breathing heavily. A pool of blood had formed around the corpses.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Owin said quietly.


    He pulled Naxile¡¯s bag off and slung it over his shoulder. It was a little big, but he would be able to readjust it later. He found another health potion inside, which he immediately drank. There were two more inside, two mana potions, and the last swirling potion. He kept them all there and wandered until he found his stone knife on the floor. He tossed it into his bag and walked back into the storage room. The door burned, and the fire had spread to the wall. Before long, the whole building would be in flames. With all the tanks and experiments inside, it would be a bad idea to be near the building when the rest caught flames. Owin decided to hurry. He searched the cabinets and found only one more potion. It wasn¡¯t one he recognized, so he used Examine.


    Artisan Constitution Buff


    +30 Constitution


    Duration: 5 Hours


    As the words floated in his vision, the duration once again became hazy and disappeared. Owin drank the potion and was surprised to find it sweet.


    Constitution +30


    Constitution: 50


    His health bar increased, getting more than twice as big. There was nothing else that seemed worth taking in the storage room, especially with so many of the ingredients being ruined by acid.


    Owin walked back to the main room and crouched beside Kidibose. He grabbed the curved knife from Naxile, and sighed.


    Nosolus would have no idea Naxile and Ponk were dead. If Owin helped complete the quest, he would get a reward from Nosolus, which might make him strong enough to stop the cult leader. They didn¡¯t have the eyes anyway. All they needed was a heart from a cultist.


    Owin thought of taking Naxile¡¯s heart, but a simple Examine would confirm that Owin had lied, which would only make him fight Nosolus that much sooner. It felt horrible to even think about. Owin knelt beside Kidibose and drove the curved knife right into her chest.

 Chapter 5

    His hands dripped blood as he walked through the cold night. Owin continued holding the knife, feeling unable to let go. Blood clung between his fingers and dripped off the end of the curved knife in long, slow globs.


    Kidibose hadn¡¯t been a real person, but neither was Owin. At least, not until he had become aware. Whether she was real didn¡¯t really matter. Maybe she was just someone Ruvaine had made to exist within the walls of the second floor, but Owin had liked her. She was kind, even when he was confused. She was going to help fight against the cult that she had been part of. She was the only person he had known that wanted to help him in the short time he had known what was happening.


    Now, he held her heart.


    Owin walked through the silent forest. They had killed the wolves and bears on their way to Naxile¡¯s. Nothing was left to stop Owin¡¯s journey back. He reached the river and watched the water flow by in the moonlight. With his increased strength, it was easy to jump across.


    The smallest hint of a sunrise appeared on the horizon behind Owin as he saw the first torchlights of the cultist village. He passed right by the butcher¡¯s and into the plaza near the first house he had appeared in. Rattis was pacing in front of the bakery, just north of Owin.


    The magus noticed Owin and hurried over, as fast as his old body could carry him. ¡°You¡¯re back, you¡¯re back,¡± he said excitedly. He slowed upon noticing the blood dripping from Owin¡¯s hand. A scowl twisted his face as he saw the heart in Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Kidibose?¡±


    Owin held up her heart. ¡°Nosolus sent us there to kill Kidibose. A sacrifice.¡±


    Rattis pulled his hood up, hiding his face. ¡°There was some commotion at the cathedral while you were gone. I stayed back, but the rest of the village joined him. Nosolus is up to something.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone else who will help us?¡±


    ¡°No. We will need to do this ourselves.¡± Rattis sighed and leaned his weight onto his staff. ¡°I will be able to stop the skeletons from getting to you, but you will have to kill him quickly. If he starts using spells . . .¡± Rattis let his voice trail off. He ground the end of the staff into the cobblestones. ¡°He¡¯s powerful.¡±


    The village was eerily quiet with only Rattis and Owin there. The older man finally stood upright. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    It only took a few minutes to walk through the village, the short space of woods, and into the cemetery, which was also empty. No skeletons stood guard at the gate or in front of the cathedral. Rattis gave Owin a look, then picked up his pace. He moved spryly for an older man.


    Owin had more than a bad feeling about the situation. His hand clenched the knife, forcing glue-like blood to flow from between his fingers. Rattis opened the door, revealing an empty cathedral.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking the satyrs,¡± Owin said.


    Rattis leaned into the cathedral. His voice echoed as he checked for anybody inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stop him.¡±


    Rattis tapped his staff on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll slow you down. I can prepare for a fight, should they return.¡±


    ¡°Can we destroy the statue?¡±


    Rattis looked over his shoulder at the statue of the Malignant Spirit. ¡°No. Nothing can destroy an abyssal creation.¡±


    Owin had no idea what a magus could do. What was there to prepare? If they couldn¡¯t destroy the statue, they were better off pushing the fight to Nosolus while he was distracted by the satyrs.


    Owin grabbed the strap of Naxile¡¯s bag and tightened it until it hung at his hip, instead of dragging along the ground.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Rattis said.


    Owin finally placed Kidibose¡¯s heart into the bag and wiped his hand on the cathedral wall before running out of the cemetery and through the woods.


    The sun climbed higher into the sky, casting long shadows through the woods. It wasn¡¯t long before Owin found the first corpse.


    The satyr had its arms ripped clean off. Blood soaked into the ground and turned the dirt to sticky mud. Some gore still dripped down the bark of nearby trees. The satyr had been slaughtered.


    Owin hurried through the rest of the forest without any confrontation. If there had been any grim wolves in the area, the cultists had taken care of them. By the time the sun had fully risen, just above the horizon, Owin found the satyr village in the middle of a battle.


    Carnage was spread all around. Bones, blood, and corpses were strewn about the forest clearing. Some bodies and entrails hung from branches beneath the treetop platforms.


    He could just find the stairs to the next floor. There was no reason to get involved in anything happening. The stairs had been an option the entire time, but things would get more difficult as he ascended. He needed power. He needed more buffs. And what would happen if Nosolus accomplished his goal? If Owin ran with Kidibose¡¯s heart, Nosolus would simply take Rattis¡¯s instead.


    Green fire burst from the central platform. No wood caught fire in the blast, but blood and a satyr arm splattered over the side.


    In the time of his travels back to the cathedral, then to the satyr village, Owin¡¯s mana had refilled on its own. It was a slow process, but it was still always refilling. Having one spell at his disposal would be helpful. Unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop from being executed by a spell that ripped the arms right off a high level satyr.


    Long, red fingers with curled black nails reached over the edge, grasping the wooden platform. A wide-faced demon with pointed ears and curled horns peered over the ledge. Its eyes were black holes, devoid of color. Green flames danced along its arms as it stood upright and turned around. Something smashed into it, throwing the demon straight off the platform. It crashed heavily onto the ground just in front of Owin.


    Apprentice Demon


    Summon of Nosolus Dindross


    Level 5


    A level 5 demon was that huge? It stood upright, having survived the fall, and turned to Owin. It smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth, not even giving it room for a tongue. The demon wore scale armor with pteruges, leaving its arms and legs exposed. Its feet were incredibly long and ended in bird-like black talons.


    Owin pointed his hand and cast Bolt. The lightning bolt hit the demon in the nose. Green fire burst from all over its body as it howled and quickly vanished, leaving a ring of burning grass.


    Owin¡¯s mana was gone again, but at least he had been able to take down the demon. There was still fighting all around the clearing. It all took place on the platforms, and from what Owin could see, there were far more satyr corpses than cultists on the ground.


    He wanted to plan. He wanted to know what he was doing. There wasn¡¯t any time for that. Without knowing what he was going to face, he couldn¡¯t plan ahead. He used a mana potion to refill his bar before climbing the central, spiraling ramp to Governor Gropnil¡¯s house.


    A skeleton berserker, one of the cathedral guards, stood just on top of the platform. It held a greatsword in its hands and stared at Owin with empty eye sockets. He inched around it without the skeleton reacting at all.


    Meanwhile, the door to Gropnil¡¯s house exploded off the hinges and flew off the platform. Across the clearing, on the outer ring, satyrs and cultists clashed with weapons and launched spells at each other. The fight looked mostly even now that Owin was able to see more of what was actually happening. There had been more satyrs than cultists, and the initial surprise attack seemed to have gone in Nosolus¡¯s favor.


    Gropnil, holding a shield in front of his face, slid out of the door, coming to a stop a few inches from the ledge. Green fire danced on the edge of his wooden shield without burning it.


    ¡°You could have surrendered the eyes,¡± Nosolus said loudly from within the house. Owin reached inside his bag and pulled out the swirling potion that Naxile had made.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Shatter Grenade


    Created by Alchemist Naxile


    If he could get Nosolus near the edge, he could possibly shove him off the platform with the grenade. As long as Nosolus didn¡¯t get the eyes, things would be fine. A green and black burst exploded out from the doorway, striking Gropnil¡¯s shield. The satyr grunted as green flames encased the shield.


    Gropnil¡¯s hooves dug into the wooden platform, shaving off bits as he charged back into the house, shouting something incomprehensible. Before Owin could follow, the satyr umbra appeared right in front of him in a poof of purple smoke.


    ¡°Cultist,¡± he said, holding his straight bladed shortsword.


    ¡°I¡¯m not with them!¡± Owin ducked as the umbra immediately sliced horizontally.


    The skeleton berserker behind Owin turned and swung his greatsword right over the goblin¡¯s head. The umbra blocked the swing, throwing a shower of sparks into the air.


    ¡°Attack,¡± the skeleton said in an airy voice, as if the breeze was talking.


    The umbra watched Owin with beady eyes as each mob pushed against the other¡¯s sword right above his head.


    Owin rolled out of the way and ran to the door. He quickly slipped inside and dodged another green blast from Nosolus. The inside of Gropnil¡¯s house was wrecked. Things were burning with real fire and almost all of the furniture was shattered. Gropnil held a flanged mace in his three fingered hand while he kept his shield up, blocking most of his upper body.


    Nosolus stood on the other side with blood running from his nostrils and a cut across the bridge of his nose. A small stream of blood also dripped from his finger, but its source was hidden to Owin.


    ¡°Ah, goblin. You¡¯ve come to assist. I will honor our original agreement if you help retrieve the eyes from this beast,¡± Nosolus said.


    Gropnil turned his head, which looked a lot like an owl turning their head, to face Owin without turning his shield away. ¡°They have slaughtered my people. Help us.¡±


    New Quest


    Pick a Side


    Reward: Journeyman Item


    Note: This choice cannot be reversed


    Owin scowled. It erased the other quests from his journal, leaving only the option to pick the satyrs or the cultists. Owin pointed his hand and shot Bolt at Nosolus. The magus held up his hand and appeared to catch the spell in a swirl of green fire. It had no clear effect.


    Journal Updated


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need something better than that to help,¡± Gropnil said.


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Owin ran back out the door as Nosolus cackled.


    The umbra and the skeleton still fought, each blocking attacks and counter attacking at a rapid speed. Few spells, if any, moved between them. Owin had trouble following the combat.


    He ran around the fight, behind the skeleton, and jumped. He smashed Naxile¡¯s curved knife into the top of its skull, shattering bone. The skeleton didn¡¯t immediately die, but it did stagger and try to turn. In the brief opening, the umbra coated its sword in purple fire and slashed, cutting straight through the ribs and spine of the skeleton.


    Bones dropped to the wooden platform, clattering loudly.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± The umbra kept the purple coating over its sword. ¡°Is the governor alive?¡±


    ¡°He needs help.¡± Owin put the curved knife in his belt, wiped some sticky blood off his hand, and grabbed the skeleton¡¯s greatsword. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Never thought a goblin would be on our side.¡± The umbra ran forward and slowly disappeared, like water slowly flowed up his body. ¡°Distract the cultist for me.¡±


    Owin had no idea where the umbra had gone. He inched forward slowly at first, worried about bumping into the invisible man. The greatsword rested on Owin¡¯s shoulder. Despite the overwhelming size difference, the sword didn¡¯t feel particularly heavy. In fact, it wasn¡¯t much different than carrying the knife when he had first become aware because of his new strength.


    Was fighting Nosolus a bad idea? Owin stood in the doorway, watching the satyr soldier and the human magus face off. They were both level 16, which was quite the jump compared to everything else Owin had fought on the floor. Even the umbra was only level 14. At least they all had levels above one.


    Gropnil swung his flanged mace wildly, striking a green and black flame shield that hovered around Nosolus. The magus lifted his hand, causing green tendrils to rise from the wood as if there was a portal beneath Gropnil¡¯s feet. The tendrils wrapped around the satyr¡¯s hairy legs and pulled him toward the ground.


    Owin searched for any sign of the umbra. There had been a slight distortion in the light when he first disappeared, but in the chaos of the battle, Owin couldn''t see anything. It was up to him. Avenge Kidibose. Save the last of the satyrs.


    He took a step in, ready to leap, then stopped. Why?


    Kidibose knew nothing of the different floors. She thought she had just been a baker. Rattis was surprised to find out what the cult actually worshiped, despite being part of it.


    ¡°Why, Ruvaine?¡± Owin asked again. ¡°What is my purpose?¡±


    You will have to learn yourself, thrall. This world only respects power. These thralls fighting before you are my creations, just as you are. They will never respect you. They will never learn. Above, you will meet mortals who will only respect you if you prove you are more powerful. Use this opportunity to learn, to grow, to show strength.


    Ruvaine¡¯s voice vanished from his mind as the satyr and cultist continued to clash. A green and black sword with a blade that looked like a flame materialized in Nosolus¡¯s hand, bringing their fight into a full melee brawl.


    Owin didn¡¯t move.


    Fight and complete the quest, or you will be sent back to the caves as a mindless thrall. You are an anomaly, one I should quell before the others discover your existence. Curiosity has made me merciful. It will not last. Act or perish.


    Act or perish. Owin repeated the line in his head several times.


    His grip tightened on the greatsword. Time to act. He leapt through the air and swung the greatsword down. It was incredibly huge compared to the knives he had been using, and with such low dexterity, his control of the weapon was not great.


    While Nosolus was distracted by the rooted satyr, Owin smashed the flat of the greatsword right on top of the magus¡¯s head. The blow shook through the sword and tingled Owin¡¯s hands. The shield around Nosolus disappeared into wisps of green flames that quickly dissipated.


    Owin landed and held up the sword as Nosolus thrust his hand out and shot a green blast, cleaving the sword in two. Owin threw the handle and sword fragment to the side and grabbed the curved knife from his belt.


    Before he could dive back in, purple fire formed around an invisible sword right behind Nosolus. The umbra appeared just as he stabbed straight into the magus¡¯s back. It punctured through the front, purple flames spilling out of his chest, and all Nosolus did was laugh.


    His demonic sword vanished as he snapped his fingers. A black and green haze immediately covered the entire room, choking Owin. The air was heavier than smoke and burned like acid. Heavy footsteps approached as Nosolus appeared with the flaming sword still lodged in his chest. He crouched beside Owin and held out his hand, showing two red gems.


    ¡°The heart,¡± he said. ¡°I see it in your bag.¡±


    Owin wheezed and tried to pull the bag away. Nosolus easily grabbed it and yanked it away from the small goblin. He took the heart and tossed the bag to the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re all disappointments. The Malignant Spirit will drag you to the Abyss. I will spare you to become its first meal.¡± Nosolus cackled and walked out of the house. Owin heard more green beams shoot from his hands out on the platform.


    Everything grew fuzzier as Owin¡¯s health ticked down. The haze thickened as threads of black fogs slithered through the green. He felt incredibly weak as he crawled over to his bag and pulled it close. He still had two health potions, but he didn¡¯t want to waste them while still in the attack.


    The umbra appeared, limping. He had blood splattered on his face, causing him to squint. The satyr grabbed Owin¡¯s bag and arm, and forcefully dragged him deeper into the haze, through a door, and into clear air beyond. The umbra collapsed and wheezed. Owin grabbed the bag and set it between them. He handed one health potion to the umbra, and drank the other himself, leaving him without any health potions again.


    The umbra drank the potion and immediately climbed back to his feet. ¡°We need to go now.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± Health potions fixed injuries, but they didn¡¯t make the pain just vanish. At least, they didn¡¯t help with the memory of the pain.


    ¡°He will resurrect the demon if we do not stop him.¡±


    ¡°What was that attack?¡±


    The satyr opened the door, allowing some of the haze to flow into the room. It was thinner than it had been moments ago. ¡°It¡¯s a powerful magus spell. The infernal shroud.¡±


    ¡°What about the governor?¡± Owin asked, already dreading the answer. There was no chance the umbra would have saved Owin if his leader had still been alive.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to go into another fight, I need to be stronger. Did Gropnil have any buff potions? Anything?¡±


    The umbra folded his arms and looked around the room. ¡°Perhaps. Stay here.¡± He turned and ran up some stairs. His hooves clacked loudly on the wood. Owin heard the footsteps above him and drawers sliding open and closed. Before long, the satyr reappeared with a single white potion. ¡°It was beside his bed along with a book.¡±


    ¡°He drank it to read?¡± Owin took the intelligence buff from the satyr. It wasn¡¯t what he hoped for, but it was absolutely better than nothing.


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence: 115


    That brought his intelligence up to the same level as his strength, which also meant his mana bar grew a few points.


    ¡°Do you know the way to the cultists?¡±


    Owin slung his bag over his shoulder and checked his knives. ¡°Yeah. Ready?¡±


    The umbra walked back into the room, and reappeared moments later with Gropnil¡¯s flanged mace. He strode right past Owin and opened a back door. ¡°Please.¡±


    Fresh air was beautiful. Unfortunately, satyr and cultist bodies littered the village. Any satyrs that had still been alive during the fight were now dead, killed by Nosolus. At least there would be less cultists to fight alongside their leader than if Owin had fought him at the cathedral originally.


    The umbra stopped beside a satyr corpse and crouched, placing his three fingered hand on the satyr¡¯s head. ¡°The Malignant Spirit will kill every satyr, even the ones who moved away from our village.¡±


    Owin only thought about how he was certain the umbra was already the last of the satyrs, just as Owin was the last of the goblins, at least on this floor.


    ¡°What is the Malignant Spirit?¡±


    ¡°A Lord of the Abyss. We cannot fight it in its full form. You saw how powerful Nosolus was as the Chosen Magus. Lead me there. We will fight the demon together.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Nosolus had beaten them to the cathedral, which was quiet and calm as Owin and the umbra ran up to the cemetery gate. Only Rattis stood outside, looking worriedly at the heavy doors of the cathedral.


    ¡°Owin, you¡¯re alive! And a satyr? Incredible.¡± Rattis grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulder and squeezed. ¡°He¡¯s performing the ritual now. Do you think we can stop him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re going to try. How many skeletons made it back?¡±


    ¡°Six, at least. I was more focused on the heart and gems in his hands. I swore you were dead.¡±


    ¡°What were you going to do if I was?¡±


    Rattis looked back at the cathedral. ¡°Play along.¡±


    ¡°We are wasting time,¡± the satyr said in his gruff, serious voice. He pushed the rusted gate open and ran across the gravestones. Owin followed, with Rattis a few steps behind.


    ¡°Before you charge to your death, satyr, give me a moment.¡± Rattis raised his staff and pounded it on the stone steps. A white light flashed, and a figure about the same size as Owin appeared.


    A green-faced gecko-like lizard stared at Owin. It wore a robe with a high collar. The thin arms and hands that stuck out from the sleeves were hairy and clawed, and its legs were similar to satyrs. The lizard carried a staff that looked like a smaller version of Rattis¡¯s own.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the lizard said in a high-pitched voice.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Owin asked, taking a step away.


    ¡°A familiar,¡± the umbra said matter-of-factly, as if Owin was an idiot for not knowing.


    ¡°A lizard or a satyr?¡± Owin asked, looking at its hooves.


    Journeyman Familiar


    Vrod


    Summon of Rattis


    Level 7


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a little of everything. This is what happens when you make your familiar at fifteen. Say hi, Vrod.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± The lizard looked up at Rattis. ¡°I did already say hello.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Ready?¡±


    Vrod nodded.


    ¡°What does a familiar do?¡± Owin asked. He adjusted his shoulder bag and readjusted his grip on the curved knife.


    ¡°It depends on the magus or wizard,¡± the umbra said.


    ¡°I have two spells,¡± Vrod said.


    ¡°Vrod is going to defend me. Get in there, and I will stop the skeletons from passing.¡± Rattis grabbed the door. ¡°Ready?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Rattis shoved the double doors open. They creaked as they revealed the candle-lit interior of the cathedral. The six skeletons stood in a semi circle around the door, ready to fight with their greatswords raised. Far in the back, Nosolus stood in front of the statue, facing the door. Both gems were already in the eye sockets of the statue.


    ¡°Ah, you have arrived.¡± His voice carried easily, echoing. ¡°I see one of my followers has turned, and has brought his own familiar. Perhaps I will bring my own.¡± Nosolus pointed at the ground before him. A burst of green fire appeared, then vanished, leaving a demon about the same size as Vrod. It had red skin, curled horns, and crouched like a gargoyle.


    ¡°He can summon a demon too,¡± Rattis said.


    ¡°He did at my village. Owin killed it.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. That is limited to once per day. Remember, spells are limited to cooldowns.¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t even realized there were cooldowns. For Power 1 spells like he had, the cooldown was so short he had never even noticed.


    ¡°I was hoping to have you witness the resurrection,¡± Nosolus said. ¡°While you try to fight your way out of my guards, please keep an eye on the statue. You will not want to miss this.¡±


    Rattis pounded his staff on the ground. A telekinetic wave exploded out, launching the skeletons away. They crashed into columns, a few dropped their swords, and the rest skidded across the ground.


    ¡°Go. Vrod and I will handle the skeletons.¡±


    A skeleton was back up faster than others. Rattis pointed at it, throwing a pinpointed telekinetic wave that launched the skeleton even farther away.


    Owin sprinted straight down the center of the cathedral. The satyr umbra was right beside him, hooves clicking loudly. Nosolus and his familiar watched them approach, each grinning. There was no fear in the cultist leader. He was excited for whatever was about to happen.


    Nosolus lifted his hand with Kidibose¡¯s heart and covered the heart in green flames. The eyes of the statue glowed brightly, then the heart was simply gone.


    ¡°Come and witness,¡± Nosolus said.


    As Owin and the umbra crossed the last columns, Rattis yelled, ¡°Halt!¡± A barrier appeared right behind Owin, covering the entire space between the walls of the cathedral. A skeleton, who Owin hadn¡¯t realized had been chasing them, crashed into the barrier and was tossed backward like he had been hit by one of Rattis¡¯s telekinetic attacks.


    Owin spared a quick glance at the friendly magus, who smacked a skeleton with his staff as Vrod used his own Push spell on one, throwing it against a column.


    ¡°Focus,¡± the umbra said as he vanished.


    Nosolus¡¯s familiar grinned and dove at Owin.


    Journeyman Familiar


    Ozos


    Summon of Nosolus Dindross


    Level 10


    Owin caught the demon with his knife, driving the curved blade into its neck. The weight of the familiar brought them both to the ground as it tried to savagely claw at Owin. it caught his shirt, tearing through the fabric and grazing his skin, before Owin kicked the familiar off. It landed on the stone floor and was promptly decapitated by the umbra. His flanged mace ripped the head right off and tossed it through the barrier.


    ¡°A satisfying distraction,¡± Nosolus said.


    The statue behind him rumbled. Cracks slithered out from the eyes, passing through the entire body.


    A Lord of the Abyss has risen


    The Malignant Spirit - 25% Manifested


    Level 20


    The words appeared right in Owin¡¯s vision, then disappeared into his journal, where he received another notification about a quest update. He was going to have to kill Nosolus and the spirit. It was obvious. He wanted to curse Ruvaine, but annoying the goddess more was likely going to cause Owin¡¯s death.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± The umbra dashed at Nosolus, mace aflame.


    The statue erupted, throwing shards of stone all across the room. A chunk even hit Nosolus, throwing the magus onto the floor. The umbra blocked a chunk with his mace, but was still knocked back. Owin, unharmed, watched as the Malignant Spirit¡¯s eyes glowed in the dust. It roared and shook Owin¡¯s bones.


    They struggled in a fight against a level 16. What could he do against level 20?


    Rattis and Vrod continued fighting the skeletons behind them. They were able to push them away with telekinetic spells, but the skeletons weren¡¯t dying. Meanwhile, Rattis had several wounds on his arms.


    The satyr umbra stood up, reignited his mace with dark purple flames. Nosolus was also back on his feet. Blood ran from the back of his head but he cackled anyway as the Malignant Spirit roared again.


    It wasn¡¯t at full strength. Something about the resurrection was wrong. Even if the umbra and Rattis weren¡¯t real people, they felt real pain and real fear. He had seen it in Kidibose and Naxile. Naxile felt real sadness, real grief for Ponk, and Kidibose had been terrified and scared of death. Even if they couldn¡¯t leave the floor, they had real feelings and in many ways, were real people.


    The satyr was fighting as the last of his people, but in his mind, he was fighting to protect the last of them. Rattis was also trying to protect people, even if he didn¡¯t know why. That was Owin¡¯s reason. People didn¡¯t need to be scared anymore. He would help them when he was able.


    Owin sprinted over the exploded pieces of the statue and leapt at the Malignant Spirit before it could move from the pedestal. He drove the curved knife into its chest as he spun around it, crashing into the wall. The demon roared and ripped the knife out, throwing it back at Owin as it hopped off the pedestal.


    The blood splashed on Owin¡¯s face, getting in his eyes and mouth.


    Strength +1


    Strength: 116


    Demon blood gave a strength buff? Owin shoved his knife into his belt and dove onto the back of the demon. The demon thrashed as Owin landed on its back and drove his sharp teeth into its neck. Owin tore at the demon like a wolf at a corpse. The Malignant Spirit flared its wings. One wing beat against Owin¡¯s chest, but it hardly did any damage.


    Notifications of increased strength continued popping up in the side of Owin¡¯s view, overlapping each other as the blood slid down his throat. Owin tore another chunk of flesh off as the demon reached back and managed to grab hold of Owin¡¯s shoulder with its stumpy arm.


    Rattis¡¯s barrier kept the skeletons out, but it wouldn¡¯t hold anything inside. The Malignant Spirit, with its incredible strength, threw Owin right through the barrier. He landed on the stone floor and slid harmlessly after leaving a crimson smear of demon blood across the cathedral.


    The Malignant Spirit stood just on the other side of the Halt spell and grinned an evil smile. To the side, the satyr umbra and Nosolus were locked in a close-quarters fight. The demonic magus was clearly overwhelming the lower level satyr, but the umbra held, despite being nearly covered in blood.


    Owin supposed he was too.


    The last strength notification finally appeared.


    Strength +1


    Strength: 138


    It wasn¡¯t as much as he had hoped, but every point was a point that made him stronger. And anything that made him stronger would help him crush Nosolus.


    A skeleton berserker, having been launched away from Vrod, spied Owin and ran at him with a greatsword. Owin pulled his curved knife out and blocked. The skeleton brought Owin to his knees, but he successfully stopped the attack.


    Rattis¡¯s staff swung into view, taking the skeleton¡¯s head off. Its bones clattered to the ground as the magus extended a hand to Owin. The old cultist was barely standing, especially when he wasn¡¯t leaning on his staff.


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    ¡°Time to finish this.¡± Rattis tapped his staff and the Halt barrier vanished.


    ¡°Master!¡± Vrod blocked a skeleton¡¯s swing with his own staff, which shattered as it launched the familiar away.


    ¡°Help him,¡± Owin said. He grabbed the greatsword and turned back to the demon, who was flapping his wings as he approached Nosolus.


    ¡°Great Lord,¡± Nosolus said, laughing. He shot a green and black blast at the umbra, launching the satyr against the wall.


    The umbra still breathed, but he looked near death, with almost half of his skull exposed. One of his horns was broken off and the hair on his legs burned with infernal green fire.


    ¡°Summon your armor,¡± the Malignant Spirit said in a growl. Its voice almost sounded disconnected, as if the words formed a second after it spoke.


    ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Nosolus clenched his hand. ¡°Abyssal Armor.¡± Green armor formed over his body like an abyssal fire version of Cato¡¯s armor from the last floor.


    ¡°Now, crush the mortal.¡±


    Nosolus laughed as he strode up to the satyr. The umbra hadn¡¯t moved since crashing into the wall. It didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d be able to.


    Who was more important to defeat? The Malignant Spirit was the stronger enemy, but the demon was distracted and not attacking. Rattis and Vrod were still holding the skeletons back, even if they weren¡¯t fully winning. Meanwhile, Nosolus was about to kill the satyr who wasn¡¯t even able to fight back.


    Nosolus had to go.


    With his mana low and his wand out of charges, the only real strategy Owin had was to jump at the enemy. There were flaws, and it had backfired a few times already, most notably when Naxile nearly killed him with a shatter grenade. Unfortunately, it was the only option as the Malignant Spirit blocked the way to Nosolus, who was quickly approaching his victim.


    Owin took two steps and leapt right over the demon¡¯s head, lifting the greatsword above his head. Even with a helmet on, Nosolus would feel the attack as Owin swung down with all of his newfound strength.


    The Malignant Spirit¡¯s hand shot up, catching Owin by the ankle as he sailed overhead. Owin let out a cry as he was slammed straight onto his face. His own blood splattered from his nose, mixing with the demon blood still clinging to his face. One hit had brought his health bar down half way.


    Owin didn¡¯t stand a chance against the resurrected demon.


    The ground ruptured, cracks slithering all through the floor around Owin. Purple fire burst from the ground, forcing both Nosolus and the demon to step back. The fire avoided Owin, but only barely.


    The umbra was on his feet, hands shaking as the ground rumbled. Blood poured down his head, through a crack in his skull. He held up a hand and said, ¡°Darkness.¡±


    A black cloud burst out from his hand, covering everything.


    Owin took the chance to get away from the demon and ran to the umbra, who had collapsed against the wall. Blood splashed as he landed on the stone floor. Everything nearby was difficult to see in the darkness, and more than a foot away was completely obscured.


    ¡°Use the cover to surprise them,¡± the satyr said quietly. He coughed up blood that splashed . ¡°Do not let the demon escape.¡±


    Owin looked inside his bag. ¡°I¡¯m out of healing potions.¡±


    The umbra coughed up more blood over his bare chest. ¡°Go. Fight.¡±


    A green blast struck the wall above, showering them with stone fragments.


    ¡°Where did you go, you filthy goblin?¡±


    Owin picked up his greatsword. If he couldn¡¯t see Nosolus, the magus couldn¡¯t see him either. Owin focused on his hearing. With such huge ears, he had to be able to hear better. The Malignant Spirit breathed in short, quick gasps, and its claws scraped loudly on the ground a dozen feet away. It was waiting for something.


    Nosolus¡¯s sandals slapped on the ground just out of view. The umbra slumped over, dead, but his darkness spell remained. Owin closed his eyes with the greatsword lifted in the air. All he needed to do was listen.


    Nosolus¡¯s step was close, and the magus took a sharp breath in. Owin swung without looking and felt the edge of the blade connect. He followed through, finishing the full swing as he opened his eyes to a spray of blood. Nosolus¡¯s arm lay on the ground before him, while the magus groaned on the floor and reached for his severed limb. The abyssal armor still clung to the arm, but was sheared right off where Owin had hit. He used Examine on the greatsword.


    Greatsword of the Malignant Spirit


    Apprentice Magical Item


    Standard iron greatsword enhanced with abyssal fire


    Note: Magical item effects vary by user


    It was only apprentice level and it could cleave through magical armor. The other sword Owin had picked up in the satyr village had shattered from Nosolus¡¯s spell. It seemed that objects enhanced with abyssal fire were also weak to it.


    Nosolus stood on shaky legs and blood spurted from his stump. Owin had cut the arm off just above the elbow, not even at a weak point in the armor. The magus groaned through clenched teeth. It was more embarrassing than menacing.


    Owin stepped forward and swung again. Nosolus formed another demonic sword in his hand and blocked just in time. Owin wished he could examine Nosolus¡¯s attributes. His strength seemed unnaturally high.


    The satyr umbra¡¯s darkness vanished, revealing the rest of the cathedral. The Malignant Spirit stood nearby, watching Nosolus with interest. Near the entrance, Rattis had collapsed in a pool of his own blood. Vrod still stood, as if guarding his master, now holding Rattis¡¯s staff that was far too big for the small familiar.


    Only two skeletons remained. The rest were scattered bones throughout the cathedral. Vrod had a gash down the center of his face, right between his eyes, that ended at the tip of his nose. It leaked green blood that clung to the familiar¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Kill him, goblin,¡± the Malignant Spirit said in a deep, echoing voice.


    ¡°What?¡± Nosolus turned to the resurrected demon. ¡°My lord, I am here to serve you.¡±


    Owin spun all the way around. It didn¡¯t seem like the greatest idea, but with a weapon so big, it seemed like perhaps the best way to swing as hard as possible. Nosolus still held his sword, but he faced the Malignant Spirit. The Greatsword of the Malignant Spirit sliced right through his neck and launched the summoned sword out of his hand, which quickly vanished.


    The Malignant Spirit laughed as if seeing its devoted follower die was the funniest thing the demon had ever witnessed. Nosolus¡¯s headless body fell to its knees, then splatted in the growing pool of blood.


    It stalked over to the corpse, not even watching Owin, and grabbed Nosolus by the leg. It lifted the corpse, splashing viscous blood on Owin¡¯s face. ¡°If you wish to grow stronger¡ª¡±


    The demon interrupted itself as it unhinged its jaw and stuck Nosolus¡¯s entire leg in its mouth and down its throat. It bit off at the thigh and swallowed the magus¡¯s whole leg. Its eyes glowed bright red as the demon became a few inches taller.


    ¡°Devour,¡± it said, finishing its earlier statement.


    Demon blood had made Owin stronger. Perhaps this demon had a real idea about him. Eating Nosolus or the unnamed satyr wouldn¡¯t provide him any sort of benefit, except perhaps a full stomach. But eating the demon? Owin wouldn''t need to rely on others to help him anymore.


    Vrod smashed another skeleton against one of the columns. Bones flew across the entire cathedral. The small lizard turned and swung the giant staff and took the last skeleton''s leg off. Cracks had already formed through the bones from repeated pushes. As it collapsed, Vrod smashed the staff on its skull.


    The lizard looked up at Owin, who stood near the demon as it grabbed the rest of Nosolus. If it kept eating, it would power up. For now, it didn¡¯t see him as a threat. Would Vrod be enough to balance the playing field?


    The lizard was already rushing forward.


    Owin lifted the greatsword above his head and swung it with all his might. The demon moved its wing to intercept the swing. There were two things working for Owin. The Malignant Spirit was only 25% manifested, and abyssal things were weak to each other. That meant the best way to counter a demon was a demon, at least as far as Owin had learned. The greatsword, empowered by Nosolus, wasn¡¯t the best item in the dungeon. Owin already knew that. He hadn¡¯t seen anything higher than artisan grade, but there were tiers of objects, and the apprentice greatsword wasn¡¯t anything special. But as the Malignant Spirit was an abyssal creature, it was susceptible to abyssal damage.


    Owin sliced right through the wing and lodged the sword into the demon¡¯s back as it chomped down on Nosolus¡¯s torso. It screamed in agony. The noise was loud enough to make Owin and Vrod cower and cover their ears.


    The demon spun to face Owin with a mouthful of human. Blood ran from its thin lips. ¡°You wish for your own death,¡± it said, muffled by the pieces of Nosolus. The greatsword remained lodged in its back. The demon lunged at Owin, but was blasted aside by Vrod¡¯s Push. The spell knocked the demon back. It shook with laughter as it swallowed the piece of Nosolus and grew a little bigger.


    ¡°Weak mortals cannot overcome fate.¡±


    Vrod ran up beside Owin. The lizard was actually about an inch shorter than Owin, but carried himself with far more confidence. He held the massive staff in both hands with it lifted just a hair above ground. ¡°Say that again.¡± Green blood dripped off the tip of the lizard¡¯s nose. His red eyes bore a hole through the Malignant Spirit.


    The demon righted itself beside the corpse of Nosolus Dindross. It grabbed what was left of the cult leader and held him up. ¡°You stand proud even after your master has fallen.¡± The Malignant Spirit looked past the familiar at the form of Rattis. ¡°He died a fragile mortal, yet you stand as a true hero.¡±


    Vrod held his staff still, ready to smash it onto the ground. Owin quickly used Examine on the staff.


    Journeyman Level Staff


    Spells: Repulsion Wave


    1/4 uses remaining for today


    Vrod confidently held it ready to throw the Malignant Spirit back into the wall. Rattis had used the staff to push all of the skeletons away multiple times, where Push was a single target. The familiar seemed comfortable with the staff and nodded when he noticed Owin watching.


    ¡°Kill it. I¡¯ll keep it contained.¡±


    The Malignant Spirit stalked closer to them. Drool mixed with blood ran from its mouth as its red eyes glared at Owin. The one remaining wing stuck out as if the demon wished to fly.


    Owin brandished the curved knife he had taken from Naxile. The Malignant Spirit dove at him, claws bared, as Vrod hit him with a normal Push spell. The demon smashed against the wall, recovered quickly, and dove again. Vrod smashed the staff against the ground, sending a visible wave of telekinetic energy out that smashed the demon against the wall with more force.


    Owin leapt forward as the blast hit the demon and stabbed it directly in the eye with his curved knife. It screamed unlike anything Owin had heard before. Owin kept his hands wrapped tightly around the knife and forced it deeper into the demon¡¯s skull.


    It reached for him with clawed hands, but Vrod hit only the demon with another Push spell. It smashed the demon harder against the wall and threw its arms behind it. Owin ripped the knife upward, throwing blood and demon skin through the air. He pulled out the wand, jabbed it in the other eye, and cast Bolt repeatedly until his health was nearly gone. Blood exploded across the wall again and again.


    Owin fell back and felt weak as his health was nothing more than a speck of red on the bar. He pulled the knife free. The demon lay still with blood leaking onto the massive pool gathered on the cathedral floor. Owin crawled forward and cut away a chunk of demon flesh.


    The Malignant Spirit burst into green flames. Vrod grabbed Owin and tried to pull the goblin back, but the little lizard was physically weak. Owin stuck the piece of demon flesh in his mouth and chewed.


    Strength gain indicators flashed in his view as the demon blood slid down his throat.


    Strength +1


    Strength: 146


    Before he could cut anymore flesh off, the green flames died out and left a solid obsidian statue once again. Vrod walked over and jabbed the oversized staff into the demon¡¯s mauled face. It clinked against the obsidian.


    ¡°I think it turned back into a statue,¡± Owin said as he stood. The floor was all blood, so he fought the urge to lie down. Nosolus and the satyr umbra lay nearby, and Rattis was near the doorway along with the bones of six skeleton berserkers. All that was left was Owin and Vrod. The familiar silently walked away from Owin and crouched at Rattis¡¯s side.


    Quest Complete


    Choose Your Reward


    Journeyman Item


    A list of items appeared in Owin¡¯s view, just like when he chose his Power 1 spells. There were dozens of items, maybe more. Any item with a rarity attached to it was included. Wands, staves, swords, shields, armor, cloaks, potions, alchemy ingredients, and more things Owin had never heard of. Getting a more powerful wand would be helpful with how often he had been using the apprentice rarity Bolt wand. A journeyman greatsword would also be better than what he had been using. Other skeleton berserker greatswords lay throughout the cathedral, so Owin didn¡¯t need to try to wrest the one out of the demon¡¯s back now that it had turned to stone.


    There were too many choices. A buff potion would be great, especially with how low his health was. It felt like most hits nearly killed him. A weapon would be great, but he could find those around. Same with wands. There were items to be found if Owin remembered to actually search the things he killed.


    He selected a constitution buff to raise his health. The pain and damage hadn¡¯t stopped Owin from using the Bolt wand, so instead of finding a replacement, he would just get more health to drain away. At least until he found a new wand.


    Journeyman Constitution Buff


    +20 Constitution


    Duration: 3 Hours


    The duration vanished as Owin used Examine. As always, it was replaced with question marks. He drank the purple, sweet tasting potion and immediately felt better, even if his health was still low.


    Constitution +20


    Constitution: 70


    His health matched his constitution, growing his bar a little longer. He was almost up to half of what Cato had been on the first floor. Owin stuck his knife and wand into his belt, adjusted the bag around his shoulder, and surveyed the cathedral one last time. A lot had happened in a short time with so many people dead. Owin had liked Rattis. He had even grown to like the satyr. And now they were both dead.


    Vrod had stayed at Rattis¡¯s side, silently kneeling with his head bowed. Owin wasn¡¯t sure what to do about that. In his short time of awareness, he had made friends with Kidibose and the others, and he had lost them all. It hurt, but it wouldn¡¯t be anywhere on the same level as what Vrod was experiencing. The familiar placed his hand on Rattis¡¯s chest for a second, then stood as Owin approached.


    ¡°What now?¡± the lizard asked. The gash down the center of the lizard¡¯s face still leaked green blood, but it had slowed to a drip off the tip of his nose.


    Owin grabbed one of the skeleton¡¯s greatswords that had been pushed against a column. He let the flat of the blade rest on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the stairs up. Do you want to join?¡±


    The lizard¡¯s big eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Follow me and I¡¯ll show you. There¡¯s only one way I haven¡¯t gone.¡± Owin walked confidently out of the cathedral. To his left along the eastern wall, he could see the faint shimmer of the floor boundary. The only way he hadn¡¯t traveled while on the second floor was straight north. There were undoubtedly other parts of the forest he hadn¡¯t seen, but the stairs would be difficult to miss.


    It only took ten minutes of hiking through the woods before he heard the river, and another ten before he saw a massive wooden staircase that led to a black doorway in the sky.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Vrod asked.


    ¡°The stairs to the third floor.¡±


    Vrod made a small squeak.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Owin asked.


    The familiar nodded. ¡°What¡¯s up there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We can find out when we go up.¡± Owin pushed through the last of the woods into the clearing around the base of the stairs. They looked as if they were newly constructed from the pine trees of the surrounding forest. At the base of the stairs was a stone arch with a black doorway with a little sign that read ¡®exit¡¯ right above the doorway. Owin walked right up the stairs, turning around the bends until he stood right in front of the next floor¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Vrod clutched Rattis¡¯s staff. ¡°I think. What if it¡¯s dangerous?¡±


    ¡°We will keep each other safe.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Vrod looked back at the forest. The cathedral stood tall in the trees. Owin tried to imagine what the lizard was thinking, but couldn¡¯t imagine the whirlwind of thoughts in his head. ¡°I¡¯m following you.¡±


    Owin stepped into the doorway and vanished.

 Chapter 7

    Great Forest Dungeon


    Third Floor


    Owin appeared at the bottom of a staircase. Sunlight was filtered through thin clouds that passed quickly overhead. Water sloshed calmly.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Owin asked, looking to his side.


    Vrod was nowhere to be seen. Owin sighed. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, unfortunately, that the familiar couldn¡¯t travel up the stairs. Was Vrod just stuck on the stairs or had he entered the door and ended up elsewhere?


    Either way, Owin was alone again. Always alone.


    Birds chirped happily, singing songs that filled the air. Owin let the greatsword hang and bump against the stairs as he ascended into the sunlight.


    The land was wide open compared to the coniferous forest on the second floor. Water moved up and down in small waves, splashing against the stone wall around the stairs. It ended just a few inches above the waterline, but no water seemed able to enter the stairwell. Hills of mossy green and mud rose like little islands spotted through the chaotic water. Some islands sported groves of trees tightly clumped together with roots that plunged deep into the water. Others had bushes and ferns that had exposed roots, fighting to cling to the mounds as the dirt washed away with every splash of water.


    Hunched figures sat around a fire in the distance, too far for Owin to make out any details. The fire burned bright in the middle of a grove. Similar trails of smoke littered the sky all across the wetlands.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Owin said.


    Water splashed against the stone wall beside him as he stood on the last step. He couldn¡¯t go back, even if he wanted to. From his current perspective, he wasn¡¯t able to see the stairs to the fourth floor, despite being able to see much more when glancing around compared to the last floor.


    Owin¡¯s stats had grown considerably over the second floor, and he had arrived in the third with better equipment, but he had a sinking feeling about what would come next. His health was almost gone after overusing the Bolt wand again, and he had no allies on this floor. At least, not yet.


    Kidibose had gone out of her way to help him, even before she knew him. She had fought grim wolves in a vicious battle to help Owin stay safe. After that, Rattis, Vrod, and the satyr had done everything they could to assist Owin in stopping Nosolus and the Malignant Spirit. What other way would he have survived the second floor? And what other people would Owin meet that would be willing to help?


    The goblin stepped out of the stairs and into a shallow area of the water. It was warmer than expected, far warmer than the raging river in the forest. A bit splashed over his bare foot, washing away the dried blood that had been clinging to his skin for over a day.


    Owin crouched in the shallows and washed his hands, letting the warm clear water turn cloudy around him as it continued flowing by in a gentle stream. It rose, splashed, and lowered again like tides, over and over.


    Something hissed nearby. Footsteps splashed in the water, rapidly approaching. Owin continued washing his hands. What better way to surprise an enemy than by making them think they¡¯ve caught you unaware? His hand hovered over the greatsword¡¯s handle. With the increase to his strength, he could swing it one handed.


    Even if all of Owin¡¯s other stats were low, his strength was now near where Cato¡¯s had been when they fought on the first floor. If Owin was back in the caves and had to fight Cato again, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as terrifying. The one place Owin really lacked was his health, especially now that his bar was nearly gone.


    He snatched the sword out of the water and spun, spraying water in a fan. A massive lizard charged straight at the goblin. Its front feet hovered off the ground as it sprinted wildly. Its tail thrashed behind it as it closed its eyes and opened its gaping jaw.


    The greatsword cleaved through the top half of the lizard¡¯s jaw, spraying blue blood across Owin¡¯s freshly cleaned arms. The lizard smashed into Owin and knocked the goblin into the shallow water.


    No health dropped. If it had, he would be dead.


    The lizard flailed as blood sprayed from its head. Owin had missed the brain, but from what he saw, the lizard wouldn¡¯t last much longer.


    Great Forest Mob


    Darting Varanus


    Level 8


    Owin took a step back as the varanus finished bleeding out. Its body went still, floating calmly in the water. Wisps of blood floated through the water as another wave lifted the lizard¡¯s corpse.


    He needed to find a health potion. Constantly seeing the nearly empty bar was concerning enough, but knowing he would be dead from one hit made it that much worse. Even with higher constitution, Owin was far too fragile.


    As Ruvaine said, This world only respects power. Owin had grown, but he wasn¡¯t done. The humans on the first floor had wanted to kill Owin immediately upon seeing him. Would that be any different outside the dungeon?


    Something nearby hissed.


    Owin refocused, turning to face the noise. A whole group of lizards stalked closer, hissing and stomping in the water as they approached. Owin picked up the corpse beside him and tossed it at the approaching lizards.


    A red gem fell out of the corpse and landed at Owin¡¯s feet as the varanus body flew through the air and landed with a thump in front of the pack. The lizards stopped and hissed while Owin used Examine on the gem.


    Apprentice Ruby


    ¡°That¡¯s not helpful.¡± He tossed it into his bag and lifted the greatsword. Facing one lizard had gone fine, but it was still too close. Fighting four at once put Owin in a dangerous spot. One small bite or scratch could be enough to take the last chunk of health away.


    A shimmering boundary wall spread as far as Owin could see on his left side, disappearing into the clouds high in the sky. If he was going to retreat, it would need to be behind him or to his right. To the right was deeper water and the figures around a fire. At the moment, he had to assume any and all figures were hostile.


    A grove of pine trees covered a small island right behind him. The lower branches were sparse, having lost many of their needles that now littered the thin grass on the mound. There was no reason he shouldn¡¯t be able to climb that high before the lizards reached him. That would give him time to think of a better strategy.


    All four lizards sprinted. Owin had already forgotten just how fast these creatures were. They barreled right over the corpse of their friend and charged Owin. He stumbled back onto the edge of the island and threw the greatsword as if it were a javelin. It speared one varanus between the eyes and stopped it in its tracks. Blood sprayed across the other lizards.


    There was practically nothing left in his health bar, but Owin¡¯s mana bar had regenerated between floors. They were too fast for him to make it to the tree. Luckily, an idea flashed through Owin¡¯s mind. Kidibose¡¯s water arrow on the grim wolf from the previous floor had helped Bolt do more damage. Owin dropped to his knees, placed both hands in the shallow water, and used Discharge.


    His entire mana bar vanished as tiny bolts of electricity rushed through the water. All three stopped, stunned as the spell coursed through their bodies. Owin leapt forward, pulling out Naxile¡¯s knife. He landed on one stunned varanus and tore the knife through its head. Before the others could recover, he spun and drove the knife into the eye of the next.


    0 Experience


    The last darting varanus recovered before Owin could attack. The lizard hissed and backed away as blue blood spilled into the water. All three other lizards floated as the water rose again. Owin glared at the lizard, not turning his back as he stalked over and retrieved his abyssal greatsword. The lizard continued hissing and stomping in a threatening display.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Owin was not threatened as he stood among the other lizard corpses. He lifted the sword, preparing to throw it. It had worked once before, so Owin saw no reason it wouldn¡¯t work again.


    His hand was slick with lizard blood, causing the sword to slide as he threw it at the last darting varanus. The first time, it had flown straight forward with the point of the greatsword striking first. This time, it spun in the air, causing the handle to smash into the lizard¡¯s face. Bones cracked and blood sprayed through torn skin. Somehow, the lizard had survived.


    Owin pulled Naxile¡¯s knife back out and held it ready. The lizard didn¡¯t charge, and instead wobbled. He took the opening and leapt, driving the knife into its skull as he landed. They both splashed into the water.


    0 Experience


    Owin rolled off the corpse, put the knife in his belt, and grabbed the greatsword. He lifted each corpse in turn, expecting another gem or two to fall out. Nothing appeared.


    ¡°Where did the ruby come from?¡± Owin pulled the gem out of his bag and held it up in the sunlight. There didn¡¯t appear to be anything special about it. It was a red gem with a cloudy interior and few chips along the facets. He tossed it back into his bag, which currently only had a single mana potion.


    Looking around provided no new information. There weren¡¯t any glowing icons for quests or any building to head toward. The only things that could be deciphered as points of interest were the campfires, and Owin wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to head toward those. They were likely more mobs, and until he had some health, avoiding fights would be necessary.


    Sand clung to his wet feet as he trudged through the grove. Trees clung precariously to the sandy dirt with roots that looked like wooden snakes. Owin brushed his free hand along the smooth bark and enjoyed the bright day and constant, calming noise of rising and falling water.


    The way days worked inside the dungeons seemed odd, from what he understood. He had never been outside the dungeon, but the boost to his intelligence gave him a basic understanding of many things. He assumed that wasn¡¯t how it worked for humans. Things built up slowly over time. For him, it had been a massive rush of information that left him feeling panicked until after he had reached the second floor. He had knowledge of things he had never learned.


    It had still been night on the second floor, but the third was bright and sunny. Had he been stuck between floors for a period of time or was it always sunny on the third floor? Or something else entirely?


    There wasn¡¯t an answer he could figure out on his own. Owin continued walking, splashing through some shallow water that raised to his knees while walking. Most of the sandy areas were visible, with the water only puddle-deep. It looked as if it had usually been far higher, which would require Owin to swim between the small islands. It would be a short swim, but any amount of swimming was more than he could handle, especially while holding a greatsword.


    Owin hurried across another small puddle as the water dropped until only sand remained. It changed constantly, but seemed to always hit the same high point and low point. The islands weren¡¯t all the same size or shape, and the areas between sometimes acted like pools, while other times had strips of sand that made for easy bridges even when the water was higher. There was no clear pattern.


    ¡°Healing,¡± Owin said quietly, pushing through a fern. The only places he had found healing potions were on people and in Naxile¡¯s alchemy studio. Where would one find healing potions in a place like this?


    ¡°Never!¡± a voice shouted.


    Owin ducked into the bundle of ferns he had been passing through. A deep belly laugh filled the air. Owin dropped to his stomach and crawled through the last bit of ferns. Three people sat around a fire on the next island over. Logs were placed haphazardly on the fire, leaving a thick cloud of smoke rising into the sky.


    They were humans, all lounging with their backs against trees. One had a massive axe lying on his lap. He was shirtless with a hairy chest. He was obviously the source of the laugh as he took a long drink from an oversized bottle.


    Hero


    Miklos Bognar


    Berserker


    Level: 16


    Strength: 210


    Constitution: 122


    Dexterity: 105


    Intelligence: 70


    Wisdom: 70


    Charisma: 84


    Straight across from him was a woman with a bow lying beside her. She had her legs crossed as she hunched over and ate from a steaming bowl. She wore little armor, with nothing more than a padded shirt.


    Hero


    Kata Biro


    Hunter


    Level: 16


    Strength: 90


    Constitution: 89


    Dexterity: 198


    Intelligence: 175


    Wisdom: 61


    Charisma: 48


    The third looked unlike any other humans Owin had seen. She had no hair and wore a cowl over silver armor. A few parts of the breastplate was marred with dried blue blood, the same color as the lizards Owin had fought. She held a mace with the round head pushed into the sandy dirt. She leaned both hands and her chin on the end of the handle. She was battered, covered in bruises and stains of her own blood across her face.


    Hero


    Nikoletta Olah


    Mender


    Level: 15


    Strength: 130


    Constitution: 103


    Dexterity: 78


    Intelligence: 80


    Wisdom: 190


    Charisma: 76


    Nikoletta stared straight into the fire. She had two bags beside her, pressed against the tree she sat beside. Kata, the hunter, sometimes looked up and said something brief to Miklos, the berserker, to which he laughed every time. While Owin observed, Nikoletta didn¡¯t say a word or move a muscle. Her whole focus was on the fire burning between the three of them.


    Owin looked around the small island they sat upon. Some lizard corpses lay on the edge of the island, lifting with the tide. They were bigger than the darting varanus lizards Owin had fought by the stairs. These ones were taller and looked to be wearing clothing.


    ¡°You might be the dumbest man I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Kata said, looking up from her stew.


    Miklos gave another exaggerated belly laugh. ¡°I have heard you say that for the last three years!¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed!¡± She scoffed and turned back to her food.


    Miklos finished the bottle and tossed it to the side. He burped and folded his hands over his exposed belly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this better than the ocean?¡±


    ¡°Barely. There¡¯s still plenty of water here. The damn river last floor and now this.¡± Kata finished her stew and poured some water in her bowl. She swished her around, then dumped it into the sand beside her before stashing her bowl in her bag. ¡°You would think a Great Forest would be just that. I am sick of wet boots.¡±


    ¡°Stick them in the fire!¡± Miklos wiggled his feet right by the fire. It seemed like he was far too close, but the berserker wasn¡¯t bothered by the heat.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a long term solution.¡± Kata pulled off her boots and socks and set them near the rocks around the fire. ¡°It will help for now, I guess.¡±


    Nikoletta continued staring at the flames, not even reacting to her comrades¡¯ conversation. Upon closer inspection, Owin noticed the round head of the mace was covered in dents and more dried lizard blood. The mender ground the mace into the sand, seemingly unworried about it being scratched or damaged.


    Owin examined each of them again, marveling at their attributes. They each had one attribute much higher than any of Owin¡¯s. The berserker¡¯s strength was above 200, the hunter¡¯s dexterity was just under 200, and the mender had high wisdom, even while she was a level below the other two.


    Luckily, there was no reason to fight them. What would Owin gain from attacking humans? He had done so to defend himself in the caves, but now he was calm and nobody was attacking him.


    Nikoletta sat upright and lifted the mace. Sunlight shone off the metal. She adjusted her position, pushing the bags to the side. There was a small glint of red as the bag shifted. Most of the potions Owin had were from humans on the first floor. If he was right, that red was a healing potion, which he desperately needed. Nothing hurt all that much, even with his health so low, but that was likely only because all of the damage had been from the wand. His muscles, especially in his left arm where he had been holding the wand, were tight and sore.


    Owin crawled out from the bushes, staying low to the ground. Kata was the only one looking toward him and she was busy staring at the ground again. The water was low at the moment, leaving only a thin puddle in the middle of the two islands. Owin hurried across, careful to remain as quiet as possible. His feet made no noise in the sand, and he carefully stepped in the thin layer of water as he tried to remain as quiet as possible. The last thing he needed was to fight three people who were much stronger than him.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kata said, groaning as she leaned all the way back. Owin froze mid step. The hunter hadn¡¯t even noticed. She stared at the sky as she lounged against the tree. ¡°This map is useless. At least the ocean had some variation. All the mounds are the same when I look from above.¡±


    ¡°Use your eyes,¡± Nikoletta said gruffly.


    Kata didn¡¯t bother sitting up. ¡°Simple enough for you to say. You¡¯re never the one navigating!¡±


    Owin continued sneaking forward as Kata rambled on about her intelligence score. Meanwhile, Miklos found a chunk of bread and tore pieces off with his teeth. He chewed loudly and stared at nothing as Kata went on and on.


    Owin reached the tree that Nikoletta sat against and reached for the bag.


    Nikoletta smashed her mace back into the ground. ¡°We have rested enough.¡± She suddenly stood, hefting her mace in both hands. ¡°I sit and mourn Nora while the two of you bitch and drink. What do we gain from sitting and wasting time? Our families in Vekuborg are waiting to hear our names as Shard Carriers, and instead we¡¯re sitting on a fucking mound of sand at a lizard campfire.¡±


    Miklos grunted and swallowed a mouthful of bread. ¡°We left the Ocean Dungeon when that fish stung Nora¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not a fish,¡± Kata said, still staring at the sky.


    ¡°We won¡¯t ever reach a Shard if we leave again.¡±


    Nikoletta¡¯s hands tightened around her mace. ¡°I¡¯m not saying leave. I¡¯m saying we need to move. We need to find the stairs. We let that damn Lord of the Abyss kill her when we were plenty strong to handle it!¡±


    Owin realized it may have been a bad time to grab the bag as the potion bottles clinked together. He immediately pulled the health potion out and splashed it on his face, blinking away the liquid as it soaked into the skin. All three humans stared at him.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin took a slow step backward.


    An index flashed in front of Kata¡¯s face. ¡°A goblin hero?¡± She grabbed her bow and immediately drew an arrow.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Miklos stood up, wobbling on his feet. He gripped the greataxe in both hands and let the sun shine on its wide blade. ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡±


    Nikoletta stepped in front of the berserker. Her own index flashed in front of her eyes. ¡°Deficient Wizard?¡±


    Owin scowled. He hadn¡¯t looked back at his class to see if it had changed with his increased strength. Apparently it hadn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t even sure it could change. Would he be a ¡®Deficient Wizard¡¯ for the rest of his life?


    The mender¡¯s eyes flashed a golden color. ¡°Monsters can¡¯t be Heroes.¡±


    Miklos gave another deep belly laugh behind her, stepping back into Owin¡¯s view. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going goblin hunting.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Nikoletta¡¯s mace became a golden beacon, matching her eyes. She practically snarled as she marched at Owin. ¡°Monsters bring death.¡±


    A red aura pulsed off Miklos the berserker as he spread out from Nikoletta. Both humans glared at Owin as he continued backward. He clutched Nikoletta¡¯s bag tightly in his hand. He hadn¡¯t even had a chance to check what the other potions were. At least his health had been topped off, but that likely wasn¡¯t going to be enough to survive. Both melee fighters were right in front of him. Where had the hunter gone?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight,¡± Owin said. His greatsword still rested on his shoulder, clutched tightly in his other hand. He could swing it fast enough if needed, but what kind of abilities did a mender have? Owin had seen the goblin berserker on the first floor, and he had a good idea of what a hunter could do after seeing Kidibose fight. But a mender was something completely new. Her golden eyes and golden mace were concerning. The golden light had burned off the dried lizard blood that had marred the polished surface. Whatever light coated the mace, Owin didn¡¯t want to let it touch him.


    ¡°Ward,¡± Nikoletta said. A white light flashed over her whole body. It dimmed and remained glowing around her as a faint white outline.


    Owin quickly used Examine again, but it provided no new information. Maybe if his intelligence was higher, he would be able to see spells or abilities. As it stood, all he could see was that Nikoletta¡¯s attributes were much higher than his.


    Owin¡¯s mana was still low from having used Discharge, and he wouldn¡¯t get a chance to pull the mana potion from his own shoulder bag. What were the options? There was a chance, however small, that Owin could handle a direct melee fight. At least momentarily. He was much stronger than before, but these were humans, and high level ones. Even Cato at level 8 had been stronger than some of the mobs on the second floor that were higher levels. That only meant these three Heroes were going to be a challenge, or more likely, certain death.


    Owin turned and bolted, leaping over the water. He landed poorly on the next mound and barreled through the ferns.


    Miklos laughed loudly behind him. ¡°A chase!¡±


    Another flash burst from the mender. ¡°Get him,¡± she shouted.


    Miklos¡¯s heavy footsteps pounded quickly behind Owin. The goblin turned and swung the greatsword, only to be met with Miklos¡¯s bright red eyes. The berserker¡¯s greataxe effortlessly blocked Owin¡¯s attack. Miklos moved at inhuman speeds, swiftly pushing back the greatsword as he moved into his own swing. Owin dove to the side just as the axe chopped into the dirt and sand on the edge of the mound. Water rose, filling in the space between the mounds, splashing loudly as it poured over ridges of sand.


    ¡°Fast little bastard,¡± Miklos said. He blurred as he moved. Owin brought his greatsword up, barely catching the berserker¡¯s swing. The strike threw Owin a dozen feet to the side, where he landed in a pool of water.


    Miklos laughed again. ¡°This is weaker than the lizards!¡±


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Nikoletta shouted. She stomped through the water toward Miklos, still outlined in a white glow. Her mace and eyes were golden as she glared at Owin.


    Owin scrambled out of the water and ran up the nearby slope onto another mound. Something hit him in the back of the head, throwing cool water over his shoulders. It dripped down his shirt and clung to his hair. He spared a quick look back to see Kata standing in a tree with another arrow drawn.


    ¡°A regular arrow would have killed it,¡± Nikoletta said, anger boiling over.


    ¡°I¡¯m always hopeful for something better than water!¡±


    Owin ran right over the little island, through some bushes, past a few trees, and through the next pool as it filled with water. An arrow from Kata punctured a tree, shooting bark in all directions like an explosion had just gone off.


    Without his Goblin Cunning, Owin would be dead. Even thinking he might have briefly stood a chance against these humans was foolish. The only advantage Owin had, if it was even an advantage, was being quick. His strength was nothing compared to Miklos, and Kata could possibly kill him without Owin ever even seeing her. On top of that, Nikoletta was bloodthirsty and he still didn¡¯t know what any of her spells did.


    Owin barreled through another bush and collided with cold, wet skin. He bounced off and fell into the water. Hissing filled the air.


    ¡°More?¡± Miklos asked.


    Owin rolled out of the water and dropped Nikoletta¡¯s bag. He held his greatsword with both hands, ready to fight, even if it was foolish. The berserker was always directly behind him.


    Three figures stood between the two mounds, just a foot from Owin. They were about the same height as Miklos, but they were green and blue lizard people. Another of the fires burned on the next island to Owin¡¯s right, where another two lizard people sat. Their attention had turned to Miklos, who now hesitated.


    The lizard in the center was mostly green with a blue stripe running from the tip of its nose all the way to the tip of its tail. It held a long spear and wore ringmail draped loosely over ragged clothes similar to Owin¡¯s.


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Knight


    Level 15


    The other scaltari held axes and flanked the Knight. Miklos had taken his eyes completely off Owin and held his axe ready to fight the lizards.


    What better time was there to flee? Owin ran three steps, then heard an audible click. Something smashed against his shin. His health didn¡¯t change, but his leg was bolted to the ground. A faint outline of a trap appeared, holding him in place.


    ¡°Take him out,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Kata said, appearing to Owin¡¯s right. The hunter grinned and drew another arrow. The plain arrowhead glinted in the sunlight.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Owin said.


    Kata scowled. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard a mob say that.¡±


    ¡°Examine me again. You didn¡¯t read it wrong.¡±


    A fight started behind Owin. The scaltari at the fire immediately ran toward Miklos and Nikoletta, leaving Owin and Kata alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a human,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± She kept an arrow drawn with the sharp point aimed directly at Owin¡¯s face. ¡°How? This doesn¡¯t make sense. All the goblins I¡¯ve encountered attacked immediately.¡± She adjusted her fingers on the bowstring.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just want to live.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is that simple.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°It could be.¡±


    She relaxed the bowstring and walked closer. Her face softened. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Kata! Stop wasting time!¡± Nikoletta¡¯s voice was shrill while she was fighting.


    The hunter looked over Owin¡¯s shoulder. Owin, with his natural speed, swung with all his new strength. Unfortunately, his low dexterity attribute made it difficult to swing properly. The flat of the greatsword smashed against Kata¡¯s face. Her constitution wasn¡¯t much higher than Owin¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t handle melee combat.


    Blood exploded as her eye popped from the strike. Her body went limp as she crashed to the ground and slid, leaving a trail of slick blood. She was still alive, though she was unconscious as the water rose toward her face. Her health was certainly low, though Owin couldn¡¯t see any numbers or bars.


    A quick tug against the trap caused it to break and disappear. Owin turned, expecting to see Miklos right behind him. Instead, the berserker was struggling against the scaltari knight. The lizard shrugged off many of the hits from Miklos and countered. Miklos had new wounds on his arms that caused rivulets of blood to stain his skin.


    Nikoletta bashed one of the axe-wielding lizards in the head, spraying blue blood across her face. The light on her mace vanished, leaving the marred silver surface dull in the daylight. The other two who had joined from the fire were already lying dead in the water with their skulls caved in.


    Nikoletta flashed yellow, pushing the other scaltari back. She laughed maniacally. ¡°Now, your arguments are meaningless, Miklos!¡±


    Owin grabbed the bag and quickly searched Kata for anything useful. He found two potions that looked like buffs, a shield potion, and two more health potions. That was more than enough for now. He stuffed it all in the bag he had stolen. Kata remained unconscious on the ground. The water wouldn¡¯t rise fast enough to drown her, and Owin didn¡¯t need to leave her free to be helped by the other humans chasing him. A quick slash down with the greatsword severed Kata¡¯s head, letting blood run down the sandy dirt to join the rising water.


    Miklos cleaved through the other lizard¡¯s head, leaving only the Knight standing against both Nikoletta and Miklos. Nikoletta glared at Owin as she blocked an attack. Miklos used the opening to chop the knight in half. Blood sprayed all over the island.


    Owin was already running. Whatever spells Nikoletta had used before had run out during the initial chase and the fight against the lizards. That gave Owin an opening, however brief. He looked at the map as he ran, but it didn¡¯t help. Everything looked the same. Just tiny islands surrounded by odd-shaped bodies of water. Whether they were actually filled or not, the map always showed the space between mounds filled with water, even higher than Owin had seen it.


    He stumbled over a hill and pushed through a fern. His foot smashed against something, causing him to flip and land on his bottom. He skidded over the dirt and turned to see a darting varanus lying on the ground. It hissed and slowly stood up.


    The ground before Owin between the mound he was on and the next was filled with another five lizards. All eyes turned to him as he stood. One quick swing took the head off the nearest lizard, which turned out to be a mistake as all the others were spurned into a frenzy. They sprinted right at Owin. He took one step and jumped as far as he could manage. He soared right over the lizards just as Miklos and Nikoletta burst from the bush behind him.


    They didn¡¯t speak as they immediately went into slaughtering lizards. Owin ran over the next mound and smashed into a figure covered head to toe in metal. He rebounded off, landing heavily on his back.


    The figure, in full plate armor, lifted a visor on his helmet. He was an older man with white eyebrows and a mustache peeking through the small opening. ¡°A goblin on the third floor? Unheard of.¡± He crouched and closely eyed Owin. ¡°A hero? Really?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our prey, you old bastard,¡± Miklos shouted.


    The man lowered the visor and stood tall over Owin. He held an elegant longsword in his gauntleted hand, letting the tip point at the ground. It hovered near Owin¡¯s head. ¡°We went over this before,¡± he said, voice muted from the armor. ¡°You are best off leaving me alone.¡±


    Nikoletta stepped up beside Miklos and swung her mace down, splashing blue blood across the ground. ¡°That monster stole from us.¡±


    The tall man looked down. Owin couldn¡¯t make out details through the holes in his visor. He casually sheathed his sword and looked back at the other humans. ¡°Did you give him a chance to explain himself? Stand up, little goblin.¡±


    The man was huge. Much bigger than Miklos. It might have just been the armor, but he looked like he could tear the berserker in half with just his hands. He wasn¡¯t threatened at all by the humans.


    Hero


    Artivan Morro


    Knight


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 31


    Strength: 180


    Constitution: 229


    Dexterity: 84


    Intelligence: 174


    Wisdom: 79


    Charisma: 54


    Owin did as he was told. Artivan didn¡¯t bother looking down to see if Owin followed directions. He kept his eyes on Miklos at all times.


    ¡°He killed our hunter,¡± Nikoletta said, almost hissing.


    ¡°Put the weapons down.¡±


    Miklos¡¯s knuckles turned white around the axe. Nikoletta¡¯s eyes flashed golden.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Artivan grabbed a shield from his back and held it out before him. He didn¡¯t bother to draw his sword again. He stepped forward so Owin was directly beside him. As soon as the knight¡¯s foot stepped down, he flashed white. The dirt under his feet shook from the impact. ¡°Stay still, Owin.¡±


    Owin simply nodded. This stranger was his only hope. There wasn¡¯t a chance Owin would be able to ambush Nikoletta and Miklos like he had done to Kata. These two were significantly stronger in close combat.


    The other two humans moved at the same time. Miklos swung the axe on Artivan¡¯s right, while Nikoletta swung her golden mace right at Owin¡¯s head on Artivan¡¯s left.


    ¡°Rampart!¡± A brown flash covered Owin as it emanated from the knight. Artivan¡¯s shield swung down, blocking Owin from the mender¡¯s golden attack. Bright light flashed and washed over Artivan, making it look like the sun itself was on the other side of the shield. At the same time, Miklos¡¯s axe smashed into Artivan¡¯s side and clinked off harmlessly.


    Artivan pointed at Miklos with his free hand. ¡°Flare Burst.¡±


    Bright white flames covered Miklos¡¯s entire body. The berserker immediately dropped his axe and screamed. The shield moved away from Owin, allowing him to see as Nikoletta ran to Miklos¡¯s side and calmed the flames. She healed him, and within seconds, he was back to normal. Even the cuts on his arms from the scaltari fight had healed.


    Owin shook. His hands trembled while holding his greatsword and the stolen bag. He hadn¡¯t realized how badly he had been shaking until he heard the potions clinking inside the bag.


    Artivan let his arms hang to the side, but his feet remained in the same spot. He hadn''t moved an inch in the brief encounter. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said. He tightened his grip on the sword, forcing his hands to still.


    Nikoletta glared at him as she pulled Miklos to his feet. ¡°You would ruin your name protecting a beast?¡±


    ¡°I have no name to ruin.¡± Artivan chuckled. ¡°You must not know the Nimble Hogs, mender.¡±


    Miklos leaned close to her ear and spoke quickly.


    ¡°No,¡± Nikoletta said, almost shouting the word.


    ¡°Listen to your comrade.¡± The white glow around Artivan faded. He adjusted his stance, though his foot now barely disturbed the dirt when moved. ¡°Any further threats against the goblin are threats against me.¡±


    Miklos grabbed Nikoletta¡¯s arm and pulled her away. The mender let him guide her away, but she kept throwing glares back at Owin until they disappeared through a fern, over a mound.


    Artivan placed his shield on his back again and pulled his helmet off. He had a full head of lush white hair that almost reached his shoulders. A trimmed white and gray beard covered his jaw. ¡°I assume you already used Examine.¡±


    Owin nodded. Just how strong was this man to have taken two hits at once without even flinching. He seemed completely uninjured even after Miklos¡¯s direct hit. If Cato had been like this knight, Owin would have never made it out of the caves.


    ¡°Artivan Morro,¡± he said, holding out his hand.


    Owin stared at him. What was this?


    Artivan kept his hand extended and laughed. ¡°When you meet someone new, you shake hands and tell each other your names.¡±


    Owin grabbed Artivan¡¯s hand. It seemed like it was at least three times bigger than Owin¡¯s. ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone with a deficient class as a hero. I¡¯ve never seen a goblin hero either. Let¡¯s find somewhere safe to relax. I could use a bite.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± That was all Owin could manage. It wasn¡¯t a clear question, but it was all that his brain said, over and over. Why had he helped Owin? Why was he here? Why did Nikoletta give up?


    ¡°I believe there are many answers to that question, and there are probably many more questions you have locked away in there. We should have a few hours before anything changes on this floor. Let us use it to relax.¡±


    With the knight so calm and relaxed, Owin had no doubt he could score at least one solid hit before the knight was able to react. But did he have a reason this time? With the soldier, assassin, and Cato the knight on the first floor, Owin had been fighting for his survival. There hadn¡¯t been any human heroes on the second floor, and the first ones he had found on the third immediately tried to kill him.


    Owin hadn¡¯t wanted to fight the three, and had only killed Kata so she would stop chasing him. This old knight had shown no aggression toward Owin. He had hardly been aggressive toward the two people trying to kill him. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to attack him. But instincts told Owin to attack while there was an opening.


    ¡°You can relax,¡± Artivan said. ¡°I never hurt other heroes unless I have to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not human.¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter?¡±


    Just like that, Owin stopped shaking. Artivan reached into a bag that hung from his hip and pulled out a large mango. He muttered something and dug through the bag until he found a small sheathed knife. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Artivan cut the mango while he walked, sticking a piece in his mouth, then handing the next piece to Owin. A fire burned nearby with a pile of scaltari corpses pushed to the side under a bush. ¡°These scaltari camps are the best places to rest on the floor.¡± The knight sat down heavily. He undid the belt holding his sheath and let the sword drop onto the ground.


    The blue wings of his crossguard scored the dirt. He pushed it aside and offered Owin another slice of mango. ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    Owin snatched the mango from the knight¡¯s hand. He had never had something with such an odd flavor. It was delicious but a little slimy.  ¡°No,¡± Owin said through a mouthful of food.


    ¡°Good, good.¡± He gestured to the fire. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Owin still hovered nearby. If Artivan had wanted to kill him, he would have done it immediately. Based on what Owin had seen, there wouldn¡¯t have been a way for him to stop the powerful knight.


    Owin sat across the fire and squinted as the heat pressed against his face. ¡°Why did you help me?¡±


    ¡°The dungeons are an odd place. Laws in the outside world don¡¯t apply. How could they? There¡¯s often nobody to enforce laws or punishments. A place such as this can breed scoundrels, or at least encourage them.¡± Artivan tossed the last slice of mango over the fire right into Owin¡¯s lap. The knight leaned forward as if he was about to tell a secret. ¡°You look familiar. You remind me of the goblin darkblade from the first floor.¡±


    ¡°I think I am.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. But your class isn¡¯t a darkblade, which would have made the most sense. Deficient classes aren¡¯t common inside dungeons. Have you been outside the Great Forest?¡±


    Owin shook his head. ¡°I woke up on the first floor.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay will want to hear about this. Actually, most people will want to hear about this. You are the first non-human hero I¡¯ve heard about, and I¡¯ve been around dungeons most of my life.¡±


    Owin looked around their little island. Other than the scaltari bodies nearby, it seemed calm and quiet. Water continued rising and falling in the spaces between islands. ¡°What if they come back?¡±


    ¡°They would need to be at a higher level before I would become worried. There is a reason I¡¯m in here on my own.¡± Artivan smiled as he pulled his gauntlets off and held his hands close to the fire. His hands were a tapestry of scars. ¡°They said you killed their hunter. Who attacked first?¡±


    ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill any heroes on the first floor after you awoke?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°What was it like? To wake up?¡±


    ¡°Terrifying.¡± Owin turned his gaze from the knight¡¯s blue eyes. Nothing burned in the fire. It was simply flames in the center of a circle of stones. The fire burned perfectly within the bounds of the fire pit.


    ¡°It is impressive that you have made it here without gaining a level. Even your attributes are lower than a kid¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not scared that I¡¯m a goblin?¡±


    ¡°Goblins are common in the dungeons. I¡¯ve seen a lot of goblins. Fought a lot of goblins. Killed a lot. The one thing I¡¯ve never seen is a scared goblin. They¡¯re fierce, and often rude if they do speak before trying to stab you. You were terrified while you ran from those heroes.¡± Artivan grabbed his shield from his back and placed it in front of him, digging the pointed bottom into the dirt. ¡°A knight¡¯s job is to protect. When I became a hero, I went into a dungeon thinking I would rise through all ten floors and conquer it on my own without worry. It took only a few floors to humble me. Once I learned about protecting people . . . that¡¯s when things started to make sense in my life.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you answered my question,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Artivan laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I did either, little goblin. With your stats, it would be incredibly difficult for you to harm me. Even if you were stronger, I am not scared of someone simply because they look a little odd.¡±


    Owin set his greatsword to the side, but easily within reach. He finally opened the bag he had snatched from Nikoletta. There were five potion bottles inside and a small collection of gold coins.


    ¡°What do you have there? Is that the stolen bag?¡±


    Owin nodded. He pulled out two health potions and hooked them onto his belt. The third was a shield potion just like he had stolen from Cato on the first floor. The last two were buff potions. Owin tossed the bag to the side and stared at the odd colored liquids.


    ¡°Buffs,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Best save those until you know you will be going into a boss fight. There is one at the end of this floor.¡± Artivan leaned to the side to look at the potions without the fire in between. ¡°Actually, I would buy those off of you. I¡¯m not sure strength buffs are going to do much for a deficient wizard.¡± His index flashed in front of his eyes as Artivan looked over Owin¡¯s attributes again. ¡°Well, strength is your highest. I¡¯m very confused about your attributes.¡±


    How much did Owin want to tell him? Was it worth waiting to use the buffs to keep the secret that they were permanent for him? It was entirely possible that Artivan would know something Owin didn¡¯t, or that he had some buffs of his own that would help Owin get stronger faster.


    ¡°I woke up when a wizard spilled an intelligence buff on me.¡± Owin popped the cork off the Artisan Strength Buff. ¡°They are permanent to me. I don¡¯t know why.¡± He drank the salty concoction in one gulp.


    Strength +30


    Strength: 176


    Artivan watched with a furrowed brow. His index hovered in front of his eyes as he looked through a few pages worth of information. ¡°Usually, if your intelligence is high enough, you can see what buffs somebody has active. Mob or hero. These can be from entertainers, potions, spells, or equipment. For you, it doesn¡¯t say a thing.¡± The page changed on his index as he looked back at Owin¡¯s stats. ¡°And your strength is now thirty points higher.¡± Artivan slapped the metal armor on his thigh. ¡°Incredible. Is that how you¡¯re a deficient wizard? When you awoke, the rest of your stats were horribly low? With high intelligence, you would appear to be a wizard. And now you¡¯re more like a berserker. Do you have abilities? I assume not. Wizards only get spells.¡±


    ¡°I have three spells.¡±


    ¡°Can you use them?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°This is incredible. You¡¯re almost as strong as I am. Your health is still far too low. Oh.¡± Artivan reached into the bag on his side and dug around. Bottles clinked and various small gems fell out into the dirt. Artivan held up a purple potion, the same color as Owin¡¯s hair. ¡°Here.¡± He tossed it.


    The bottle smacked Owin in the face, doing exactly one point of damage. It fell harmlessly into his lap.


    ¡°We might need to get your dexterity higher,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin held the purple potion in front of his face and used Examine.


    Journeyman Constitution Buff


    +20 Constitution


    Duration: 3 Hours


    The duration quickly faded in Owin¡¯s view, leaving a blank section. He shook the bottle, spinning the purple liquid inside the little round bottle.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, absolutely. It wouldn¡¯t help me at the moment. You see, every fifty points in constitution, intelligence, or wisdom helps recovery rates for health and mana. I need one more point in constitution before that would even bump me to the next fifty. I should have you just punch me until I gain a point.¡± Artivan laughed, more weakly this time. ¡°It will be more helpful to you. I insist.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Owin immediately drank the fruity buff. He also drank the other strength buff he had stolen from Nikoletta, which was only an apprentice level buff.


    Constitution +20


    Constitution: 90


    Strength +10


    Strength: 186


    He tossed the bottles into the fire, where they cracked and shattered. He didn¡¯t immediately feel stronger, but his strength was now higher than the powerful knight sitting across the fire.


    Artivan Morro just stared.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He looked at the sky. The sun was still high in the air. Not much of the day passed. ¡°Speaking of being awake, do you need to sleep? Heroes often struggle with sleep on the second floor here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I need to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel tired? Drowsy? Heavy eyes?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°Oh. If I didn¡¯t need to sleep, I don¡¯t know what I would do with my extra time. I wish I could say I would train, but is that true? Would I not just read?¡± Artivan cleared his throat. ¡°This is fascinating, and I am thinking through what it all means. If what I am saying seems a little odd, it is me thinking out loud.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin didn¡¯t really care.


    Artivan picked up the gems that had fallen out of his bag and stuffed them back inside, then he tightened the top of the bag and adjusted its position on his hip. ¡°There are secret secondary missions on almost every floor of all seven dungeons. I was preparing to go into the labyrinth on this floor before I heard the commotion from earlier. You, little goblin, are welcome to do whatever it is you want. The scaltari on this floor are brutal. You saw that berserker in a tough fight against one. They get stronger the farther north you travel, with the scaltari boss right in front of the stairs all the way in the northeast corner of the map.¡±


    Owin blankly stared at the knight. While he didn¡¯t feel dumb, there were some things that still meant very little to him. He only knew what the scaltari were because he had the chance to use Examine on one of the lizard people. But a boss? Northeast?


    ¡°If you have no direct destination right now, you are welcome to stay with me and explore the labyrinth. It will be my first time inside. Then I can escort you to the exit.¡±


    ¡°I was told to climb the tower.¡±


    ¡°Told? By who?¡±


    ¡°Ruvaine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, frick.¡±


    Owin squinted. That was a new word. ¡°What does frick mean?¡±


    ¡°I just¡ª¡± Artivan sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You will have to get much stronger much faster if you¡¯re going to climb. Mobs get smarter and stronger per floor, and the heroes you will run into will be stronger too. There are at least four above us right now. I saw them enter before me, and I have to assume they passed the second floor faster. Level fifty was the lowest.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any heroes on the second floor.¡±


    Artivan put his helmet back on but kept the visor up. He reattached his sheath and stood. ¡°I can tell you about dungeon structure as we walk. I assume you¡¯re coming with me?¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t actually made up his mind. He had managed to make it through the second floor, but he hadn¡¯t done it alone. He had made allies, even if they were just mobs. Artivan Morro was a high level hero who didn¡¯t seem to want to kill him. That had to be worth a lot more than any mob allies.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start moving. We don¡¯t want to get caught when the water rises.¡±


    Artivan led the way past some more scaltari corpses and through a grove of trees, back into a small pool of water. Owin felt tiny compared to the knight. Kidibose and Rattis were taller than Owin, but they had been relatively normal sized humans, while Artivan was huge. His armor added even more bulk.


    ¡°Why do you know so much about the dungeons?¡± Owin asked. He let his greatsword rest on his shoulder while the bag he had taken from Naxile hung on his hip. The other bag was now back at the fire, but it was empty and not worth carrying, as far as Owin was concerned.


    ¡°Experience. On the second floor, did you find the excavation site?¡± Artivan walked briskly and kept his eyes straight forward. A brief taupe flash pulsed from his body.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°A spell to help me keep an eye on our surroundings. Did you find the hands?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Hold.¡± Artivan drew his sword. ¡°Two scaltari are watching us from the bushes ahead.¡± The index flashed in front of the knight¡¯s eyes. ¡°Weak mobs just meant to slow heroes down outside the labyrinth.¡± He pointed at a bush that grew in the middle of a small clump of trees. ¡°Flare Burst.¡±


    A scaltari immediately shot out of the bush, charging right at them. It hissed as it burned with luminous fire. Owin shrugged his greatsword off his shoulder and swung it one handed. He carved right into the scaltari¡¯s chest, where the sword got stuck in its spine.


    The other ran at Artivan. He bashed it with his shield and effortlessly pierced its throat with his longsword. Owin stood on top of the dead lizard and yanked his sword out, spraying blue blood all over himself.


    ¡°Not the cleanest kill I¡¯ve seen.¡± He laughed and bent down to the corpse at his feet. He flipped it over and pulled a few golden coins out of the lizard¡¯s trouser pocket.


    Owin was staring. It looked weird to fiddle with a corpse when they could just leave them alone. Artivan cut off the tip of the tail and stuffed it in his bag alongside the coins. He finally noticed Owin watching him and looked down at the bleeding tail stump.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know why I did that, do you?¡±


    Owin slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Scaltari tails are used by alchemists.¡± Artivan sheathed his sword and walked over to the corpse beside Owin. He flipped it over, checked the pockets, and pulled out a cloudy emerald. ¡°Do you loot your kills?¡±


    ¡°Loot?¡±


    Artivan put the emerald into Owin¡¯s bag. ¡°Mobs have random items on them. Usually it¡¯s gold or gems, which can make you some decent money outside the dungeon. Sometimes you can find alchemical ingredients or rarer items too. Even something like a skeleton can have loot on it. It doesn¡¯t really come from anywhere. It¡¯s one of the mysteries of the dungeons.¡± Artivan cut the tip of the scaltari¡¯s tail off and added it to his bag.


    ¡°Did I miss a lot of loot on the second floor?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t check, then yes.¡± Artivan continued walking, pushing right through the bushes and over the next mound. ¡°Do you see that?¡±


    Owin had to push through the bushes that slapped against his face before he saw a little doorway built into the side of a mound. If Artivan hadn¡¯t been pointing at it, Owin might have missed it. The mound was like the others, but a little taller and with a thicker grove of trees over the top. Water was low at the moment, making it easy to see the whole doorway. When water rose and spilled over the sand bars, it would pour right into the doorway, if it were open. It was a little stone door made of bits of gray and tan, so it blended into the sand and the surrounding rocks.


    ¡°The excavation site on the second floor with the hands is similar to the labyrinth. They are both secret areas with extra objectives. They don¡¯t have quests associated with them. There is a secret room in the goblin caves too, but I assume you knew about that.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s just around the corner from where you usually hide.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have memories from before I woke up.¡±


    ¡°That is a blessing. I¡¯ve personally killed the goblin darkblade there multiple times.¡± Artivan cleared his throat and looked at Owin. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°Why have you gone through more than once?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a term in the outside world. It¡¯s not official, but everyone knows what you¡¯re talking about. They call people like me ¡®Career Heroes.¡¯ I will never become a Shard Carrier. I¡¯m not strong enough or dedicated enough to make it past the sixth or seventh floor of any dungeon. Career heroes are people who go through to loot the first few levels and sell what they find. Even now, I only plan to clear the fifth floor before leaving. When you examined me, did you see the extra line?¡±


    ¡°Nimble Hog Hero Company,¡± Owin said, remembering the line. It had stood out as a little odd compared to everyone else he had examined, but he hadn¡¯t had a chance to think about it.


    ¡°Exactly. People can hire hero companies to escort them in the dungeon, but it is also a place where people like me can find people to buy loot easier. I have been on the first few levels of most dungeons a number of times. Sometimes to loot, sometimes to help alchemists find ingredients.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t been in the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°I missed it more than once. This floor is huge. I didn¡¯t even know about it until recently when my friend Sanem found it. Nobody talks about the dungeons outside. Any secrets found are closely guarded. These have been around for as long as we know, and we still are learning new things. Look at you. Nowhere in recorded history has a mob ever become a hero that can travel between floors.¡±


    It seemed like as good of a time as any to ask the question that had been on Owin¡¯s mind. ¡°If I leave the dungeon, what will people think?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Artivan walked across the small pool of water and stopped just outside the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know, little goblin. I fear leaving the dungeon may be more difficult for you than staying inside.¡±


    ¡°How many people are like you?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan found a part on the door where he could dig his armored fingers into the stone. He had to brace himself on the doorframe to drag the heavy stone door open. It grinded loudly as stone slid across stone. The doorway was pitch black, similar to the doorways between floors.


    ¡°Very few, I¡¯m afraid. Void Nexus Heroes might even try to kill you on the streets, and be justified in doing so. Why don¡¯t we do this¡ª¡± Artivan crouched in front of Owin. His blue eyes bore into the goblin¡¯s. ¡°Stick close and I will help you as far as I can in the tower. When it comes time for me to leave, I will wait for you, and we can go to Atrevaar together. Chorsay is my dear friend as the guild leader of the Nimble Hog Hero Company. I can introduce you so you can have a safe space within the city.¡±


    Owin felt uneasy. His stomach was knotted as he looked into the old man¡¯s eyes. ¡°How am I going to climb higher than you?¡±


    Artivan smiled and placed his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ruvaine wants you to climb, so you will climb. Maybe we can find some more buffs for you inside the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Can I do it?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt, little goblin.¡± Artivan stood and pulled the visor of his helmet down. He grabbed his shield and drew his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will greet us down there. Be ready, stay close. With those buffs, you will hit harder than me, but I can keep you alive. Do you think you can make this work?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin held his Greatsword of the Malignant Spirit with both hands. He could kill level 12 and 13 enemies in a single hit with his raised strength. Whatever awaited them in the dark of the labyrinth wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

 Chapter 10

    Artivan Morro entered first, vanishing in the dark doorway. When Owin stepped through, he felt a chill and then appeared in a dimly lit room. A set of roughly carved stone stairs led down to a patterned cobblestone floor. Uneven walls surrounded the stairs in a semicircle with openings on the far ends.


    Artivan stood at the bottom of the stairs. He ran his hand over one of the walls and tapped it with his longsword. ¡°The walls appear to be real stone. Same with the floor. There could be traps, so always let me step out first. You have more health now, but a trap could still wipe you away.¡±


    Owin remained on the stairs. He watched Artivan check the openings on each side for traps before the knight returned to the stairs and looked up at Owin.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Why have I seen four heroes on this floor and none on the second?¡±


    Artivan raised his visor. ¡°Good of you to notice. A few dungeons have what we call Isolated Floors that you have to do alone. Even if you enter with a friend, an isolated floor is always solo. They are usually heavily quest focused.¡± Artivan lowered his visor and looked both ways. ¡°Left or right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Me either. That¡¯s part of the problem.¡± Artivan walked to the right and peered around the corner, then walked back left and did the same. ¡°Who did you ally with on the last floor?¡±


    ¡°The satyrs.¡±


    ¡°You fought Nosolus?¡±


    ¡°And the Malignant Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And you survived?¡± Artivan walked back to the center. ¡°Both ways look the same. It will be a gamble either way.¡±


    ¡°I had two cultists on my side.¡±


    Artivan laughed, which was muted by his helmet. ¡°You turned them against Nosolus? I¡¯ve never heard of that happening. I¡¯m impressed. Left or right?¡±


    ¡°Left.¡±


    Artivan held his shield and sword at the ready and inched toward the left opening. The light inside the labyrinth had no discernable origin. It was just bright enough to see, but not light enough to notice fine details.


    Owin followed directly behind the knight with his greatsword at the ready. Their footsteps echoed through the labyrinth. It was uncomfortably silent. Each of Owin¡¯s breaths seemed unreasonably loud.


    The hallway wound forward without taking any dramatic turns. An intersection could be seen in the far distance, barely visible in the dim light. Just a few steps ahead was a wide opening on the left. It wasn¡¯t a doorway, but rather a section that looked like it was lacking a slab of stone. It led right into a turn with a soft green glow.


    Artivan inched up to the opening and tried to peek inside. ¡°That light is concerning.¡±


    Owin snuck around the back of the knight and fully looked around the corner. There was another wall with an opening. Whatever was the source of the green light was behind the next wall.


    Artivan gently pushed Owin back and led the way down the short hall. It sounded almost like water flowing from the next room. Artivan didn¡¯t say anything as he walked slowly ahead.


    Up to this point, the third floor had felt different. In the short time that Owin had been on the third floor, he had been outside in the sunlight. Time passed quickly on the second floor and he had spent a good portion of the time in buildings, whether it was the cultist compound, the satyr village, or Naxile¡¯s laboratory. With all the scaltari fires, Owin had assumed the whole floor was outside.


    This labyrinth was distinctly different from everything else on the floor. The stone was different from everything else Owin had seen. It was underground where everything else was spread out on the small islands across the wetlands. It felt wrong. Something was off.


    A giant green blob flowed around the corner. There was some structure to it with evidence of a brain and bones that looked to be floating within the vibrant green liquid.


    Great Forest Mob


    Shapeless Specter


    Level 16


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem,¡± Artivan said. ¡°Our swords can¡¯t hurt a specter.¡±


    ¡°What does?¡±


    Artivan took a step back, using his shield to guide Owin back as well. ¡°They are immune to Luminous and Abyssal damage. Elemental is the best. It would be a great time to have a wizard.¡±


    Owin stepped around the knight. ¡°I am a wizard.¡±


    ¡°Well, no.¡±


    Owin held out his greatsword, which Artivan reluctantly grabbed. ¡°I¡¯ve killed mobs with this before.¡± Owin¡¯s mana had recharged enough that he could cast Discharge. It wouldn¡¯t be full power because his mana bar wasn¡¯t all the way full, but it would likely be enough.


    ¡°With what?¡±


    Owin held both hands out and walked right at the shapeless specter. It didn¡¯t have a face or skull. Most of the bones appeared to be humanoid in shape but with the addition of a tail, as if it was made from scaltari skeletons. There were far too many bones for it to be all from one scaltari. The brain floated aimlessly, not in the center or in any way where a head would normally be.


    ¡°Do not touch that thing,¡± Artivan shouted.


    Owin stopped, hands still outstretched. ¡°I was going to use Discharge.¡±


    ¡°Not a good plan. Specters deal apparition damage, which is very difficult to heal. A health potion can¡¯t fix it. It¡¯ll burn your skin and damage your mana.¡±


    ¡°I could use Bolt.¡± Owin took a few steps back as the shapeless specter continued pouring out of the doorway. It filled the entire width of the hall as it oozed closer.


    Artivan grabbed his bag from his hip and took a look inside. He sighed and dropped the bag, letting it hang again. ¡°Better than what I have. Give it a try.¡±


    Owin backed up until he bumped into Artivan¡¯s legs. He pointed his finger forward and selected Bolt. The blue lightning shot and struck the green slime that flowed toward them. Electricity quickly coursed through, cracking a few bones, before vanishing in the overwhelmingly large creature. It kept getting bigger and bigger as more of it flowed from the room beyond.


    ¡°How big is it?¡±


    ¡°These can be the size of a building. This one seems a tad smaller.¡±


    ¡°Smaller than a building?¡± Owin took his greatsword from Artivan and continued backing up. The knight was also backing up into the first hallway. If Bolt didn¡¯t do any visible damage, what other options did they have? Owin couldn¡¯t think of anything he had that would damage the specter.


    ¡°Specters will damage your mana first. Once that is drained, it will sap your health.¡± Artivan pushed Owin back until they were both near the stairs they had entered from. The shapeless specter flowed in, thinner than before.


    ¡°How do we kill it?¡±


    ¡°Usually I¡¯ve had a magus or wizard to help me out. Fire, ice, electricity. Even a telekinetic magus is great against them.¡±


    Owin crawled up the stairs while Artivan continued to slowly back up. ¡°I used electricity.¡±


    ¡°It will need to be stronger.¡±


    The shapeless specter¡¯s brain and a collection of bones flowed in through the doorway in a thicker wave than the rest of the glowing green ooze that covered the cobblestone floor. Owin drank a mana potion, set his greatsword on the stairs, and leapt at the brain.


    Green slime squelched around him as he sank right inside. It burned unlike anything else Owin had ever felt. It was as if his veins were on fire throughout his whole body. It was instantaneous. As soon as he touched the specter, pain flared to life around his whole body and his mana bar started to drop. Owin grabbed the brain with his hands and cast Discharge before he ran out of mana. Electricity exploded through the specter¡¯s body, even shocking Owin. Green slime exploded in all directions.


    0 Experience


    Artivan hid behind his shield as bits of the monster splattered against his armor. Owin¡¯s health had only dropped a few points, and most of it had been from his own spell. By the time all the slime settled, Owin sat in a small pool of liquified ooze. Bits of the specter dripped from the ceiling and ran in chunks down the walls.


    ¡°I think I see how you survived the Malignant Spirit.¡± Artivan flicked his shield, throwing chunks of specter onto the ground. ¡°You are insane.¡±


    A film of slime covered every inch of Owin¡¯s body. His hair was slicked back and stuck to his head. It was disgusting. If he had known how sticky and horrible it would be, he would have found a different way to kill the specter. He stood and shook, throwing as much slime as he could manage from his body.


    Artivan raised his visor. He was laughing. ¡°When we¡¯re done here, you can wash yourself. Plenty of water out there.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Owin said, spitting out specter slime. It had stopped burning as soon as the specter died, so he wasn¡¯t panicking to get it all removed. ¡°What if there are more specters?¡±


    ¡°That will be a problem. Your mana will be damaged until we find a mender or a talented alchemist.¡± Artivan looked at the black doorway. ¡°A mender that isn¡¯t trying to kill you, I suppose. I am hoping that whatever else is in here is from the Great Forest.¡±


    ¡°Where are shapeless specters from?¡± Owin kicked some slime across the cobblestones. The room and hallway beyond were now brightly illuminated with the glowing slime spread all over.


    ¡°They show up in a few places, but are most known for the Fortress Dungeon.¡± Artivan shook his head and lowered his visor again. ¡°One of the worst floors I have ever experienced. Shapeless specters are the weakest.¡±


    Owin focused on his empty mana bar. About half of it was grayed out, and he had only touched the slime for a moment. If he actually relied on mana like a real wizard or a magus like Rattis, then Owin didn¡¯t know what he would do.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Artivan grabbed Owin¡¯s greatsword and handed it back to him. ¡°Thank you for handling that.¡±


    Owin nodded and got in line before the knight, who led the way back into the hallway. Each step squished in a thin layer of slime. It felt like Owin¡¯s clothes would probably never be clean, but the slime at least continued dripping off his skin.


    Artivan kept his shield raised with his eyes barely peering over the top until he passed through the opening where they had first seen the specter. He kicked a pile of slime out of the doorway, causing it to flow and thin out.


    ¡°This is not what we are looking for, but it is a prize.¡± He waved Owin over.


    There was another little passage behind where the specter had been waiting. This room was barely big enough for both of them to stand inside. Two small piles of golden coins sat on the bare floor, not yet covered by slime. Owin picked one up and looked at it. One side showed an ugly creature with fangs and pointed ears, and the other showed what looked like a giant rat.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Dungeon gold. The most valued currency in the world. It¡¯s one of the main reasons people come into the dungeon.¡± Artivan crouched and separated the pile into halves. Then he moved a few coins from his half into Owins. ¡°Normally, I would split things evenly. Normally, people don¡¯t dive into specters.¡±


    Owin scooped the gold into his bag. There was slime inside the bag, clinging to his potions. He scooped some out and flicked it against the wall.


    ¡°Do you have the empty bottle from your mana potion?¡± Artivan asked.


    Owin pulled the empty bottle out. Usually he tossed them to the side, but this one he had put back into the bag without thinking about it.


    ¡°Scoop some of the specter slime into it. You will be able to sell that to an alchemist.¡±


    It took very little effort with how much slime was already inside his bag. Thin globs dripped out of the body as it filtered through the bag. Eventually it would all drip out, leaving a shining green trail behind Owin.


    Artivan tapped his longsword against the rough wall. ¡°This is a dead end.¡± The knight calmly led the way back. Even within a minute, most of the slime had dissolved or sank in between the cobblestones. Green light still shone bright between the blocks.


    Owin had been watching Artivan closely, curious as to what the knight had on his mind. He was different from the other humans Owin had met. Visibly calmer. Even in danger, Artivan kept a watchful eye but didn¡¯t panic. As he led the way down another passage, he kept his shield raised, but his sword hanging with the point just over the ground. He would be slow to react with his sword, though from what Owin had seen before, he was quick enough to stop just about anything.


    Owin walked beside him, staring up at the ceiling. It was made of flat, smooth stone, unlike the walls, which were textured and uneven. Owin abruptly stopped and looked around, as if realizing he was somewhere completely odd for the first time. ¡°Why do humans come into the dungeons? I¡¯ve seen them saddened by death. I¡¯ve killed them. What is there to gain?¡±


    Artivan stopped right before the next opening and sheathed his sword. ¡°There are many answers to this question, each one personal. Some climb for power. Some climb for wealth. Some climb just to see what they can achieve. Those who try to reach the top do so to get their wish granted. Carrying a Shard helps a hero level up quicker. Far quicker than someone like me. There are plenty of secrets I don¡¯t know about them. Shard Carriers often aren¡¯t the most social lot. I know that the dungeons become more difficult with each Shard you carry, but if you collect all seven, you have any wish you can dream of granted.¡±


    ¡°People are willing to die for a wish?¡±


    ¡°Humans will do anything to improve their lives. Some dream of the wealth one would get upon gaining the wish. Others hope to wish for a better world, to end poverty or hunger or war. Hundreds set out every year with the goal of conquering a dungeon and perhaps one or two gain a Shard each year. Even fewer gain two or three shards, and almost none ever get to four.¡±


    Artivan lifted the visor of his helmet. ¡°I tried living a calm, slow life outside the dungeons. Chorsay encouraged me to try again, to gain money for the company. I don¡¯t need much of it myself.¡± He reached into his bag and pulled out a handful of golden coins. ¡°But others benefit from everything I do. Now, the reason you¡¯re here? That¡¯s complicated, isn¡¯t it? You didn¡¯t have much of a choice.¡±


    ¡°Ruvaine told me to climb the tower.¡±


    ¡°But do you have to? Can you leave?¡±


    Owin shrugged. A glob of slime fell from his shirt, splatting on the stones beneath him.


    Artivan crouched, wincing a little as his knees bent. ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to help people. To stop people from being scared.¡± Owin pointed behind him, in the general direction of the door. ¡°But the humans I see are scared of me just because I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    Artivan sighed and placed his armored hand gently on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It will always be that way. There are people like me out there who will take you as you are. But everyone else . . . everyone else will shun you or try to kill you. As far as they¡¯re concerned, you belong in those caves and nowhere else. You will need to earn your place in the world.¡±


    ¡°Ruvaine said people only respect power.¡±


    ¡°And the goddess, unfortunately, speaks true. What is it that you want, Owin?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I want to learn what the world is actually like outside this dungeon. I want to learn to live.¡±


    Artivan gripped his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll get you as strong as we can, and when we get out of the dungeon, we¡¯ll get you even stronger. People will know who you are and they¡¯ll learn to leave you alone so you can live in peace.¡±


    ¡°Live in peace,¡± Owin repeated quietly.


    ¡°Now, we need to push through another doorway, and I fear we will run into something before long. If it is another specter, I suggest we retreat and come back when we find a way to fight them. If it is anything else, we can handle it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin stared up at the huge knight as he lowered his visor and drew his sword once again. He was incredible.


    ¡°Come along.¡± Artivan nodded for Owin to catch up. ¡°Keep an eye out. You can hit harder than me, so I¡¯ll be trusting you to handle some things yourself.¡±


    Owin tightened his grip on the greatsword and watched the dark edge of the doorway, trying to spot whatever lay beyond. They stepped through where a gust of wind without a clear origin blew against them. Artivan paused as the stone beneath his foot sank. ¡°There it is.¡±


    Flames erupted from both sides of the wall from holes Owin could barely even see. Artivan gestured with a single finger of his left hand while holding his sword. It was so casual, so natural, that it seemed like nothing.


    A blue bubble shield appeared around Owin just as the fire struck. It poured over the bubble, fully engulfing him. Flames rushed over Artivan. The knight disappeared in the sudden burst of light.


    It was over almost as quickly as it had started. If Owin hadn¡¯t been shielded, he would have been burnt to a crisp. His shield fizzled out, cracking, then shattering and dissipating in the suddenly quiet room.


    Artivan Morro stood at his side, looking entirely unharmed. He rolled his shoulders and looked down at Owin. ¡°I wasn¡¯t certain I had cast that in time.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    He thumped the pommel of his sword on his chest. ¡°Fire resistance. If it had been anything else . . .¡± He shrugged. ¡°Without getting abilities as you level, the most important thing for you will be equipment. That greatsword will be great for fighting other demons and for anything luminous, should you encounter it. Those slime-covered clothes could do with a replacement.¡±


    Artivan waved him on, stepping carefully through into the next passage. There were openings evenly spread out on each side. Luckily, there weren¡¯t any glowing lights coming from the openings.


    ¡°Where did you get your armor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°This old thing is from the Fortress Dungeon,¡± Artivan said, knocking the pommel on his breastplate again. ¡°Gauntlets are from the fourth floor of the Great Forest, right above us. I got them about five years ago when I first started delving into the dungeons again. They¡¯re only journeyman, though I can¡¯t say anything bad about them.¡± He sheathed his sword, undid a clasp, took the gauntlet off, and handed the piece of armor to Owin. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Gauntlet of Firm Grip


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Gauntlets of Firm Grip, when worn as a pair, assure the wielder will never be disarmed. The Gauntlets of Firm Grip cannot drop items, unless the wielder chooses to do so.


    Note: Magical item effects vary by user


    ¡°You can¡¯t drop anything?¡±


    Artivan took it back and reclasped the gauntlet. He drew his sword and waved it around. It didn¡¯t look different from normal. ¡°It won¡¯t stick to my palm, but if the ceiling dropped on me, I would still be holding this sword. Nothing less than cutting my arm off can force it out of my hand.¡±


    He reached over and used his longsword to tap on the greatsword resting on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That was a good choice of a weapon last floor. Abyss is strong against abyss. Without any abyssal powers, it¡¯s not all that different from a regular sword.¡±


    ¡°I had a knife before this.¡± Owin grabbed Naxile¡¯s curved knife and showed it in the dim light.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Artivan shrugged. ¡°Keep using what works best for you. Darkblades are meant to use knives. They¡¯re somewhere between an assassin and an umbra. I suppose without those abilities, you don¡¯t need to follow the recommended set up.¡± He bent down and looked closer at the knife. ¡°That looks familiar.¡±


    Owin held it out in a flat palm as Artivan used Examine.


    ¡°How¡¯d the alchemist give you her knife?¡±


    ¡°I killed her and the goblin. That¡¯s where I got the buff potions last floor.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Do you know you could have traded with her? That¡¯s part of what dungeon gold is for.¡±


    Owin stared at the knight¡¯s obscured face. Artivan was kind, but he wouldn¡¯t understand the horror of watching Kidibose die, or the panic when Ponk first threw a grenade at Owin. Encountering Naxile was worse than anything else Owin had experienced on the previous floor. He¡¯d rather fight the Malignant Spirit again than go back to see Naxile.


    Artivan seemed to pick up on Owin¡¯s discomfort. The knight rolled his shoulders and looked around, as if reevaluating their situation. ¡°Let¡¯s find the treasure. Maybe there¡¯s a magical item for you.¡±


    He led the way around a turn, stopped, and took a step back. ¡°Dammit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin brought his greatsword up, ready to chop something in half.


    Something hissed around the corner. Claws clicked on the cobblestones.


    ¡°I really had been expecting more specters, or something a little more sophisticated.¡± Artivan positioned his shield right in front of his chest. ¡°Would you like to handle this one?¡±


    A creature about as tall as Owin stepped from around the corner. It stood on two little pink feet with skinny legs that led to an oblong body covered in coarse gray hair. Two little pink hands stuck out from the bushy hair, gripping what looked like a piece of shattered stone, sharp enough to use as a stake. Its head was long and ended with thin, sharp teeth sticking out from the sides of its long mouth.


    Great Forest Mob


    Giant Rat


    Level 10


    ¡°Is it holding a knife?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan took another step back. ¡°It appears that it is trying to hold it like a weapon, though it likely wouldn¡¯t even damage you, little goblin.¡±


    The rat chittered and lunged forward, smashing the stone against Artivan¡¯s shield. It immediately crumbled from the impact. He pushed back, tossing the rat around the corner.


    ¡°They¡¯re not claverstan, so we can be thankful for that.¡± Artivan made a show of looking up. ¡°Thank Ruvaine.¡±


    ¡°What are claverstan?¡±


    The rat scurried back around the corner, now on all fours. It lunged at Artivan, but he easily moved his foot away from its bite.


    ¡°I will be happy to tell you once you dispatch this creature.¡±


    Owin walked up, swung the greatsword down, and took a step back as the head rolled away.


    0 Experience


    Artivan stepped over the corpse, searched the dead end, then reappeared immediately. ¡°Nothing. It was simply meant to maim us with the trap and finish us off with the rat.¡± He crouched, cut off the rat¡¯s tail, and tossed it to Owin. ¡°Alchemy ingredient. Keep it to sell.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill it?¡±


    ¡°Experience is important.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get any.¡±


    Artivan chuckled as he walked past Owin. He stopped beside the trap and gestured to the stone that he had stepped on before. Owin easily stepped over it and back into the previous passage.


    ¡°Experience and knowledge. Knowing how to handle different creatures, knowing how to wield your weapons. It is a separate thing from experience points. You may not gain attribute points like I do, but you learn the same, and you know less than many who make it this far.¡±


    They passed over some glowing bricks with dried specter slime. Owin immediately recognized where they were, having to pass back by the entrance and around to the right side where a nearly identical passage led to a doorway on the far end, exactly where the fire trap had been on the opposite side.


    ¡°Once one is as high of a level as I am, killing something as low of a level as that rat doesn¡¯t give enough experience to make a difference. I gained more progress toward a point by blocking its attack than I would have from killing it.¡± Artivan gestured to stop and stepped through the opening on his own. Nothing happened. ¡°Come on.¡±


    The room forked into three separate directions. A soft green glow shone on the walls to the right, and to the left, the sound of rat claws clicking on the stone floors echoed. Artivan pointed toward the rats.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have mana,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Best avoid specters for now.¡± He moved far quicker than he had been in the labyrinth up to this point. The giant rat dove at Artivan as he passed the corner. His shield caught it mid air and launched it back toward Owin, who had been wholly unprepared.


    The rat crashed into him, tossing them both backward onto the ground. Small claws gouged his skin as the rat scrambled to climb off. Owin shoved the rat off and tried to swing the greatsword, but the rat was on top, pinning the weapon to the ground.


    He grabbed Naxile¡¯s knife and rolled, smashing the curved blade right into the top of the rat¡¯s skull. With his increased strength, the rat¡¯s head exploded as his fist smashed onto the top of its skull. Brains and blood covered his face and splattered across the walls.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Artivan said as he pulled Owin to his feet. ¡°I thought you were ready.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Chunks of rat brains dripped down Owin¡¯s face. He had some fur stuck to the tip of his pointed ear.


    Artivan carefully picked the fur off and wiped the bloody chunk on the wall. ¡°I will ensure you¡¯re prepared next time.¡±


    Owin would have glared at the knight if he could see anything clearly through the viscous chunks hanging from his eyebrows.

 Chapter 11

    They ran through five more giant rats before reaching the back of the labyrinth. Other than the corner holding another shapeless specter, they had managed to find almost every dead end without finding any treasure.


    Artivan stood right in the opening, looking down the final hall. Owin could see around clearly enough, but he kept around the corner a bit. A small horde of giant rats wandered near a glowing blue wall of energy. Huge piles of dungeon gold twinkled in the blue light on the other side of the wall. A chest was almost entirely hidden by the gold.


    Artivan was consistently relaxed, joking even when things seemed dangerous. The only time Owin had really seen him be serious was their first encounter, when he had protected Owin from Nikoletta and Miklos.


    How did somebody fight and delve into dangerous dungeons while acting so relaxed all the time? Owin hadn¡¯t been able to relax once since he had first awoken. Everything wanted to kill him and the only way to stop them was to kill.


    ¡°Blue barriers are generally powered by a magic crystal, but I don¡¯t see one nearby. We might be able to trace the source of power when we¡¯re closer.¡± He pointed at the wall and waved his finger around. ¡°You can see a path between the crystal and the wall.¡±


    ¡°Are the crystals weapons?¡± Owin asked. If they could power something like a giant magical wall, surely they could do some damage.


    ¡°Um, not entirely, though I supposed they could technically be used to power some weapons. You would need a claverstan type contraption for that to work, and I am certain there isn¡¯t anything like that in the Great Forest. An alchemist would pay handsomely for a crystal, though.¡±


    All Artivan seemed to talk about was alchemists and how much they would pay for things. Half of the items in Owin¡¯s bag were alchemy related. Several severed rat tails just sat in the drying slime at the bottom of his bag.


    ¡°You really risk your life just to grab things to sell?¡±


    Artivan lifted the visor of his helmet. His brow was furrowed as he looked at Owin. ¡°I never really thought of it that way. Makes it all seem foolish, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Do you really not want to get to the top?¡±


    ¡°Shards do odd things to people, little goblin. I can¡¯t describe it myself, obviously, but there are rumors about the heroes who have had their wishes granted. There are three we know of. Three. In hundreds of years. And we don¡¯t even know where two of them are. We don¡¯t even know who one of them is. Not once in our histories has it ever mentioned a party getting their wishes granted. Not a single time. It has only ever been solo heroes with the power of gods. And who is to say there weren¡¯t more than the three we know? What if they had never told anyone and just vanished? What if they had wished to be forgotten?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scared?¡±


    Artivan nodded. ¡°The shards do something to you, and I never want to find out what that would be. The loneliness those who carry multiple shards feel must be overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°I know about loneliness.¡±


    Artivan lowered his visor. ¡°I believe you do, little goblin. Let us kill these rats and move on. I would be happy to cure that loneliness by introducing you to my friends when we find ourselves outside this tree.¡±


    Owin nodded. The Nimble Hog Hero Company didn¡¯t sound like a place for him, but Artivan had assured him they were all good people. So far, interactions with humans had been horrific. If the Nimble Hogs were different, Owin was willing to give them a chance.


    If they couldn¡¯t accept him, nobody would.


    Five giant rats seemed like too many to fight at once, even if they only took one or two solid hits each to kill. What Owin kept forgetting was that Artivan was significantly stronger than everything else on the third floor. He was out of sync with the rest of the heroes like Nikoletta, Miklos, and Kata who were all about level 16. As a level 31, Artivan was a threat to everything. Everything except a shapeless specter, apparently.


    Owin grabbed his greatsword with both hands and stood at Artivan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Have you considered a more preferred weapon?¡± Artivan asked.


    The rats stayed near the glowing door, hissing and moving as if they were going to charge, though for whatever reason, they didn¡¯t move more than a few inches.


    ¡°I like this.¡±


    ¡°It is taller than you are. Carrying that must be odd at best.¡±


    Owin grabbed the blade and set the pommel on the ground. The tip of the blade was a few feet above his head, but barely reached Artivan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that before.¡±


    ¡°You have made impressive use of a weapon so much taller than yourself. The Tundra and Fortress dungeons have some of the biggest swords you will ever see. Ridiculous, really, but those creatures are generally big enough to make it seem reasonable.¡± Artivan sighed.


    ¡°I can make it work. If we find something smaller that is stronger I would switch.¡± Owin looked at the dull metal of the blade. It was nearly matte gray with blood, sand, and dirt dried all over. A weapon with a more active magical effect would be really helpful, considering he only had the wand and a limited number of spells. Still, the greatsword had served him well and was easier to fight with than the knives.


    ¡°Do you know why we¡¯re still standing here?¡±


    Owin looked around the hallway. He hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. The wall to the right was made of large stone bricks and looked as if it bowed in a bit, but otherwise was unadorned. The wall on the left was made of the same textured stone as the rest of the labyrinth. Nothing about the floor stood out from the rest of the labyrinth, as it was just more cobblestones.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Owin watched the odd way the rats were moving. ¡°Because they aren¡¯t charging us?¡±


    ¡°Correct. Something is stopping them. Are they blocked in by magic or are there traps between us and them? These are the questions a hero needs to ask before approaching an enemy. Are we going to be ambushed by more? Is the hall going to start on fire? Is a demon going to rise from the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°Can that happen?¡±


    ¡°Not usually on this low of a level . . .¡± Artivan¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°Let¡¯s assume no, for now. I would think it is more likely to be a trap or a specter.¡± He pointed above him with his longsword. ¡°The ceiling is higher here than in other places. There may be something hidden in the shadowed recesses. With specters, anything is possible.¡±


    Owin watched the dark corner of the room above them. If he took another half step forward, he would be right under it, and whatever was hiding in the corner. Even his eyes, used to the dark, couldn¡¯t see clearly into the shadows.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°In a more traditional party, I would suggest something about sending a familiar in or letting a mender cast a luminous spell to shed the darkness. If either of us had any range, we could attack the rats from here to ensure they aren¡¯t in disguise.¡±


    ¡°Disguise?¡± As far as Owin was concerned, the giant rats looked the same as all of the others he had seen. Other than the odd behavior, they looked just as hideous as the rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s a type of specter that wears the skin of other creatures.¡± Artivan took a step forward and looked up. Nothing fell from the ceiling. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about a skinweave in a long time. I try my best to not think about them.¡± He pointed at the rats with his longsword hand. His armored finger barely pointed out while he also gripped the weapon. ¡°Flare Burst.¡±


    A rat combusted with luminous fire. It squealed and quickly died.


    Owin walked up beside Artivan, keeping a wary eye on the ceiling. ¡°That one wasn¡¯t a specter. It died from luminous damage.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Artivan grunted. ¡°Want to get this over with?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin held back a stride as Artivan marched forward, quickly closing the gap between himself and the four remaining rats. Owin¡¯s eyes darted back and forth, looking at the far corners of the wall, back at the corners behind him, and at the odd bow in the brick wall to his right. Something was off. He could feel it. Instincts said to run.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Artivan¡¯s foot swung forward in step as he raised his sword to attack the first of the rats. A red line appeared as his foot passed through it, snaring him in place.


    A brick popped out of the wall right beside Owin. It cracked on the cobblestone and turned to dust just as a small stream of water squirted from the newly formed hole.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The rest of the wall quivered. ¡°Artivan,¡± Owin said.


    He looked back. ¡°I really did not see this one coming.¡± His shield swung down and severed the red line. In a second, he cut through two rats, smashed one with his shield, and stomped the last to death.


    Owin collected the dust of the broken brick and tried shoving it back into place. The stream of water was strong enough to push all the dust right back out as it quickly turned into sludge. He tried picking the sludge up again, but it squelched between his fingers and dripped back into a growing puddle on the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim,¡± Owin blurted.


    Artivan stood in front of a glowing crystal line embedded in the wall. ¡°Best get running then. You¡¯re faster than me. Track this down and rip the crystal from its holding.¡±


    Owin ran over, splashing in the water mixed with rat blood. A blue line, the same color as the energy wall, ran like a canal through the stone, taking a sharp turn up the wall and disappeared over the other side, back into the labyrinth. ¡°How did we miss it?¡±


    ¡°Possibly just a corner we didn¡¯t turn. The crystal will be difficult to miss. I¡¯ll see if I can find a way to hold the water back.¡±


    Water rose steadily in the hallway. At first, it soaked into the stones and disappeared through the cracks, only pooling right where the stream had first formed. By the time Owin ran his way across, there was already a small pool almost an inch thick.


    He wove back through the opening, into another passage where a second stream of water was consistently shooting water into the labyrinth. This one was thinner, though it flowed with speed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± Owin said. He took a turn and found a dead end. A giant rat corpse from earlier bobbed its head in the rising water.


    A rock fell right past his head and splashed beside him. Owin looked up as another stream of water sprouted and landed right on his eye. Everything was darker than when they had entered as if the magical lights had dimmed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Another splash nearby signaled the start of another stream into the quickly growing pool. The water had already reached Owin¡¯s knees, and he had hardly ventured back into the labyrinth. The water was murky and cold. Bits of dirt and sand swirled and brushed against his bare feet.


    Owin pressed his free hand against the wall and pushed onward, around another few corners. Dead end after dead end greeted him like he was moving in circles. How had they navigated into the labyrinth with such ease? No matter where he turned, he just found himself surrounded by dark stone walls.


    Artivan was going to die if he didn¡¯t find the crystal. The knight was waiting back by the energy wall, and Owin was letting him down. He was failing. Nothing was going right. The water would rise until Owin drowned and Artivan would remain waiting in the back of the labyrinth, only knowing of Owin¡¯s death when his corpse floated all the way to the back passage.


    His heart rattled his chest unlike he had ever felt before as the cold water surged up to his armpits. Each breath was quick and shallow. Things looked fuzzy in the dim passageways as he trudged on through the water. Only the weight of his bag and greatsword kept his feet on the ground.


    Bright green light spilled into the intersection, pouring down each of the passageways Owin found himself between. Green slime spread through the water. Some pieces crawled along the floor, others floated on the surface.


    Great Forest Mob


    Shapeless Specter


    Level 16


    His mana bar was a little over half gone, leaving him with only 29 points to use. All of his spells, especially Discharge, used more than 40 mana points each. Owin had no way to fight the specter, and he had no way to run. The water had risen too high, and without being able to swim, he was doomed.


    This was it. He had failed. Artivan would die over some gold, and it was entirely Owin¡¯s fault. He never should have left the cave. All he had done was kill, and what good did it do? What did it bring?


    Something heavy sloshed through the water close by, causing Owin to swing around, ready to chop at whatever appeared.


    Artivan, bathed in a sickly green light, appeared like magic. He was a towering, armored monstrosity that placed himself between Owin and the specter, crouching until they were eye to eye. He lifted his visor, showing Owin the calm smile on his face.


    ¡°You got lost,¡± Artivan said quietly.


    More water surged in, reaching Owin¡¯s jaw. He shivered as cold water splashed into his ear. Lost seemed too simple. The labyrinth had beat him, and Owin didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    Green slime crawled onto Artivan¡¯s back and up his shoulder. Some bones floated uselessly in the specter as it inched across Artivan¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Your mana,¡± Owin croaked, barely able to talk through his shivering.


    ¡°Drop the sword. We¡¯ll find you a new one.¡± Artivan grabbed Owin¡¯s arms and effortlessly lifted him out of the water. As the knight stood, the specter slid off the armor and splashed back into the water. Some slime still clung to his shins and feet.


    Owin watched the greatsword he had taken from a skeleton sink to the bottom of the rising water. Green light reflected off the few polished parts of the blade, but it quickly vanished as more dirt and sand swirled through.


    Artivan placed Owin on his shoulders and trudged onward. The water was barely to his hips, allowing him much easier movement than it had been for Owin. Pieces of the specter slid right off, caught in the water, and swirled like they were caught in the sand.


    Owin leaned on Artivan¡¯s helmet, resting both arms right over the ridge that ran down the center. The knight brought his visor back down and traveled back the way Owin had come from. Nothing looked familiar, especially with the darkness and added water, yet Artivan walked with purpose as if he knew exactly where to go.


    They passed some dead giant rats, and even Artivan hit two dead ends before finding a sharp turn where something glowed blue around the corner.


    ¡°Hiding it in a dead end is tricky,¡± he said, stepping around the corner.


    A square glowing gem hummed with gentle energy right at Artivan¡¯s chest height. It would have been out of Owin¡¯s reach if he had even made it there. A blue line identical to the one Owin had seen by the energy wall ran to the side, then turned and disappeared near the ceiling.


    Artivan grabbed the gem and yanked. He grunted quietly with effort as the gem slipped out of its housing. The energy traveling to the wall flickered then vanished. Without the glowing gem, they would be in complete darkness.


    One gauntleted hand held onto Owin¡¯s leg while the other extended outward, casting the blue glow into the labyrinth. It had become even darker as the water became murkier. Artivan¡¯s movement slowed in the rising water, now up to his stomach.


    ¡°We should leave,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°No, no. We can do this.¡±


    Owin clutched on the knight¡¯s helmet and stared into the darkness at the far end of the passage, letting his thoughts wander. Pieces of the shapeless specter floated, now independently as little globs of slime and bone. When used Examine, it still identified each as part of the whole, referring to them all as the same shapeless specter. It wasn¡¯t clear how that worked or if the specter could reform into its huge blob-like form. Artivan didn¡¯t acknowledge it, and Owin didn¡¯t want to take any focus away.


    With only a few turns, they made it back to the initial passageway. More bricks had fallen from the wall, letting water pour in even faster than it had started. It looked like it had been going that way for a while.


    With the water almost reaching Artivan¡¯s chest, Owin couldn¡¯t imagine a way for them to grab the loot and make it back to the door before the water was reaching him again. It was already starting to splash onto his feet.


    Artivan rushed down the passage, which still felt like they were moving agonizingly slow. He stopped right in front of the treasure. ¡°Hold your breath.¡±


    Owin inhaled as deep as possible. He felt Artivan relax and breathe in deeply. It was a shock as Artivan bent down, plunging Owin into the water. The knight went right to the chest, lifting the lid with effort.


    Yellow light flashed as the lid flipped open. It quickly dimmed but continued to glow, even under the murky water. Artivan grabbed something inside, scooped some coins into his bag, along with some sludge-like mud that had settled, and quickly turned to leave the labyrinth. It all only took a moment before he was standing, letting Owin gulp down air.


    A square piece of metal popped out of the water as Artivan coughed and sucked in a few breaths. The metal was attached to a metal rod that disappeared into the water. Nothing adorned the plain, matte metal, besides a few small gouges that had been taken out of the sides.


    ¡°Examine this for me,¡± Artivan said.


    Thunderstrike Maul


    Journeyman Magical Item


    A metal hammer imbued with the power of a thunderstrike. When swung with the proper speed, the Thunderstrike Maul will unleash its energy.


    Note: Energy recharges through movement


    Note: Magical item effects vary by user


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Thunderstrike Maul.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Artivan said as he spat water out. It splashed enough as he was walking that it brushed against his helmet and splashed inside.


    Owin grabbed the hammer, surprised at its weight. With such a rise to his strength, it was a surprise that the hammer felt as heavy as it did.


    ¡°I have no use for a hammer, and that should be more fitting of your quick style.¡± Artivan sputtered as more water splashed into his helmet. ¡°Hold on tight.¡±


    Artivan moved slowly, taking each step as if his foot weighed a ton. Bits of specter and dead rats floated through the water, following a small current as the water poured through the passageways.


    Owin held tightly to the maul with one hand and wrapped his whole other arm around Artivan¡¯s helmet. ¡°Can you go faster?¡±


    The air surrounding Artivan flashed white and shuddered. Ripples spread out in the water and stones cracked under his feet. He moved faster, even as water continued rushing in. By the time they made it around two turns, the water was splashing over Owin¡¯s knees and right into Artivan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hold strong, little goblin,¡± he said, then took a deep, audible breath.


    Owin wrapped his other arm around Artivan¡¯s head, keeping the new maul close to his body. A floating blob of the shapeless specter brushed against Owin¡¯s leg, sending a brief burning shock through his body. The burned section of his mana bar grew, lowering his total mana even more. The water glowed as they passed over more of the specter that had sunk to the bottom. Artivan stepped right onto the specter, splitting it apart further as his foot shattered the stones beneath.


    When the door was finally within view, the water was well over Artivan¡¯s head. Nothing could make Owin let go, even as cold water crashed against him from all directions. Artivan ascended the stairs and walked straight through the doorway.

 Chapter 12

    The third floor had changed.


    Owin leaned on the maul¡¯s handle with the rectangular head placed firmly in the sand. They only had about a foot of land before the water. All around the floor, the water had risen. There were no longer shallow pools or spans of sand between mounds. Now, they were truly islands, isolated from one another by deep, dark water.


    Artivan took his helmet off and let it fall to the sand. ¡°I have always wondered what caused this floor to flood.¡± Water dripped from his white beard. ¡°We caused this.¡±


    ¡°From the trap?¡±


    Artivan grunted. He reached into his bag and shoveled out handfuls of mud before reaching some of the coins. ¡°Was it worth it?¡±


    Owin wiggled the handle, causing the hammer to wobble back and forth. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go back there, but I do want to use this.¡±


    Artivan smiled and smoothed back his loose strands of hair. ¡°I look forward to seeing you use it. What else did you learn about this Thunderstrike Maul?¡±


    ¡°It charges through movement.¡±


    Artivan nodded knowingly. ¡°Truly unique items are incredibly rare, and always master or higher. Journeyman is a good step forward from what you had before.¡±


    He pulled off his gauntlets and set them on the sand beside his helmet. Owin watched the knight closely, noticing the bags under his eyes and the wrinkles on his hands.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan rubbed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Was the secret on the second floor like that?¡± Owin had tried thinking of where the secret would have been on the second floor. There didn¡¯t seem to be too many areas he hadn¡¯t been.


    Artivan pulled a health potion from his bag and drank it without a word. Unlike Owin, he carefully placed the cork back into the bottle and gently placed it into his bag. ¡°The danger was more straightforward in the archaeological site. Undead can be managed easily.¡± He combed his fingers through his beard, shook some water from his helmet, and slid it back over his head. ¡°The cultists¡¯ cellar was filled with traps. Someday I will have to try that again. I blew the whole village to bits.¡±


    Owin scowled. He hadn¡¯t realized there was a cellar. Although, it was probably best he didn¡¯t try to go down if it had been full of traps. Despite running into two of them inside the labyrinth, Owin didn¡¯t know the slightest bit about what to look for. He hadn¡¯t even noticed Kata¡¯s trap until he wasn¡¯t able to move.


    With everything fully equipped, Artivan set off, walking onto the mound, over the doorway to the labyrinth. Owin had to swing the hammer around to rest the head over his shoulder. During the swing, the rectangular head crackled briefly, causing the gray stone to glow. It lasted for less than a second, but gave Owin an idea. If it required movement to charge, swinging it around would keep it charged almost constantly.


    Two scaltari sat around a fire, relaxed in the middle of a conversation. Artivan wasn¡¯t moving quietly, but the lizards hadn¡¯t seemed to notice. The knight cleared his throat, causing both scaltari to squeak and scramble to their feet.


    Owin tried swinging the hammer in a circle above his head, but it was incredibly heavy. He fell over as soon as the weight shifted and almost dropped the hammer down the slope.


    Artivan looked over without saying a word as the scaltari brandished swords.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Owin said, swinging the hammer back to his shoulder. ¡°I got it.¡±


    Artivan gestured to the lizards as they approached slowly. They kept their eyes on Artivan rather than Owin. Which Owin did not mind. That guaranteed at least one free hit before he had to defend. And Owin really did want to hit something. The giant rats hadn¡¯t worked off everything that had built up inside the labyrinth. The stress, the fear, the darkness. It all compiled together, churning like a storm in Owin¡¯s chest. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to crush something.


    Scaltari were roughly the size of humans, so even with a huge swing, the best Owin could do was collapse their ribs or shatter an arm. Without knowing more about the hammer, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was really going to be the weapon for him. But as Artivan said, somebody would buy it.


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Assassin


    Level 14


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Soldier


    Level 15


    ¡°It says they¡¯re different classes but they have the same sword,¡± Owin said.


    The lizards still advanced. They hadn¡¯t used any abilities, but they surely had something prepared. Owin had seen Gropnil as a soldier do some incredible things in his fight against Nosolus.


    The only assassin he had seen died quickly from the stone knife, so Owin did wonder what an assassin could actually do.


    ¡°Same weapon, different classes and stats.¡± Artivan checked the straps on his shield, then drew his sword. ¡°Hit the assassin first. With your strength, you should be able to snap it in half.¡±


    Both scaltari were wearing regular clothes that hung loose from their scaly bodies. One had red accents along the green-tinted scales, while the other had blue accents. Owin looked between them. Which one was which? He had examined them so quickly, he hadn¡¯t paid attention to who was who.


    Both scaltari rushed Artivan. Owin grabbed the metal maul handle with both hands and spun, swinging the heavy hammer in a half circle as fast as he could manage. It lit up while in motion and smashed right against the scaltari sword. The lizard planted its feet and used its tail to keep balance as Owin¡¯s strike pushed it back a few inches.


    ¡°Wrong one,¡± Artivan shouted just as the red accented scaltari vanished in a puff of smoke.


    Owin used Examine again on the scaltari holding the hammerstrike back with a simple sword.


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Soldier


    Level 15


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The soldier stepped forward and pushed the hammer back, causing Owin to stumble as he fought for balance. The hammer¡¯s glow had already faded to a barely noticeable highlight in the metal. He would need to experiment to find out how fast it charged, but that would have to wait until the scaltari were dealt with.


    ¡°Soldiers are experts in all types of combat,¡± Artivan said. ¡°Defense, offense, ranged.¡±


    The scaltari swung the sword down, ready to chop right into Owin¡¯s skull. He rolled to the side, using the momentum to swing the hammer again. It glowed while swinging, but the lizard effortlessly deflected the heavy hammer.


    ¡°Surprise or magic are the only true ways to handle a soldier,¡± Artivan continued saying.


    The assassin reappeared behind Artivan. He spun and smashed his shield right into the lizard¡¯s face. Blue blood exploded from its nostrils as it fell down the mound, rolled, and splashed into the water.


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    ¡°I can¡¯t do either of those,¡± Owin said, dodging a horizontal swing that chopped through some of his purple hair.


    ¡°A soldier against another soldier, or in your case, a berserker, is all about brute force. Who can hit harder? Who can hit faster?¡± Artivan turned back and pointed his sword at the assassin as it tried to climb back to its feet. It was clearly dazed from the shield bash. ¡°Flare Burst.¡± Luminous flames engulfed the lizard.


    The soldier¡¯s onslaught continued with swing after swing, varied in direction and speed. Owin used his speed to dodge over and over, unable to lift and swing the hammer fast enough to counter. He grabbed Naxile¡¯s knife from his pocket and barely caught the point of the lizard¡¯s sword as it was thrust right at his chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you do it,¡± Artivan shouted. ¡°Now, push back!¡±


    Owin shoved the sword aside and leapt right at the lizard¡¯s face. It stepped back and tried to lift its sword, but Owin landed right on its head and smashed the knife down, over and over, spewing blue blood all over his face. They collapsed to the ground, where Owin rolled off and jumped to his feet, ready for another attack.


    ¡°Well done, little goblin.¡± Artivan picked up the lizard¡¯s sword. His index flashed before his eyes. ¡°Worthless. They aren¡¯t magical.¡± He tossed it to the ground. ¡°Take a look at that hammer again.¡±


    Owin walked back over to the heavy maul lying on the ground. Compared to the greatsword, this was more his size. For someone like Artivan, it was small enough to be held with one hand.


    ¡°If I¡¯m stronger than you, why can¡¯t I swing it right?¡±


    Artivan picked it up with a grunt. He widened his stance and swung it. Even that threw him a little off balance. ¡°It¡¯s not your strength. With how small you are, the hammer is going to pull you around. You¡¯re going to have to learn how to work with that. Drop it and use the knives when needed. Did you take a closer look?¡±


    Owin looked down at the Thunderstrike Maul and used Examine. Most of the information was the same, with the exception of an additional line.


    20% Charge


    After all that swinging, it only charged a small portion. ¡°Is this worth using?¡±


    Artivan shrugged. ¡°It really depends on your style, which you will have to find for yourself. Without knowing what happens at full charge, it makes it more difficult to say. If that thing can take out an armored soldier in a single hit when it¡¯s fully charged, then it is worth it. If it can¡¯t, you will die trying to use it against more skilled or faster opponents. Not that I expect you to find many faster than you.¡±


    Owin had been lucky to go against mostly slower opponents. If he had to fight the satyr umbra on the second floor, he would have been outclassed. The speed of its attacks alone was nearly too fast for Owin to follow. But even during the fight that just ended, that assassin had appeared and attacked incredibly fast.


    ¡°How did you know the assassin was behind you?¡±


    Artivan dug through his bag without looking up. ¡°Assassins have a passive ability that allows them to deal double damage if they land an attack on an opponent''s back. If you know that, you can generally predict their next move. A hero assassin is a different story. They¡¯re rare, dangerous, and often unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°I killed one.¡±


    Artivan let his bag drop back to his hip. ¡°Well, you are also rare, dangerous, and unpredictable, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Owin lifted the hammer up and let the metal shaft rest against his shoulder. ¡°Do you think the charge will stay in the hammer?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. When magical weapons have a charge, that charge will often degrade after it hits full power. The only way to find out is to try.¡± Artivan looked around the small island. ¡°We need to find a raft.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Potion hunting. The boss isn¡¯t going anywhere. Any buffs we find are a step forward for you.¡± He set off to the edge of the water, followed it to where a sand bar was partially visible under the blue waters, and walked right across. It was shallow enough that Owin would have no problem crossing at the same point.


    ¡°The northern half of the floor has bigger islands that are farther apart. If nobody trips the trap, like I did, then that northern half is a simple hike from small island to small island like we had been doing before. Now, it will be far too deep to cross easily. We¡¯ll have more trouble crossing as we go, so keep your eyes out for rafts or boats. They should be scattered around the level.¡±


    Owin ran across the sand bar, splashing water with each step. Artivan walked quickly, heading in some unknown direction. It was still difficult for Owin to imagine a floor right above them as the blue sky looked to go on forever. He had seen and felt the boundary walls before, but even with knowing those existed, the world beyond appeared to continue. How could he climb up a few feet of stairs and end up in a completely new world when the sky continued far above the doorway?


    Owin followed a few feet behind Artivan as the knight found the easiest, most shallow path between each small island. He walked with a steady pace in a clear direction, which Owin was fully clueless about. The map in his index was just a series of islands, but now the water matched what he had been seeing on the map the entire time. There were no markers for boats or rafts, and he couldn¡¯t see any nearby. Yet, Artivan continued quickly, heading somewhere southeast.


    What was on the next floor? It had gone from a cave, to a forest, to wetlands. There wasn¡¯t any clear pattern he had noticed.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the next floor?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan continued pushing onward, hurrying from island to island. He seemed to know where he was going, as he didn¡¯t check his map once. ¡°Hobgoblins and ogres, mostly. There are a few goblins too.¡± He looked back with his visor raised. ¡°Is that going to be difficult?¡±


    Owin shook his head. He felt no companionship with the other goblins. They were mobs like everything else. It was still odd thinking of the ones in the cave who stood idly by, or of Ponk, who did everything Naxile said. They hardly had two thoughts about them while Owin couldn¡¯t stop himself from thinking all the time. He was worried, he was unsure, he was everything he could be all the time.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t killed that wizard, I¡¯d still be sitting in the shadows, waiting to jump on heroes who walked into the dungeon,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Artivan didn¡¯t bother looking back as he pushed through some bushes and headed straight to the next island. They had passed over several and found no scaltari since they had emerged from the dungeon.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    Artivan abruptly stopped in the shallow water and faced Owin. ¡°Mean? It doesn¡¯t mean a thing, little goblin. Most of life has no meaning until you give it meaning. Ruvaine doesn¡¯t decide your life anymore.¡± He looked at the sky and scowled. ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t smite us over something like that.¡±


    Owin looked into the blue sky. There wasn¡¯t any sign that Ruvaine was about to take revenge. ¡°I don¡¯t think she cares.¡±


    ¡°No more speaking to you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡±


    Artivan nodded. ¡°Good, good.¡± He turned back to Owin, looking him right in the eyes. ¡°I may not understand how you became a hero as a goblin, but that doesn¡¯t make you less of one than anyone else. Does it matter how you became aware?¡±


    ¡°I guess not.¡±


    Artivan placed his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You are who you are and we are going to get you strong enough to prove yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Artivan nodded to the side. ¡°And our raft is right over there. Right where I thought it would be.¡±


    Owin looked over to see four logs tied together with string. ¡°We¡¯re riding that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    According to Artivan, the raft was always lying in the same spot on the map. It only became useful if somebody flooded the map, as we had done. Otherwise, it sat on the sand or floated in a few inches of water without any clear use. Two oars rested in the middle beside a rudimentary mast and sail that wouldn¡¯t do much even in a strong wind.


    Artivan hurried to the raft as if it was the most exciting thing he had seen. Meanwhile, Owin stood on the shore of a small mound and watched the knight wade through cold, deep water.


    It seemed stupid to be so excited for a raft that Owin could have made himself, if he had known. They had passed more than enough trees that they could have cut down in a few solid swings. With the Thunderstrike Maul, he could probably knock over a whole grove of trees with the hammer fully charged.


    Artivan grabbed the rope tying the logs together and dragged the raft across the pool of water until it rested against the mound Owin stood atop. The knight climbed on board and smiled at Owin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get on.¡±


    Artivan patted the logs beside him. ¡°It¡¯s comfortable.¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Artivan lowered the visor of his helmet. ¡°It¡¯s either the raft or swimming, and I think I already have a good idea of which you would prefer.¡±


    Owin climbed aboard and sat right beside Artivan. The knight handed him an oar. It was made of smooth, finished wood and looked as if it had never been touched.


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than me, so you can¡¯t row with all your strength. We don¡¯t want to spin in a circle. Match what I do or we¡¯ll have a rough time.¡±


    Owin placed the oar in the water and watched Artivan row a few times. The movement was awkward, but the raft easily moved through the water.


    ¡°Get it?¡± Artivan asked, going through exaggerated motions again.


    ¡°I think so.¡± Owin ripped the oar through the water and spun the raft. It was so easy. He had hardly even used his strength.


    ¡°I hope you noticed that your row was more than a little strong.¡±


    Owin pulled the oar out of the water. ¡°I noticed.¡±


    Artivan made a show of gently placing the oar in the water, and gently pulling back. The raft hardly moved. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    Artivan sighed and lifted the visor again. ¡°Not everything is about speed. We can move slower while using less energy.¡± Artivan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Actually, without needing sleep, you probably don¡¯t get as physically exhausted.¡±


    Owin shrugged.


    ¡°It would be helpful if you had answers to these ambiguous thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Artivan placed the oar back in the water. ¡°Just match me.¡±

 Chapter 13

    While rowing wasn¡¯t something Owin would start doing for fun, he figured it out quickly. The only problem was, with his low dexterity, the row sometimes caught the flat side of the oar, and other times he cut right through it with the edge. Artivan was incredibly patient and changed his rows to accommodate when Owin messed it up, which was more often than the goblin would ever willingly admit.


    They cleared more of the map quickly as they floated between islands along the eastern border. Owin hadn¡¯t realized how far they had traveled until the shimmering wall of the border rose to the sky beside them. Artivan reached out and pushed off the wall, sending the raft in the opposite direction.


    Owin rowed while watching the shimmering wall fade in the distance. As soon as they were too far away, it vanished altogether. ¡°What¡¯s beyond the wall?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Artivan looked over his shoulder where the wall had been. ¡°I assume it¡¯s the trunk of the Great Forest tree. We don¡¯t really have a way to confirm that. The floors get wider as they go, and I don¡¯t believe the tree gets wider as it goes up. It would be an odd looking tree.¡± Artivan rowed, still looking back at the boundary. ¡°I suppose saying I don¡¯t know would have been easier.¡±


    Controlling the raft turned out to be easier than Owin had initially expected. Occasionally, they bumped against the edge of a mound or scraped over a high bar of sand. None of it damaged the raft in any way. Artivan directed him where to angle it and where they were trying to go. After almost an hour, they had passed the labyrinth and were floating between bigger islands that were significantly farther apart.


    ¡°Land it here,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin didn¡¯t know how to land a raft, so he simply pulled the oar from the water and laid it across his lap. They crashed into the sandy mound and slid up until the whole raft was crooked.


    Artivan tossed the oar into the middle and climbed right off. ¡°We¡¯ll need the raft again to get to the exit. It should be fine here.¡±


    Owin gently set his oar next to Artivan¡¯s and jumped off. He immediately enjoyed not being on the water anymore. Steady, solid ground was much better.


    ¡°What¡¯s over here?¡± Owin asked. Apart from the islands being about twice the size as the small ones they were on before, everything looked basically the same. There were a number of streams of smoke visible from scaltari fires.


    ¡°Lizards.¡± Artivan lowered his visor and drew his sword. ¡°And hopefully some buff potions for you.¡±


    Owin let the Thunderstrike Maul rest on his shoulder as he hopped off the raft and hurried up the mound. A fire burned nearby with three scaltari calmly sitting in a semi circle.


    ¡°Spin a few times with the hammer. See if that charges it,¡± Artivan said.


    The lizards were only a few dozen feet away. If they looked up, they would easily see Owin and Artivan.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do it when they can¡¯t see us?¡±


    ¡°You have to get close to get their attention. It¡¯s specifically the scaltari around fires. It¡¯s as if they are too focused on the flames to notice heroes.¡± Artivan wobbled the tip of his sword in a circle.


    Owin shrugged the hammer off his shoulder and spun in a full circle. As soon as he started moving, the head of the hammer lit up. He had to fight for his balance, and as he spun faster, the hammer glowed brighter. After three rotations, his foot slipped on the sand and the Thunderstrike Maul slipped right from Owin¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Oh, frick,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin fell onto the ground and jumped right back to his feet. The glowing hammer sailed through the air and struck one of the scaltari right on the tip of the nose. Red mist exploded, covering the entire fire and the other two lizards. The hammer lodged itself in the dirt a few feet behind what little was left of the scaltari corpse. The Thunderstrike Maul had taken the entire top half of the lizard and turned it into nothing more than bloody mist that hung in the air.


    ¡°I feel as though a few questions have been answered,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin grabbed Naxile¡¯s knife from his belt. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, the hammer still works even if you aren¡¯t holding it. And, well, we know what a fully charged strike does.¡±


    The other scaltari were on their feet. One held a spear and the other held a staff. The bloody mist obscured them too much for Examine to work, so Owin just waited beside Artivan. The lizards were a bit bigger than other ones, both in height and muscles. They were both green with blue accents, only distinguished by their weapons.


    He still couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened. If he had accidentally let go of the hammer any earlier, he would have thrown it right into the water or potentially destroyed the raft. Last floor, it felt as if fighting a resurrected demon alongside a satyr and a lizard with goat legs was going to be as odd as things got. Owin might not have understood everything since his awakening, but he absolutely understood that things were only going to get more insane as he climbed the tower.


    ¡°Is that one a magus?¡± Owin asked, pointing to the scaltari with a staff.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say until it''s out of the mist. Anyone can use a staff, but you¡¯re right, a magus or wizard is most likely to be using one.¡±


    As the scaltari sprinted forward, Owin immediately used Examine on both.


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Mender


    Level 17


    Great Forest Mob


    Scaltari Berserker


    Level 16


    ¡°A mender has the staff,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Focus the mender, then. A berserker with a spear is odd, but dangerous.¡± Artivan stomped his foot and flashed bright, blinding yellow. ¡°Mender first. If I can¡¯t stop the berserker, you will need to kill it.¡±


    Both scaltari turned to Artivan and focused on him without blinking. The mender pointed to the berserker, shooting a white beam.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Owin asked.


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    ¡°Vigilant Guardian,¡± Artivan said. ¡°They have to attack me. You¡¯re free to get the mender. It just increased the agility and dexterity of the berserker who¡ª¡±


    The berserker surged forward with its spear outstretched. It closed a dozen feet of distance in a blink. The spear smashed against Artivan¡¯s shield, throwing sparks into the air. Meanwhile, the mender moved as if it was walking through deep mud. The staff was a gnarled piece of wood with a flared top.


    Wands were more convenient for Owin to carry, but he would absolutely take a staff if it was worth using. He sprinted and leapt at the mender, who didn¡¯t even bother turning to face the incoming goblin. Owin crashed into the side of the mender, jamming the knife into its ribs. They both collapsed and whatever spell Artivan had cast was washed away.


    The butt of the staff smashed into Owin¡¯s temple, throwing him off the scaltari. He left Naxile¡¯s knife embedded in its ribs, but the lizard hardly seemed to care. It stood and placed a hand beneath the injury, which quickly closed, sealing the knife into its torso.


    Artivan went head to head with the berserker as it attacked at rapid speeds. The knight used his shield to block nearly every stab from the spear, though a few slipped past and scraped against his armor.


    The mender still moved as if caught in mud. Whatever it had cast on the berserker was slowing it down, making it an easy target for Owin. He reached into his bag and grabbed the jagged stone knife, his original weapon.


    Owin charged the mender as it smashed the butt of the staff into the ground. A visible gust of wind swept over the ground, catching Owin in the chest. It tossed him back a few feet where he landed hard on his back. It hardly did any damage. The strike from the staff to his head had taken a chunk of health away. Whatever spell the staff had wasn¡¯t for dealing damage.


    Owin hopped back to his feet, but landed on the side of his foot. Before he managed to fall, the mender hit him with another gust, sending his head snapping back. Owin landed roughly again.


    ¡°Gale Burst won¡¯t kill you, but it will keep you back! Find another way,¡± Artivan shouted.


    The berserker flashed red. Its next strike slipped past the shield, smashing the tip of the spear right into the center of Artivan¡¯s breastplate. While the weapon harmlessly slid off the armor, the ability still punctured through. A spray of blood shot through Artivan¡¯s visor.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Artivan bashed his shield into the next stab, pushing the berserker off balance. He swung low, chopping at the lizard¡¯s abdomen. The scaltari caught the blade with its hand. Blood ran down the blade, but the lizard held it tightly.


    Owin needed to figure out how to take out the mender. Not only was Artivan struggling against the berserker, Owin expected to see Nikoletta again at some point. What weaknesses did menders have? This one was slowed while buffing the berserker. Even a knife in its chest wasn¡¯t enough to stop the spell.


    Owin wanted to throw the stone knife, but with low dexterity, he could launch his only weapon out of reach. It would have been worth a try if he hadn¡¯t lost his other two weapons already.


    Owin reached into his bag, and fumbled around until he found the shield potion he had stolen from Nikoletta. He downed it and placed the bottle back into the bag. A faint blue bubble appeared around him. He needed a quick attack to the face or throat. Losing another knife in the lizard¡¯s chest wouldn¡¯t help.


    Owin ran as fast as he could, dashing across the sandy mound. The mender smashed the staff into the ground, sending another wave of harsh wind. It crashed into the shield, causing the bubble to ripple, but didn¡¯t slow down Owin. He leapt as he neared and drove the stone knife right into the bottom of the lizard¡¯s head. The scaltari let go of the staff and fell onto the ground. Owin ripped the curved knife across its chest and yanked the stone knife out of its head, spraying blue blood over his shield.


    0 Experience


    The berserker was still holding Artivan¡¯s sword, trying to stab him. They were far too close for a spear, so Artivan easily bashed his shield repeatedly into the berserker.


    The air around the berserker rippled as the mender¡¯s spell faded. Its next attack was painfully slow compared to the barrage from when it was buffed. Artivan smashed his shield right into the tip of its nose and pulled his sword from its grip, cutting off all the scaltari¡¯s fingers. He drove the sword into its chest, then kicked the body off the sword.


    ¡°Took you a bit there,¡± Artivan said. He sheathed his sword and lifted his visor. Blood covered his mustache and beard.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The berserker¡¯s Bleed ability can penetrate armor. They have a few of those abilities.¡± Artivan pulled his gauntlet off and wiped the blood away with his hand. ¡°It looks much worse than it is. Minimal damage unless you¡¯re wearing cheap armor.¡±


    ¡°I saw that ability almost kill a knight on the first floor when a goblin berserker used it.¡±


    Artivan chuckled. ¡°Like I said, cheap armor.¡± He put his gauntlet back on and rolled his shoulders. ¡°Berserkers are tough opponents in any situation.¡±


    Owin placed both knives back in his belt, then wandered over and grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul, which was partially buried in the dirt. He yanked it out and met Artivan back at the mender¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°A Gale Burst staff is odd, but we could sell it for a decent amount. It¡¯s only apprentice level.¡± Artivan held the staff up. It was over four feet tall. ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto it until we are out of the dungeon, if that¡¯s okay.¡± He held it up beside Owin. ¡°Might be a little tall for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that spell.¡±


    Owin checked the half of a scaltari that remained after his hammer attack. All he had to do was move the legs and a few dungeon gold coins fell out. He picked them up and tossed them into his bag.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Artivan said, holding up a purple potion. ¡°This is definitely needed.¡± He tossed it over the fire.


    Owin immediately fumbled the potion, bouncing it a few times before it landed on the dirt, unharmed.


    Journeyman Constitution Buff


    +20 Constitution


    Duration: 3 Hours


    The duration fizzled away, leaving question marks. Owin didn¡¯t wait and drank the entire fruity potion.


    Constitution +20


    Constitution: 110


    ¡°Look at that,¡± Artivan said. ¡°You almost have half as much health as I do now.¡±


    The constitution score was the exact same as his total health. The missing sections of Owin¡¯s bar didn¡¯t refill with the buff, but the bar grew bigger, making the missing health seem significantly smaller.


    ¡°What was on the berserker?¡±


    Artivan flipped a coin into the air and caught it. ¡°Not a lot.¡±


    Owin looked over the small battlefield. The little island had become wrecked in such a short time. Everything around the fire was coated in blood, the grass, dirt, and sand around the mender had been torn up from the spells, and Artivan¡¯s blood had mixed with the berserker¡¯s in a small pool on the dirt where they had been fighting.


    ¡°The last fight we had was easier,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°The last one was against classes we are better against, and they were lower levels. The north half of the floor is going to include only scaltari levels sixteen and up. It¡¯s meant to be more difficult. The boss on this floor is level twenty, which is only a taste of the mobs on the fourth floor. Things escalate quickly in dungeons.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t fight a level twenty,¡± Owin said. He was painfully aware of how weak he was, especially compared to Artivan. Strength wasn¡¯t the only attribute that mattered. Even with the most recent constitution buff, Owin could only take a handful of hits before he would die. He was stronger than he was a floor ago, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough.


    ¡°There are three or four more scaltari fires nearby we can raid before heading to the boss. Keep it simple. Although, we do need to work on charging that hammer a little more efficiently. I prefer you don¡¯t chuck it in the future.¡±


    ¡°It slipped.¡±


    Artivan sighed. ¡°What we really need are some dexterity buffs. I saw you fall over during that fight.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s dexterity have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Dexterity influences balance, aim, speed. Do I need to continue?¡±


    Owin tried to balance on one foot and almost immediately fell over. ¡°I can jump far.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I need better dexterity.¡±


    Artivan set off to the northwest. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, little goblin. Finding a dexterity buff will probably require some hunters or assassins. We can handle those.¡±

 Chapter 14

    The next scaltari camp included four soldiers, which Artivan wasn¡¯t excited about. Based on what Owin had seen before, soldiers were something of a mix between a knight and a berserker. They never used any spells or flashy attacks, but a soldier like Gropnil, the satyr leader, had easily gone head to head with Nosolus for a long fight.


    ¡°What makes soldiers special?¡± Owin asked. He hadn¡¯t actually fought any himself, not since he had first awakened, which he didn¡¯t count since he was panicked and overwhelmed the entire time.


    ¡°They are masters of any weapon and can take an incredible amount of hits before going down. They¡¯re great at dealing damage, but they can protect almost as well as knights. Those four soldiers have four different weapons. Our best option is to rush them before they can surround us.¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t here, what would you do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I would pass on the fight and move toward the boss.¡± Artivan drew his sword. The blue wings of the cross-guard flashed in the sunlight. ¡°Luckily, there are two of us.¡±


    ¡°I messed up last fight.¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t mess up this time.¡± Artivan lifted his visor and grinned. ¡°Use that strength. Overpower the soldiers. You are stronger than all of them. Ready?¡± He lowered his visor, turning his attention back to the scaltari. He didn¡¯t even wait for Owin to answer. Artivan obviously knew Owin¡¯s answer.


    Of course he was ready. He wanted to really test the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Owin swung the hammer back and forth as he walked. Each direction was a small, swift movement that barely made the hammer glow, but the charge slowly ticked up.


    Artivan smashed the pommel of his sword on his shield, drawing the attention of all the soldiers nearby. The scaltari each carried a different weapon, wielding an axe, a spear, a sword, and a mace. They were dressed the same as all other scaltari, wearing loose plain clothes.


    They split into two groups of two as Owin walked off to the side, drawing the axe and spear wielders toward him. Artivan watched silently before turning his attention back to the others.


    Owin stopped swinging the hammer and held it above his head, ready to strike. The two soldiers inched closer until the spear was within range. The scaltari drove the spear point at Owin, who smashed the hammer down on the shaft, breaking the spear immediately. The point sliced his upper thigh, but barely cut deep enough to draw blood.


    The axe-wielder chopped at Owin¡¯s head. He dove forward, past the hammer and swung it from behind. The spear scaltari had the unfortunate luck of being in the way. Even without full charge, the heavy hammer crushed the scaltari¡¯s shoulder. The lizard was thrown to the ground, squirming in pain.


    The axe immediately swung again, catching the metal shaft of the hammer. Owin grabbed the stone knife and threw it, striking the scaltari in the throat with the knife¡¯s handle. It didn¡¯t do damage, but it threw the lizard off long enough for Owin to swing horizontally, shattering the lizard¡¯s hip. Both scaltari squirmed on the ground until Owin quickly finished them off with two swings of the hammer.


    Artivan held off both soldiers. It looked as though nobody had done damage to each other. ¡°That was better,¡± Artivan said as he ducked behind the shield.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill them?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He blocked another attack and pushed the scaltari back. ¡°I was watching your fight.¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t even noticed. Artivan just blocked attack after attack. It appeared that soldiers had no way through his defenses, unlike the berserker. Even now, Artivan blocked and parried, but didn¡¯t counterattack.


    He watched the winged sword swing and block every attack. It never chipped or cracked, no matter how powerful the opponent¡¯s attack was. Owin had a strong feeling that the sword was far more powerful than the Thunderstrike Maul. Afterall, the Thunderstrike Maul was only a journeyman item. ¡°Show me what your sword can do,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan¡¯s entire stance changed. ¡°I suppose I can use a charge.¡± He flashed white, causing the ground beneath him to shudder.


    Neither scaltari flinched at the sudden change in the knight. The one holding a mace swung high, aiming for Artivan¡¯s helmet. The sword flashed with blue light coming from the wings as Artivan swung in a wide arc. The blade easily sliced through the shaft of the mace like it was paper, and ripped right through the scaltari, fully decapitating the lizard. His wide swing continued all the way around, catching the other lizard in the arm. Nothing had slowed the swing down. Not a weapon, not a full body, and not the scaltari¡¯s arm. It tore the limb right off the lizard before his swing finished part way through its chest.


    Both lizards collapsed. Dead from a single swing.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    The air around Artivan changed. His steps were suddenly lighter. ¡°The Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth. A bit of a mouthful, if you ask me. A unique item. A gift from Chorsay Eoghet.¡± Artivan sheathed the sword. ¡°I¡¯ll let you take a closer look another time.¡±


    Owin looked at the hammer in his hands. ¡°I used the hammer.¡±


    ¡°You did much better.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still a lot stronger than me.¡±


    Artivan nodded and crouched to search the bodies. ¡°You don¡¯t progress in a day.¡±


    They found more dungeon gold on each body and in the camp. Artivan wasn¡¯t surprised and immediately guided them to the next camp, which held a single hunter with a bow resting on their lap. They had approached about as silently as they were able with how heavily armored Artivan was, but the knight stopped Owin from getting closer.


    ¡°Hunters often use traps. It¡¯s one of their abilities.¡±


    ¡°I got caught in one before.¡±


    Artivan lifted the visor of his helmet. ¡°Most traps will just stop you from moving, so they aren¡¯t necessarily deadly. Not at this level. But I don¡¯t want either of us to get caught.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have range. My Bolt wand won¡¯t kill something that high of a level.¡± Owin needed to find a way to charge his mana again so he could use the wand and his own spells. It was his only reliable way to attack from far away, but he still had apparition damage to his mana bar.


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    Artivan reached over and tapped the head of the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°We just need to recreate what you did to that scaltari earlier.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that again. I might throw it into the water.¡±


    Artivan picked the hammer up in a single hand and waved it through the air, causing it to gently glow. ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. Your aim is a mess. Mine, on the other hand, is a tad better. Barely average, but the lizard is a large target. Do you mind?¡±


    Owin watched the ease at which Artivan moved the hammer. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    The knight grabbed it with both hands, lifted it above his head, then stepped forward and threw the heavy maul. It spun through the air and smashed into the back of the scaltari hunter. The lizard immediately collapsed, dead.


    Owin and Artivan both stood just at the edge of the grove, watching the corpse to see if it moved. Owin couldn¡¯t believe just how well that had worked. It seemed so simple.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Artivan took a step forward. Something loudly snapped around his ankle. ¡°Who would have guessed, little goblin, that there are traps all over in these trees.¡± He bent down and ripped the trap in half. The pieces vanished. ¡°Follow me through and you should be able to avoid whatever else is in there.¡±


    Owin made sure to follow Artivan exactly, even stepping where the knight had stepped. That made it tricky, as Artivan was more than twice as tall as Owin. The human¡¯s steps were fully hops for Owin.


    ¡°How many more camps are there?¡± Owin asked as they passed through the bushes and into the clearing. He hurried over and grabbed his hammer before Artivan could throw it again.


    ¡°Some to the south, but those will be weaker enemies again. We are best to head to the boss, I believe. Is there anything you want to do while still on the third floor?¡± Artivan picked up the scaltari body and shook until an emerald fell out. He held the gem in the sunlight before tossing it into his bag.


    ¡°I was hoping for more buffs,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯m glad we found one. You don¡¯t find potions all that often, so our luck was better than it might seem.¡± Artivan followed the exact same path through the trees and bushes, then waited for Owin to hike through. It was easier to follow on the way back as the plants had been parted from their passage.


    ¡°Am I ready to fight the boss?¡± Owin couldn¡¯t tell just how much stronger he actually was. The numbers were one thing, but he also had more knowledge and different weapons. Was he really stronger or was Artivan just making him feel stronger? Owin doubted he would have been able to fight four soldiers at once on his own.


    ¡°As ready as you¡¯re going to get. If you gained levels like everyone else, I would suggest killing every mob on the floor, but the dungeon gold you would get from it wouldn¡¯t be worth the time. We¡¯re best off getting to the fifth floor and leaving.¡±


    ¡°I have to keep climbing,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I know. Ruvaine said to climb. I get it.¡± Artivan started walking back to the raft. ¡°Enemies respawn every half hour. We should get back to the raft before all the scaltari come back. We aren¡¯t going to get anything worthwhile.¡±


    They made it back to the raft before any scaltari respawned. Artivan pushed the raft back into the water and climbed aboard, taking his own oar and directing them to the east. Owin didn¡¯t mind being back on the raft. It was nice to mindlessly row and watch the sky.


    The third floor had been so different from the second that Owin could only guess at what would come next. Artivan had said it had hobgoblins and ogres, which Owin was not familiar with. He wasn¡¯t worried about mobs as much as what the land would look like. He had seen more sun on the third floor than he had ever seen before. The goblin caves of the first floor were dark and damp, and the second floor had quick days and a thick canopy of trees. Here on the third floor, he was warm and calm for most of the time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Artivan said, breaking a long silence.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°This boss is strong, but I think you should fight it yourself.¡±


    Owin rowed and didn¡¯t answer. He thought of the Malignant Spirit and what would have happened if he had tried fighting it on his own. He imagined his innards spread all around the cathedral.


    ¡°If it looks like you¡¯re in real danger, I will intervene,¡± Artivan said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you, but I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Owin blurted.


    Despite the doubts in his mind, the idea of rising to the challenge thrilled Owin. Was he stronger? He kept asking himself the same question, but there was a clear and obvious way to find out.


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    They rowed and coasted between islands for about an hour before a stone building finally emerged on top of an island. The shimmering boundary wall met at a sharp corner right behind the crumbling building. It looked abandoned, with shattered glass windows and an open doorway, letting the breeze wash inside.


    Artivan guided the raft right into the island, letting it run ashore. He tossed the oar carelessly back onto the raft, which bounced off and landed in the water. He stopped and watched it float for a minute. ¡°It will respawn in an hour or so.¡±


    Owin chucked the oar far into the water.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Artivan checked the straps on all his gear.


    Owin checked his belt. That was really all he had to do. While Artivan was still checking gear, Owin waved the hammer back and forth to slowly build the charge.


    ¡°You tell me if you want me to help,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin nodded and rested the hammer on his shoulder. ¡°Do I go in first?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t do a lot of good for me to go in first if I¡¯m not fighting.¡±


    Owin collected himself, taking a deep breath. He had his wand and both knives ready on his belt if he needed them. The hammer was about half charged after Artivan had thrown it and the small preparations Owin had taken.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡±


    Owin confidently strode into the stone building. It was dim inside, with only some sunlight spilling through the trees and the broken windows. The exit and the stairs to the fourth floor sat in the back corner, clearly visible from the door. The magical black doorways called to Owin, but he ignored them, focusing instead on the dead scaltari in the middle of the floor.


    Owin cautiously approached, unsure of what to expect. If the boss was undead, he didn¡¯t have any plans of how to fight it differently. The only undead he had encountered had been Nosolus¡¯s skeletons.


    Great Forest Mob


    Charzosk


    Scaltari Guardian


    Level 20


    Owin kicked the lizard.


    Artivan placed his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look at its head.¡±


    Owin looked closer, noticing the collapsed skull of the lizard. It was a rounded dent with burn marks on the scales. ¡°That looks like Nikoletta.¡±


    ¡°I believe it is.¡± Artivan moved the corpse with his foot. ¡°She must have gone up the stairs a few minutes ago. I¡¯m glad we went hunting for those other scaltari.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it mean?¡±


    Artivan walked over to the wall and sat down. He pulled his helmet and gauntlets off, setting them to the side. ¡°It means we wait until the boss respawns. The last thing we need is to be chasing those heroes. If they find out we¡¯re behind them, they will corner us. The next floor is long and narrow. There are points meant for standing ground against many hobgoblins or oversized ogres. Even with the two of them, they could hold a chokepoint like that against us with ease. Think of the scaltari mender and berserker combination we struggled against.¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t need any reminders. It had been difficult to take them on and they were weaker than Nikoletta and Miklos.


    ¡°So, we just sit and wait until the boss comes back? What if another hero shows up?¡±


    ¡°I doubt there is anyone close enough to worry about it. If so, they¡¯ll respect the order. It¡¯s the way of most heroes.¡± Artivan rested his head back. ¡°Mind keeping watch so I can rest my eyes?¡±


    Owin looked around the quiet room. ¡°What am I watching for?¡±


    ¡°The boss respawning. Other heroes.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    Owin sat a few feet in front of Artivan. He set the Thunderstrike Maul on the ground with the shaft sticking straight up. From his position, he could see the door and the center of the room where he felt the boss would respawn.


    Nikoletta had killed a level twenty boss, which meant she had also gotten stronger through the third floor. If she was waiting for them, Owin was going to have to figure out how to stop her.


    He was right. They would never accept him. Owin needed to prove himself. He needed to get stronger. People like Nikoletta and Miklos only understood strength and fear.


    They would come to fear Owin.

 Chapter 15

    Owin sat, hyper focused on the center of the room. It was eerily quiet while he waited. Artivan fell asleep almost instantly, leaving Owin alone. He flipped through his map, reviewing the odd, winding path they had taken to the labyrinth and then to the raft. The map visuals were static, and didn¡¯t include any scaltari or heroes, but the fires were bright little specks on each mound where they burned.


    Owin continued to look through his index, stopping on his mana bar to look at the burned section, still gone from the specter attack. Artivan had mentioned a mender could fix the damage, but he didn¡¯t say how. The only mender Owin had met was Nikoletta, and he had a strong feeling she wouldn¡¯t be interested in helping with any healing.


    His journal was empty without any quests on the third floor. He didn¡¯t mind after the mess of quests between the satyrs and the cultists. There wasn¡¯t much else to look at in the index besides his class, which still listed him the same.


    Race: Goblin


    Class: Deficient Wizard


    Note: Stats of a 10 year old wizard. Not suitable for combat as an adult.


    A 10 year old wizard. Not even an adult. Even with the buffs he had gained, it still gave him the same title with the same note. It said a child was as strong as Owin, despite his strength now being higher than a level 31 knight.


    He flipped back to his attributes page.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 186


    Constitution: 110


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 115


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    A few of the numbers were still far too low. The dexterity caused him issues again and again, from landing while jumping to swinging his weapons. His throws sometimes hit their marks, but not always the way he intended. Owin didn¡¯t even know what wisdom and charisma did, or how they influenced things. As far as he could tell, it didn¡¯t make too big of a difference to have those attributes low. If he found a buff potion for them, he would take it. He just wasn¡¯t specifically searching for ways to increase them.


    The scaltari corpse vanished from the middle of the room. All blood and remnants of the fight disappeared with it, including some broken glass and bits of stone. A hum echoed through the room, which immediately woke Artivan.


    The knight grunted and shifted his position. ¡°Respawn has started.¡± He groaned and stood up with the help of the wall. ¡°Get ready.¡±


    ¡°Did you train yourself to wake up from that noise?¡±


    Artivan drew his winged sword and let the point rest on the ground. ¡°Something like that.¡± He yawned. ¡°You can do this.¡±


    Owin nodded. He picked up the Thunderstrike Maul and rested it on his shoulder. It was about half charged. In a fight, he expected to be able to charge it quickly.


    ¡°Is there anything I need to know about this boss?¡±


    The scaltari appeared, simply popping into existence about ten feet in front of Owin.


    Great Forest Mob


    Charzosk


    Scaltari Temple Guardian


    Level 20


    ¡°He¡¯s not the nicest scaltari I¡¯ve met,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°What?¡± Owin looked back. ¡°We could have been talking to them this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously.¡±


    The lizard hissed, drawing Owin¡¯s attention right back around. He held a spear like many of the other scaltari, but he also had a tower shield, which was much taller than Owin. The metal shield was curved, forming a semi circle that the lizard could easily hide behind.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Owin asked.


    The lizard hissed again. ¡°You have scaltari blood on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me we could¡¯ve talked?¡±


    Charzosk slammed his shield on the stone floor and leveled the spear to point right at Owin¡¯s face.


    ¡°You needed practice. And they¡¯ll respawn. No harm done.¡±


    ¡°Only a fool challenges Charzosk.¡± The lizard shifted forward, jabbing the long spear in Owin¡¯s direction. It was still way too far to reach.


    ¡°Is talking to the mobs always an option?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°To a limit, I suppose. The ogres on the fourth floor are particularly hard to agree with, but they have been known to assist heroes before. Nobody gets through the third without fighting Charzosk. Even if you don¡¯t harm a single scaltari all floor, he will attack as soon as you move toward the stairs.¡±


    ¡°What are you protecting, Charzosk?¡± Owin asked.


    The scaltari stopped, but remained hunkered down behind the shield. ¡°The stairs.¡±


    ¡°Where do the stairs lead?¡±


    ¡°To salvation.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know,¡± Artivan said. ¡°Get your mind focused on the fight or the lizard will skewer you.¡±


    ¡°What class is he?¡± Owin shrugged the hammer off and held it sideways. ¡°It only says he¡¯s a temple guardian.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s random with each respawn. Weapons and class can change for some bosses. Based on what we see now, I would assume a soldier or knight, but it could be anything.¡± Artivan remained behind Owin. His sword was ready, if he should need it, but he made no move to get near the fight.


    It didn¡¯t matter if Artivan stayed back or not. Owin could handle the fight on his own. He was strong enough already, and his weapon only made him stronger, assuming he could use it correctly.


    ¡°Your hammer will simply make my shield a gong,¡± the lizard said, still shuffling forward. He jabbed with the spear, but was still a foot from Owin.


    The weapon and shield were easy. Easy to watch, easy to counter. All Owin needed to do against a spear was get past the pointed end, and he would have the advantage. The shield was too big and heavy to turn quickly, and with his speed, he could get around it to strike Charzosk.


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    What kept Owin from charging or leaping was the abilities or spells. Until he knew what class the scaltari was, he couldn¡¯t get too close.


    ¡°How do I find out what class he is?¡± Owin asked, still standing in the same spot. He would need to move soon, as Charzosk would be within range after a few more shuffled steps.


    ¡°Bait him into using an ability. Make him worry.¡±


    Owin lifted the hammer above his head and threw it with both hands. It was too heavy for a proper throw, and his low dexterity did nothing to assist. The throw was off and would land before even hitting the shield, but in the moment it left Owin¡¯s hands, a burst of wind smacked against him.


    The wind was too weak to change the course of the hammer, which crashed into the stone floor, sending shards of broken stones clattering against the tower shield. The wind attack knocked Owin back a step, but did no damage.


    ¡°Unexpected,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°That was like the staff,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Similar, but not quite. That¡¯s a Power 3 spell, I believe.¡±


    Owin drew Naxile¡¯s knife until he could reach the hammer again. It was within the spear¡¯s range for the moment. The gust was a Power 3 spell, which meant the scaltari wasn¡¯t a soldier, assassin, or hunter because none of those classes had spells. But what else had a wind spell?


    Thick black smoke, far darker than Owin¡¯s Smoke Cloud spell, burst from Charzosk and obscured the entire room. Owin¡¯s vision was gone immediately.


    ¡°He¡¯s a wizard?¡± Owin asked. A wind spell and a higher level smoke screen could only point to a wizard, from what he had learned. Even an umbra didn¡¯t have a way to make such a huge, dark cloud.


    ¡°It appears so. Obsidian Smoke Screen is a horror on the battlefield.¡±


    Owin ducked and ran low. The spear stabbed right where he had been, but missed by a wide margin. Charzosk had no way to pierce his own smoke screen, which was actually a bigger advantage to Owin. It made closing the distance much easier.


    He ran straight to his hammer and swung it off the ground. The head of the maul glowed brightly, which caused Charzosk to hiss and stab at the light. The spear point cut across Owin¡¯s upper arm, ripping through shirt and skin effortlessly. Despite cutting him, the attack had only done a few points of damage.


    Owin spun, keeping his head low, and held onto the hammer with all his strength. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed like the sun until it abruptly stopped and struck the massive tower shield. It rang like a gong and vibrated the hammer all the way through the handle and into Owin¡¯s hands.


    75% Charge


    Charzosk¡¯s spear whistled overhead, barely missing Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Leave and I will spare you!¡± He stabbed again, missing wider this time.


    A wizard with a spear hardly felt like a threat. The only real danger was Owin¡¯s inability to see exactly where the attack was coming from. Any movement of the hammer would reveal his position. It would be simple to grab a knife, sneak around the shield, and catch Charzosk completely off guard. A wizard wouldn¡¯t survive an attack like that.


    But that wasn¡¯t helpful. Owin had taken down plenty of opponents in an identical way. He already knew he could jump and stab, but what if Charzosk had been a soldier or knight that could wield his weapons better? What if he had been properly armored and protected? Owin¡¯s normal tactics weren¡¯t always going to work, so it was better to practice now while he had the opportunity. Even with buffed strength, the Thunderstrike Maul was too heavy for Owin. If he was going to wield it easily, he would need to continue raising his strength.


    Until then, he could use the time to really learn how the hammer worked.


    Owin swung the hammer blindly, missing all targets. The head of the hammer glowed. Charzosk blindly stabbed around the glowing hammer, piercing his own smoke veil. Owin was pulled in a full circle, but stepped out to keep his balance. He wobbled, fixed his stance, and lifted the hammer in the air.


    It glowed like the sun, hanging bright right above Owin¡¯s head.


    100% Charge


    The full charge had immediately destroyed half a scaltari when Owin accidentally threw the hammer. So, what would happen if it struck a shield? He had so many questions and wondered so many things, but he could only test them one at a time, and the shield was the obvious first choice.


    Charzosk¡¯s spear stabbed right through the center of Owin¡¯s hair, causing strands of purple hair to drift slowly to the ground. ¡°Stop resisting!¡±


    ¡°Resisting what?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Spinning more was just asking for another chance to trip or accidentally let the hammer slip from his hands again, so instead of trying to build more speed, Owin took a confident step forward and smashed the hammer straight into Charzosk¡¯s tower shield.


    Owin¡¯s ears rang from the gong-like boom as the hammer struck the curved metal shield. He had been expecting it to cleave through like a knife in butter, but instead it struck the same as before.


    0 Experience


    The shield didn¡¯t move an inch. At first, it appeared nothing had changed. His hands stung from the impact, and the glow was entirely gone. He expected a spear to stab out again, until Owin noticed the smoke screen had been pushed away from the blast, now hovering like a wide ring with the shield in the center. Owin let the hammer drop back to the ground as he leaned to the side.


    Charzosk was gone.


    ¡°I know a wizard isn¡¯t known for taking much damage,¡± Artivan said. ¡°But are we sure that hammer is only journeyman?¡±


    ¡°What happened to the boss?¡±


    Artivan walked through the smoke screen and pointed to the ground with his sword. There was a huge splotch of red, almost reaching the staircase in the far back of the room.


    ¡°That¡¯s Charzosk?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It was.¡± He sheathed the winged blade and grabbed the tower shield. ¡°This is only journeyman too, and not even magical.¡±


    Owin had yet to move from his spot. The hammer stayed on the ground, resting at his feet. Artivan dropped the shield and stretched while he walked toward the stairs. That was meant to be a boss fight, yet it was easier than anything else he had done on this floor.


    ¡°How was it so simple?¡±


    ¡°Odd luck. Good or bad is for you to decide. An easy boss is usually something people will hope for, though in training, it is good to have real competition or danger. It can also lead to odd loot like the shield and spear.¡±


    ¡°A wizard with soldier gear,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s less odd when you consider the fact that you are a wizard too.¡±


    Owin scowled and picked the hammer up, letting the handle rest on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s partially the same, little goblin. According to the laws of Verdantallis, you are a wizard and always will be. Does that mean you fight like one? No. You fight like a berserker. Or a drunk fighter. I haven¡¯t decided.¡±


    ¡°Drunk?¡±


    Artivan had been slowly walking to the steps, but that question had caused him to abruptly stop. ¡°It¡¯s probably better that you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin said, quietly.


    The temple was empty other than the shield in the center of the room. In about a half hour, another version of Charzosk would appear for whoever came after them. Hopefully, this one would be a more coherent combination of equipment and class.


    ¡°How many bosses are random?¡±


    Artivan leaned against the bannister at the bottom of the stone staircase. ¡°About half, if I remember correctly. I have heard the upper bosses are like high level heroes themselves, though I¡¯ve never seen one. Chorsay once told me about the knight at the top of the Tundra Dungeon.¡± Artivan shook his head, then lifted his visor. ¡°A huge moose.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    Artivan¡¯s brow lowered. ¡°We need to get you out into the world to see more than what the dungeon throws our way. I¡¯m not great at being a teacher. How do you describe a moose?¡± He lowered his visor and muttered something before setting off up the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s like a horse, but big. Do you know what a horse is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The exit sign above the black doorway glowed brightly. One step through and Owin would be in the outside world. But then what would he do? He would be somewhere even bigger than the dungeon.


    ¡°Two more floors, then we¡¯re out of here,¡± Artivan said from the top of the stairs. He stood right in front of the other black doorway. The stone arch surrounding it was partially crumbled, like much of the stone inside the scaltari temple.


    ¡°Is Nikoletta gone?¡± Owin asked as he took the first steps up toward the fourth floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. I¡¯ll go through first and see what I can find. The room we appear in is a long one. Last time, there were goblins.¡± Artivan lifted his visor again. His face was serious. ¡°I can handle them.¡±


    Owin quickly hurried up the stairs and looked into the infinite void beyond the doorway. ¡°No. We¡¯re a team.¡±


    Artivan placed his hand on Owin¡¯s head, ruffling his hair. ¡°A knight and a wizard is a classic duo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a wizard.¡±


    Artivan scoffed. ¡°If I look at your class it says ¡®Deficient Wizard.¡¯ So, little goblin, what are you really?¡±


    ¡°A berserker.¡±


    Artivan patted Owin¡¯s head. ¡°If we find those two foolish heroes again, you can show that man who the real berserker is.¡±


    Owin looked up, surprised to find Artivan staring straight down at him. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to kill heroes.¡±


    ¡°If they come for you again, they aren¡¯t heroes to me.¡± Artivan checked the straps of his armor and gauntlets. He adjusted his helmet and took a deep breath in. ¡°Wait a minute after I enter. I¡¯ll ensure you can arrive safely.¡±


    Owin tightened his grip on the hammer. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Artivan lowered the visor and nodded. ¡°See you on the other side, partner.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Owin counted in his head. The black void before him swirled and held his attention. It felt as though he could fall into it and never find the bottom. There was no noise or heat or cold. It was just an empty doorway that never ended.


    Counting was more difficult than he had expected. Too much ran through his head to keep the numbers straight. It wasn¡¯t as though he was too dumb to count, he knew he could count just fine. Keeping track of time turned out to be more difficult, and not something Owin found he had a particularly natural gift with.


    Had it been ten seconds or ten minutes? When looking at the doorway, there was no way to tell. He had stopped counting after the first ten seconds as his mind wandered, but now he had no concept of just how long it had been.


    ¡°Oh, boss is dead,¡± somebody said.


    Owin froze. He slowly turned his head until he spotted four figures pushing through the door into the temple. They were battered heroes, all dripping water.


    ¡°It should respawn soon, right? Body¡¯s gone,¡± a man said. He looked really young, especially compared to Artivan.


    ¡°Hard to say.¡± A woman pushed past, carrying a sword that glowed with yellow light.


    Hero


    Siora Rilokos


    Soldier


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 18


    Strength: 144


    Constitution: 163


    Dexterity: 101


    Intelligence: 99


    Wisdom: 60


    Charisma: 112


    Siora walked beside the splotch of blood that was all that remained of Charzosk. She traced it with her glowing sword, causing the blood to sizzle. ¡°Someone strong is ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°That mender couldn¡¯t do this,¡± said a short, thin man. He had long, curly hair and a full beard.


    ¡°No, the berserker could.¡±


    Before Owin could use Examine on anyone else, Siora looked right at him. She had yellow eyes that bore right into his head.


    ¡°Ah.¡± She pointed the sword from dozens of feet away, aiming the tip right at Owin¡¯s heart. ¡°The goblin she mentioned. You did this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said.


    Why hadn¡¯t he just stepped through the doorway. He could have slipped out before they even noticed him. They were humans. They were going to try to kill him.


    One of the humans, likely a hunter, pulled an arrow from their quiver, but was stopped by a hand signal from Siora.


    ¡°Go on and hurry to the next floor, animal. We¡¯ll see you there.¡± She turned her back to Owin. ¡°Set up traps for the respawn. Elas, get something cooking. I¡¯m starving.¡± Siora looked over her shoulder. ¡°Last chance to flee.¡±


    Owin sighed and stepped into the doorway. It felt like both a second and an eternity as he passed through the void.


    Great Forest Dungeon


    Fourth Floor


    The air was colder than he had felt before. It smelled of burning wood as Owin appeared in a long stone hallway. Columns lined each side, reminding him of the cultist¡¯s cathedral from the second floor. Torches burned behind the columns, giving enough light to see clearly in the hallway.


    Artivan stood a dozen feet ahead of the doorway. Two goblin corpses were bleeding on the ground not far away.


    ¡°I was worried for a moment,¡± he said without turning. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Heroes,¡± Owin said, stepping away from the door.


    Artivan nodded to the far end. ¡°Your first hobgoblin is right ahead. I didn¡¯t want to get too far before you arrived.¡± He turned and lifted his visor. ¡°Did you get names?¡±


    ¡°Only one. Siora Rilokos.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t know them.¡±


    Owin stared at the goblins as he approached. They had been killed by quick slashes across their chests. Artivan had been merciful and skillful with both kills. Both monsters wore rags identical to Owin¡¯s, though they were probably higher levels than he was.


    ¡°Stand around as much as you wish, scum,¡± the hobgoblin shouted from the far end of the hall.


    ¡°Patience,¡± Artivan said.


    The hobgoblin scoffed and let out a low growl. Owin finally looked at the odd creature standing by the only door out of the hall. It was tall and barely resembled any goblin Owin had ever seen, including himself.


    The hobgoblin had blue skin like water from the third floor. It had long, wild yellow hair that was tucked behind two over-sized ears. Round ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hobgoblin?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yeah, and she¡¯s terribly impatient. Apparently, she has to guard the door and is furious that I won''t get close enough to fight.¡±


    ¡°Coward,¡± she shouted. The hobgoblin was taller than Artivan and built like a berserker. She wore a sleeveless shirt, appearing to flex with each movement. It all seemed very intentional.


    ¡°What did this Siora say?¡±


    ¡°She knew Nikoletta. She knew me.¡± Owin looked back at the doorway he had come from. ¡°See you there.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Artivan lowered his visor and nodded to the hobgoblin. ¡°One thing at a time, little goblin. Remember what we said before?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a team.¡±


    ¡°Right. If these heroes come after you, they will be fighting both of us. Now, I would enjoy getting rid of this hobgoblin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, getting rid of me? If you were closer, I would laugh and spit in your face! Your ugly, human face!¡±


    ¡°They really do have incredible hearing,¡± Artivan said, voice muted by his helmet.


    ¡°I can hear you shaking in your boots!¡±


    Artivan set off with his shield raised. The hobgoblin held a battleaxe and twisted it as soon as Artivan started to move.


    ¡°I was going to offer the kill to you for practice,¡± Artivan said. ¡°But I cannot stand her right now. She¡¯s been shouting since the moment I arrived.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be doing more than shouting if you weren¡¯t such a slow shit! What are you, constipated?¡±


    Owin followed Artivan down the center of the hall. It was absurdly long for how little there was inside. The two goblins had been right by the doorway, with only a single, angry hobgoblin all the way across.


    Great Forest Mob


    Troifa


    Hobgoblin Assassin


    Level 19


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like an assassin,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°All hobgoblins are tall and muscular. It makes it even weirder when you see an entertainer.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    Artivan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more later.¡± He stopped and ducked his head behind the shield. Something invisible pinged off, sending a small shower of sparks into the air. The assassin charged straight at Artivan, then fuzzed and split into three separate hobgoblins.


    Owin swung the hammer right at the closest hobgoblin, but failed to connect as the fake version became fuzzy and disappeared, just like the duration on the buff potions when Owin used Examine. The weight of the hammer threw him off balance, causing him to stumble into a column.


    Artivan stabbed straight into a fake assassin and brought his shield up to protect from the third, which also vanished. The battleaxe materialized as the sharp edge swung down and caught Artivan on the back of his shoulder. Metal scraped against metal, squealing loudly as it echoed up and down the hall.


    Artivan stumbled forward and grunted. He quickly spun and stabbed his winged sword right through the hobgoblin¡¯s open mouth before she could shout another insult. She went limp and crumpled to the ground as he pulled the sword free.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He sheathed the sword and rolled his shoulder a few times. A few grunts escaped as he moved his shield arm.


    ¡°Was it the assassin¡¯s passive ability you told me about?¡± Owin lifted the hammer and rested it on his shoulder again. He needed to stop losing balance or he was going to get himself or Artivan killed. If that had been the real assassin, would the swing have even been enough to kill her?


    ¡°Yes. An attack from behind will hurt, armor or not.¡± He poked the body with his foot. ¡°Check for loot, will you?¡±


    Owin pushed the hobgoblin¡¯s body over, causing a health potion to fall out. He lifted it to Artivan, who simply walked away.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Stick it on your belt. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Owin hooked it beside the two other health potions. They were the only ones he had at the moment. A mana potion wouldn¡¯t do much with his mana bar still damaged from the specters. But he did hope to find another buff potion soon. If a random hobgoblin could last that long against Artivan, that meant they were going to have bigger, more difficult fights this time around.


    Artivan stopped at the wooden door leading out of the hallway. He held the handle, but looked back at the black doorway across the hall. ¡°Through here is an entire town of ruins. We could rush through, but that would be dangerous. Having too many ogres chasing us at once would easily lead to our deaths.¡± He idly tapped his gauntlet on the handle. ¡°I¡¯ve been saying if we need to, we¡¯ll fight.¡±


    Owin nodded. They were a team. They would protect each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been lying, Owin.¡± He let go of the handle and pulled his helmet off. Some blood clung to his mustache. ¡°They will come after us. I¡¯m sure you have figured that out.¡±


    ¡°I hoped maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hoping, really.¡± Artivan crouched down until he was eye to eye with Owin. ¡°Outside the dungeons, the world is brutal. There are people, like my friends, that try to help others. There are more, many more, that only do what they want. What benefits them. Outside the dungeon is difficult, but inside is even worse. Killing another hero is a crime, but one that will go unpunished every single time. There are no laws inside the dungeons. Nobody will stop heroes from killing each other if they are inside any one of the seven dungeons.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you kill humans.¡±


    Artivan placed his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not making me. I am choosing to keep you safe. Teammates stick together. I just want you to be prepared for what¡¯s coming. Whoever comes after you will die. We cannot afford mercy in this situation.¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°No mercy.¡±


    ¡°When people threaten your life, I want that to be your motto. When we see another hero, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°No mercy.¡±


    Artivan put his helmet back on. ¡°Now we¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Is this a fighting or quest floor?¡±


    ¡°It can be either, or both. The hobgoblins and ogres each have their own quests to kill the others. Do you have a preference?¡±


    ¡°A quest.¡±


    ¡°Got it, little goblin. You tell me hobgoblin or ogre.¡± Artivan pulled the door open. A purple fist flashed through the doorway and cracked on Artivan¡¯s helmet. The hobgoblin¡¯s knuckles broke against the metal helmet, but the blow caused Artivan to stumble.


    ¡°Shit,¡± screamed a hobgoblin.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Artivan asked.


    Great Forest Mob


    Blarwik


    Hobgoblin Berserker


    Level 19


    The purple hobgoblin cradled his hand and peeked his head into the hallway. He had bright red hair with matching eyes. A scowl twisted his face as he spotted the other hobgoblin¡¯s body. ¡°You kill her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°I thought she was opening the door.¡±


    Artivan lifted the visor of his helmet. ¡°You broke your hand, you moron.¡±


    ¡°What, this?¡± Blarwik lifted his arm. His broken hand hung limp. It had already started swelling around his knuckles.


    ¡°Yes, that.¡±


    ¡°You really think it¡¯s broken?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Hobgoblins are aggressive by nature, but they also love talking. Am I missing anything?¡± Artivan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a great chef,¡± Blarwik said.


    ¡°Okay . . .¡± Owin looked back at the nearby corpse. ¡°Were you going to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thanks for the help.¡± Blarwik disappeared out of the doorway.


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re still confused.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin pointed at the door. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Hobgoblins and ogres are enemies. We will need to align ourselves with one faction if you want a quest. Do you have a preference?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t met any ogres.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to. The hobgoblins are our best option. If we get on their good side, they might assist if those other heroes attack inside the town.¡± Artivan stepped outside and gestured for Owin to follow.


    ¡°Will they have buff potions?¡±


    ¡°The quest reward should let you pick.¡±


    Blarwik shook his broken hand, wincing each time it moved. ¡°Do you know how to fix a broken hand?¡±


    ¡°A health potion.¡± Artivan pulled one from his bag. ¡°Drink this.¡±


    The hobgoblin took it and chugged the bottle without hesitation. He tossed the bottle against the wall behind Owin. Blarwik watched his hand stitch back together without a hint of discomfort. ¡°Are we fighting now?¡±


    ¡°No. Who is your leader?¡±


    Blarwik pointed at a small building. ¡°In the main hall.¡±


    The hobgoblin town was not much. There were no paths or roads connecting the few buildings. It was overgrown with birch trees, some young, most old and tall. The white bark made the floor look brighter than the last, though the sun was much the same as it was before.


    Counting the hallway they just emerged from, there were four buildings in the hobgoblin town. Each was made of stone bricks, though some buildings were in better shape than others. All the windows were broken with glass littering the ground outside, and many bricks in the walls were missing or crumbling from even the slightest breeze.


    Blarwik leaned against the outside wall, standing right on top of the shattered glass from the bottle he had thrown. He didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Owin followed Artivan away from the hall, into the center of town. He spotted a few more hobgoblins lounging around. One punched another and called him a name. It was somehow both calm and chaotic as the hobgoblins seemed to act unpredictably.


    ¡°He called this the main hall, but it¡¯s the smallest building,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°If I remember right, you will find it funny.¡±


    The building on the left looked like a large house, like a manor of some kind. It was obviously in disrepair, but it would have once looked imposing and impressive. It was broken into different sections with a variety of entrances.


    On the right, the building looked more like a castle or fortress. Bigger bricks had been used to construct it, though even those were in poor shape.


    In the center, a small building that looked like little more than a shed stood quietly. It was apparently the main hall of the hobgoblins, but Owin had trouble imagining what was inside that would make it the center of their little town. Compared to the cultists, this hobgoblin town was disappointing.


    After a floor of not talking to the mobs, a quest felt like the right direction to go. Owin thought about getting to choose his prize after defeating the Malignant Spirit. Not only was that helpful, it gave him more of a direction to go rather than wandering helplessly like he had at the beginning of the third floor before meeting Artivan.


    Of course, traveling with Artivan meant things were different. The old knight knew his way around and generally knew what to expect from the different areas. Was a quest still necessary?


    ¡°Would it be better to hurry through this floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°The other heroes.¡±


    Artivan stopped and looked back at the long hallway they had come from. ¡°No. They will find us. If it¡¯s not the ones behind us, it will be the mender and berserker from before. I¡¯m close to leveling up, and we can find some potions for you by completing the hobgoblin quests. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The town looked so run down that it was difficult to imagine that the hobgoblins had anything worth much. ¡°What¡¯s the secret on this floor?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a ruined castle in the lake to the north. I¡¯ve never been inside. Want to check it out when we get there?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Great.¡± Artivan tapped his hand on the pommel of his sword. ¡°Did you figure out what¡¯s special about the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a really long name.¡±


    Artivan chuckled and pulled the sword from its sheath. He held it out, letting Owin grab the handle. It was surprisingly light, especially compared to the Thunderstrike Maul.


    Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth


    Unique Master Magical Item


    The Winged Sword, when activated, adds the wielder''s weight into the next attack. Anything that changes the wielder¡¯s weight is included, from spells, to armor.


    Forged in raging fires of the Forge of Divine Light, this weapon deals luminous damage.


    2/4 uses remaining


    Note: Magical item does not vary by user


    ¡°If I activated this and attacked, would it even do more?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan took the sword back and expertly slid it into the sheath. ¡°Minimally, sure. When I use Ironclad Stance, my weight increases considerably. If I combine that with my sword, it can cut through just about anything.¡±


    ¡°I always wondered if you were actually getting heavier.¡±


    ¡°For a little while, yes.¡± He knocked his gauntlet on his breastplate. ¡°The armor helps too.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Forge of Divine Light?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the Subterranean Dungeon. I¡¯ve never been that far, and from what little I know, I don¡¯t think I would ever want to see the forge. Now, let¡¯s see what this hobgoblin leader is up to.¡± Artivan knocked on the small building Blarwik had called the main hall. ¡°I¡¯m sure the quest will be something about getting rid of the ogre threat. We can check out the castle after we sweep through the ogre cave.¡±


    A sky blue hobgoblin opened the door. His yellow hair was slicked back and tucked behind his huge ears. The glowing light of a quest hovered above his head.


    Great Forest Mob


    Blotnaark


    Hobgoblin Entertainer


    Level 25


    ¡°When did they start making humans so ugly?¡± Blotnaark asked, looking right at Owin.


    ¡°I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you a little short?¡±


    ¡°Not for a goblin.¡±


    Blotnaark scratched his chin. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Are you the leader of this town?¡± Artivan asked.


    ¡°Title you¡¯re looking for is mayor.¡± Blotnaark backed away from the door and flexed. He wore a sleeveless tunic that was frayed where sleeves had once been. His shorts were cut much shorter than necessary, showing most of the hobgoblin¡¯s muscular thighs. ¡°Mayor Blotnaark.¡±


    ¡°We heard you have a mission for us,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin immediately stopped listening and slipped past the hobgoblin into the small building. The outside walls were stone like all the others, but the floor inside was made of wooden slats and covered in hay. Various kennels, all empty, were scattered across the room. Ants crawled over discarded food bowls, and various dead insects floated in a large bowl of stagnant water.


    It was a building for dogs with no dogs in sight.


    New Quest


    Pest Extermination


    Reward: Artisan Item


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    Owin opened his index and jumped to the journal. Something called Pest Extermination didn¡¯t sound right based on what Artivan had been expecting, and Owin hadn¡¯t been listening to really anything they were discussing.


    ¡®Find and exterminate the pests that have been loitering outside town.¡¯


    Was that it? It sounded simple, which gave Owin a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that it would be anything but simple.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin slipped back out. Blotnaark waved goodbye before slamming the door unnecessarily hard. Artivan looked between the buildings before his index flashed in front of his eyes.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to remember where everything is. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been on this floor.¡±


    ¡°The pests for the quest¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ogres.¡±


    ¡°Are ogres smaller than the hobgoblins?¡±


    Artivan shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± They walked around the kennel and past the ruined castle-like building. Before long, they were surrounded entirely by birch trees and green grass. Birds chirped happily in the forest. It was calm.


    ¡°I like it here,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s peaceful. For now.¡±


    Most of the forest floor was flat with low grass. It made for easier traveling than anywhere else Owin had been. The second floor had roots and bumps all over, and the third floor had water, sand, and all the mounds.


    So far, the fourth floor was his favorite.


    ¡°What are ogres like?¡±


    Artivan laughed. ¡°They are indescribable. You will need to see for yourself.¡±


    That only made Owin feel sick. Artivan had already made it clear that it would be better to align with the hobgoblins over the ogres, but the hobgoblins were brutish idiots. So then, what were the ogres like?


    The forest thinned out right before a gaping cave entrance. Water dripped from above from small stalactites.


    ¡°Ogres live in caves. Acid caves.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s acid?¡±


    Artivan pulled off his helmet and ran his hands through his hair a few times. The bags under his eyes were darker than before. ¡°It¡¯s like water that burns. It can burn your skin right off.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t be on the same side as the ogres?¡± Owin imagined the skin sliding right off his bones, leaving him like the skeletons at Nosolus¡¯s cathedral.


    ¡°Absolutely. They just drink the acid. They don¡¯t attack with it.¡±


    A loud roar echoed out of the cave. Whatever creature it came from had to be huge to create a noise like that.


    ¡°They¡¯re in there?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan nodded and put his helmet on again. ¡°Best way to handle an ogre is to hit it hard. Overpower it.¡±


    Owin tightened his grip on the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°The problem is that a weak ogre has over 200 strength points.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°So . . . aim for the eyes. Their skin is as hard as stone.¡± The knight drew his sword and strode confidently into the cave entrance.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the best idea?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±

 Chapter 17

    A constant low growl came from somewhere deeper into the cave. It rose and fell, but never fully stopped. The cave walls were damp and tall, much taller than the goblin caves. He could hardly see the ceiling.


    ¡°Let me lead,¡± Artivan said. He let his winged sword hang inches above the ground, but kept his shield raised. ¡°This is one of the places the mender could ambush us. It becomes narrow ahead.¡±


    ¡°Would that mean she killed the ogres?¡±


    ¡°Likely, yes. There is also the possibility they took the quest and allied themselves with the ogres. While I believe it¡¯s unlikely, it is possible.¡±


    ¡°I would think she would just kill all the hobgoblins and ogres.¡± Owin couldn¡¯t imagine Nikoletta spending time talking to any of the mobs that weren''t humans. She was entirely set on killing him because he was a goblin. With how aggressive hobgoblins already were . . .


    ¡°We can hear an ogre ahead. She is either hiding and listening to us now, or the ogres have respawned, assuming she fought them.¡± Artivan inched forward and flashed taupe. ¡°I¡¯m only detecting ogres. Stay ready.¡±


    Owin could see well enough in the dark cave, but there were corners and coves that were completely hidden in shadows. Even his eyes, accustomed to the dark, couldn¡¯t see inside. They passed between two stalagmites that stood like columns on either side of a gate.


    A massive creature stood just to the side of the gate. Even Artivan didn¡¯t notice as the ogre stood surprisingly still. It was watching as something green ran in a rivulet along the ceiling and down a stalactite.


    Long, bristle-like hair hung from the back of its head, leaving the top a smooth patch of gray skin. Its eyes were small, beady things that could hardly be seen from so far away. It had no nose, which explained the overwhelming stench.


    ¡°Artivan,¡± Owin whispered, smacking the knight in the leg.


    Artivan turned and looked up at the same time as the ogre noticed them and looked down at Artivan. ¡°Oh, fri¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hobgoblins?¡± the ogre asked in a deep rumbling voice.


    Great Forest Mob


    Forblig


    Ogre


    Level 22


    ¡°Forblig, is that you?¡± Artivan asked, quickly composing himself.


    The ogre lowered its head. ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    Forblig lowered himself farther, using his oversized arms to lean forward. The ogre¡¯s mouth had no lips and hung open as it breathed heavily, exhaling warm, fragrant air right into Owin¡¯s face. ¡°No.¡±


    Artivan tugged on his shield''s straps. ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Owin looked around desperately as the ogre exhaled another stream of rancid air. Another ogre loitered in the back, barely visible in the darkness.


    ¡°I stopped him from attacking us immediately.¡± Artivan flashed white. ¡°Run around and try to get the other one. I¡¯ll handle Forblig.¡±


    ¡°How do you know they¡¯re going to attack?¡± Owin looked back at Forblig as something cracked. The ogre was standing fully upright, breaking a stalactite off the ceiling. The ogre licked the bright green liquid from the stalactite, then turned its beady eyes back to them.


    ¡°Run,¡± Artivan said.


    The air sounded as if it exploded as the ogre swung the stone club right onto Artivan¡¯s shield. Owin ran right between the ogres legs while pieces of rock exploded through the cave, pinging off every surface. A few points of health ticked down as pieces of the stalactite bounced off the back of Owin¡¯s head. While it did damage, he was barely able to feel it with his current constitution.


    Artivan¡¯s winged blade flashed blue and lit up the cave like daytime for a brief second before a horrible cry escaped Forblig. Owin turned to see the ogre wobble before the top half fell to the ground. Its legs remained where they were, spurting a geyser of blood into the air. Artivan took a step back as blood splashed on the cave floor.


    The other ogre lumbered closer. Green liquid dripped from its mouth and sizzled when it landed on stone.


    Great Forest Mob


    Borflig


    Ogre


    Level 21


    Borflig roared, causing bits of stone to rain from the ceiling. The ogre looked almost identical to the last. He was at least ten feet tall, if not taller. Artivan had made killing the ogre look simple with his sword¡¯s technique. Owin had nothing like that. Nothing even close. The best he could do was to charge up the Thunderstrike Maul, but that would take time that he didn¡¯t have.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we were just going to start fighting them!¡±


    ¡°Once I knew the other humans weren¡¯t here, I blanked. I apologize.¡±


    Borflig roared again as he lunged forward, smashing his oversized fists into the ground. He was still a dozen feet from Owin, but one more lunge would easily put them face to face, or as much as they could be face to face with the height difference.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Most of your opponents will be bigger than you. These ogres are going to be far from the biggest you¡¯ll see if you plan to collect the shards. Use this opportunity to learn how to fight a giant.¡±


    Borflig launched himself forward, low to the ground. Owin tried to dive out of the way, but the ogre¡¯s foot caught him and dragged him along the stone floor. The red of his health bar slid down as Owin came to a stop directly under the massive ogre.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Artivan was close enough to assist if he wanted, but the knight made no move to get involved.


    Owin used the weight of the hammer to throw himself back to his feet. He twisted and swung the hammer, smashing it right into the ogre¡¯s shin. The head of the hammer lit up for the briefest moment before it was stopped by the stone-like skin of the ogre.


    5% Charge


    There wasn¡¯t going to be enough time in this fight to charge the hammer. The ogre was too fast and too strong to play around. Borflig punched down, right where Owin was standing. Luckily, he had anticipated the attack and leapt between the ogre¡¯s legs, leaving the hammer on the ground.


    He landed on the stone floor and skidded a foot before jumping with all his strength. It turned out his strength really had grown a lot. A ten foot jump wasn¡¯t anything difficult, though Owin hadn¡¯t practiced jumping vertically and crashed right into the cave ceiling.


    Borflig grabbed Owin in the air and smashed him into the ground. T Everything hurt as if his body was entirely engulfed in flames. Owin jumped to his feet, just in time to see the ogre¡¯s fist flying right at him.


    Artivan pointed his finger right at Owin, forming a shield just as the fist made contact. The shield exploded immediately, but it had stopped the momentum of the ogre¡¯s attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of mana! It¡¯s on you now,¡± Artivan shouted.


    Owin smashed a health potion against the side of his head as he jumped. His health bar shot up just as he crashed against the ogre¡¯s shoulder. Borflig thrashed as Owin jammed Naxile¡¯s knife into the thick skin of his shoulder. An ogre¡¯s skin might have been as strong as stone, but Owin didn¡¯t care. His strength was greater, and soon he would be able to cleave a monster in half just like Artivan.


    Borflig stopped his thrashing and tried to reach Owin with his long arm. Owin yanked the knife out, spraying blood over the ogre¡¯s gray skin. He carefully jumped from the shoulder to the ogre¡¯s head, grabbing onto the bristle-like hair. Borflig missed Owin and instead waved his arm wildly in the air while blood flowed freely over Borflig¡¯s thick skin.


    ¡°Aim for the eye,¡± Artivan shouted.


    Owin jammed the knife into its head, where the metal grated against bone. It didn¡¯t puncture the skull, but let Owin use the knife as an anchor as he swung himself over top of the ogre¡¯s head. He slipped in front of Borflig¡¯s face and stabbed for an eye, but the ogre caught him mid air.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why?¡± Borflig asked. His hot, rancid breath assaulted Owin. The ogre held him tightly in his fist, pinning Owin¡¯s arms to his side. His legs were free, but kicking them did little good.


    ¡°The hobgoblins asked us to kill you.¡±


    A scowl twisted the ogre¡¯s lipless mouth. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin squirmed and tried to find Artivan, who was somewhere on the other side of the ogre, far from view as the giant gray monster blocked most of Owin¡¯s current view. Borflig lifted him until they were eye to eye, inches from one another. ¡°They don¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like them,¡± Borflig said.


    A light appeared above Borflig¡¯s head. Owin used Examine and opened his index, flipping straight to the journal as words started to appear.


    New Quest


    Annihilate the Hobgoblins


    Reward: Artisan Item


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    ¡®Get revenge for Forblig. Kill the hobgoblins.¡¯


    ¡°Artivan,¡± Owin said.


    The knight calmly walked around the ogre and looked up at the two of them. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I got a new quest.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± His index flashed in front of his eyes as he looked through different pages. ¡°Oddly, it kept both quests. I¡¯ve never heard of someone doing both.¡±


    ¡°Can we do both?¡±


    Artivan shrugged. ¡°We can try. Do you want to kill the hobgoblins?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Borflig said.


    ¡°We know you do. I was asking my friend,¡± Artivan said.


    Borflig set Owin on the ground and wiped his hand on his ragged trousers as if Owin had been covered in some filth. Blood dripped down the ogre¡¯s head and shoulder, leaving small dark streams all over his skin.


    If the dungeon was going to let him get two different buff potions, he was going to take the opportunity. Plus, there was more loot within the hobgoblin town than there appeared to be within the ogres¡¯ cave.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done this floor without a quest before?¡± Owin asked. ¡°When you could have done a quest and done the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± He looked up at Borflig. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s good that he¡¯s not following our conversation.¡±


    Borflig touched the wound on his head, splattering blood as he tapped his fingers on it. ¡°Ow.¡± He took a few lumbering steps deeper into the cave. ¡°Follow.¡±


    Artivan grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul and handed it to Owin. ¡°Are you healthy?¡±


    ¡°Mostly. How did you run out of mana?¡±


    Artivan waved dismissively. ¡°Where do you think he¡¯s going?¡±


    Borflig rounded a curve and stopped. He looked back with his beady eyes and stood patiently. Owin gently swung the hammer back and forth, letting the hammer¡¯s head glow softly as the charge ticked up slowly. Artivan kept back a few paces, letting Owin lead. He was the one who accepted the quest, after all.


    What bothered Owin was how fast Artivan had killed the other ogre, then was out of the fight. Against something so big, the knight had no way to contribute without mana. Owin had his jumping attacks and his speed to assist him, while Artivan had the ability to take hits, and that was mostly it.


    He had used the last of his mana to protect Owin, which was useful. It wasn¡¯t as if Artivan wanted Owin to die to the ogre. The knight had already saved Owin several times. From Nikoletta, from drowning, from the ogre.


    ¡°Are you healthy?¡± Owin asked, repeating the same question Artivan had asked him.


    Artivan lifted his visor. His eyes were darker than before. Sweat beaded his brow. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±


    Borflig stood before a curtain of acid that ran from the ceiling, collected in a stream, and flowed into a bright green pool to the side. The ogre gestured, sticking his arm right through the curtain of acid. ¡°Secret passage.¡±


    Owin had to really focus to see through the brief gaps of acid. Part of a stone building lay beyond. ¡°That will burn us,¡± Owin said.


    Borflig extended both arms and dipped his head, creating an odd passage through the acid as it flowed over his long hair and back. Owin hurried through while Artivan was a little more hesitant, keeping an eye on the ogre the entire time.


    Owin found another ogre sitting nearby, beside an entire section of a building somehow built into the cave, or more like the cave had formed around part of a building. A cheap wooden door hung loose on hinges, leading inside. The third ogre sat right by the door, far too big to ever pass through.


    Great Forest Mob


    Florflig


    Ogre


    Level 18


    ¡°Has that always been there?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Florflig? Yes.¡± Borflig stepped through the acid curtain, licking the extra acid off his skin. ¡°She is sister.¡±


    Florflig was napping, unaware that one of her siblings was killed. It almost seemed like even Borflig hardly realized his brother had been killed. Or that he was still bleeding pretty seriously.


    ¡°Where does that lead?¡± Artivan asked.


    ¡°Hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°A shortcut,¡± Artivan said. ¡°Great.¡±


    Owin spun a few times, keeping his entire focus on the grip of his hammer. With a solid spin, he could charge it rather quickly.


    The thoughts that currently ran through his mind were wild. Insane, even. He had just agreed to help the ogres, not even minutes ago, and now he was charging up a hammer to kill one of the two.


    If he hadn¡¯t agreed to the quest, Borflig would have crushed him or squashed him, or maybe thrown him into the pool of acid. But now he had a chance to get two artisan items, and that was too good of an opportunity to pass up.


    They would respawn. There was no harm in killing mobs.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to do this, right?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Agree to help, then kill them?¡± Artivan chuckled. ¡°In the dungeon, yes. Outside, no. That¡¯s what would make someone a villain. But in here, we do what works best for us. The number one priority inside any of the seven dungeons is survival. What will help you survive? Artisan items will help.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to get?¡±


    Artivan lowered his visor. ¡°I¡¯m not certain. We can discuss it later. Are you thinking about a certain attribute?¡±


    ¡°If I can get two, I¡¯ll do constitution and strength.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like a berserker.¡± He looked at the now brightly glowing head of the hammer. ¡°So, I get the sleeping one and you get the one standing over us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± It did seem easiest. Artivan would be able to get a killing blow on Florflig before she even woke up while Borflig was the bigger, more immediate threat. A hit anywhere with a fully charged hammer would be enough to kill, or nearly kill, the ogre.


    ¡°This is all your quest.¡± He checked his sword and strode over to Florflig.


    Borflig stood nearby, watching without any idea what was going on. Owin held the hammer in both hands. A strong swing to the leg would fully destroy it, but that wouldn¡¯t necessarily result in a killing blow, and Owin didn¡¯t need a one-legged ogre thrashing around. The attack would need to be around his heart or head, which would require a semi-coordinated jump.


    ¡°Do you think I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think you can do just about anything, Owin.¡± Artivan grunted and climbed a rock beside the sleeping ogre. ¡°This does feel a little odd. I¡¯ll go once you attack.¡±


    ¡°Is it odd that he stopped attacking so quickly?¡± Owin asked. The glow of the Thunderstrike Maul was blinding right beside Owin¡¯s face. He wondered what would happen if he accidentally tapped it against his cheek.


    ¡°No, actually. Ogres are indecisive creatures. You only need a hint at an idea for them to follow along.¡±


    ¡°Kill hobgoblins,¡± Borflig said.


    ¡°Yes. We will.¡± Artivan held his winged sword, ready to strike the sleeping ogre.


    ¡°What about the hobgoblins?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re so aggressive, they will be thrilled to fight us. Best hurry before all this talking wakes this one.¡±


    Owin stood right in front of Borflig, who watched him with interest. Beady eyes tracked each movement as Owin took a few steps back and readjusted his grip on the hammer. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    Borflig nodded. He didn¡¯t know what was happening.


    Owin took two steps and pushed off with all his strength. He was off balance, but managed to swing the hammer regardless, hitting Borflig in the chest. The explosive power of the Thunderstrike Maul obliterated the ogre¡¯s torso, peeling flesh and shattering bone. It didn¡¯t fully pulverize the creature like it had with the scaltari. Instead, it launched the massive heart of the ogre out the back, where it bounced, squelched on the stone, and rolled against the cave wall.


    Owin crashed into the viscera that was left behind. He bounced off one of Borflig¡¯s ribs and landed on top of the ogre¡¯s stomach, which glowed green and bubbled beneath him. The pungent smell was something far beyond the horrific breath the ogre had shared earlier. It was overwhelming immediately.


    Borflig¡¯s corpse wobbled and collapsed face down before Owin had a chance to leave the body. Blood spurted out the back where Owin was forced to crawl through, dragging the heavy hammer the whole way.


    He splatted on the stone with ogre gore dripping from everything. His hammer left a red trail as he dragged it toward Artivan, who stood confidently next to the dead ogre sister. She hadn¡¯t moved at all. One precise stab through the eye had been enough, as Artivan had said before they ever entered the cave.


    ¡°Your methods are effective, but . . .¡± Artivan sheathed his winged blade. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really the best way to fight.¡±


    Owin sighed. He set the hammer down and pulled a string of something red and squishy from his arm. ¡°How do I constantly end up covered in blood?¡±


    ¡°Diving head first into an ogre¡¯s torso will do that. I am impressed that you managed to kill a creature as powerful as an ogre by removing the heart. Not destroying it.¡± Artivan chuckled softly. ¡°An alchemist would murder someone for a full ogre heart like that, but there is no way we can carry something so huge.¡±


    Owin shook his head, throwing bits of blood and guts from his hair, which was currently plastered down. Ogre blood dripped from the ends of his pointy ears.


    Quest Complete


    Choose Your Reward


    Artisan Item


    Another list of items appeared before Owin. There were plenty of fascinating options, but he wasted no time. An orange potion appeared in his hands. Owin drank it and shoved the empty glass bottle into his bag.


    Strength +30


    Strength: 216


    ¡°Was it worth it?¡± Artivan asked.


    Owin picked up the hammer, surprised at just how much lighter it felt. His balance and general dexterity were still horrendous, but the actual weight was now manageable. Just like that. It was so simple. Nothing looked different. He just changed so easily.


    He tossed the Thunderstrike Maul into the air and tried catching it with one hand, but fumbled. The heavy hammer crashed onto the stone cave floor. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a dexterity buff would have been the better choice.¡± Artivan reached over and turned the handle of the wooden door. It creaked and fell off its hinges from the slightest touch. When it fell, dust erupted into the air like a cloud.


    ¡°What did you get from the quest?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Artivan peeked his head into the room. ¡°A crypt.¡±


    ¡°A hobgoblin crypt?¡±


    ¡°No. They just toss corpses to the side. It¡¯s likely undead. As long as they¡¯re decayed, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Artivan rolled his shoulders. ¡°Be ready. Be careful.¡± Artivan tapped the Thunderstrike Maul with an armored finger. ¡°A knife might be better for closer quarters.¡±


    Owin let the hammer rest on his shoulder in his right hand, while he grabbed Naxile¡¯s knife with his left. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready for anything.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Four stone caskets framed the room, filling each of the four corners. They were all closed and covered in a thick layer of dark dust. Right in the center of the room was an ornate sarcophagus that looked big enough to fit three or four people inside. Faded images of warriors were carved through the sloped top with two spiraled points on each end.


    The checkerboard marble floor was coated with dust, muting most of the color. Owin walked over the fallen door and caught a strong whiff of the musty, damp air that had been trapped inside.


    ¡°What are undead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know too much. Different from specters. Weak to luminous damage. They are basically mobs that come back from the dead.¡±


    ¡°Could the ogres become undead?¡±


    Artivan looked at the ogre¡¯s corpse calmly lying right outside the door. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have luminous damage.¡±


    ¡°Any damage will still work on undead. Just hit them hard enough.¡±


    Owin lifted the hammer with one hand. ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so with that strength.¡± Artivan shoved the top of a nearby casket, causing the stone to grind as it slowly slid, revealing a decaying corpse inside.


    ¡°Undead?¡±


    ¡°Currently just dead.¡± He reached inside and pulled out a gold necklace. ¡°We don¡¯t want to miss any loot. And if this corpse comes back, it should be easy.¡±


    Owin approached the casket directly opposite Artivan''s. The lid was four feet off the ground, which was about a foot above Owin¡¯s head. Pushing a lid off at that angle just didn¡¯t really work.


    He swung the hammer down, shattering the lid. Pieces crumbled into the casket, but did nothing to help Owin see inside. Artivan sighed, walked over, reached inside, and pulled out a diamond, which he handed to Owin.


    ¡°You could just ask for help.¡±


    Owin tried standing on his toes to see inside. He could have climbed on top, but that somehow felt worse than letting Artivan loot the casket for him.


    Stone grinded on stone across the room as the lids of the other two caskets moved on their own. They fell off, cracking the marble floor.


    ¡°Ah, there they are,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin dropped the diamond into his bag without taking a closer look. It wouldn¡¯t do much until he could sell it anyway. Instead, he prepared both weapons and watched the desiccated corpse rise from the casket. It looked as if it required an extreme amount of effort for it to grab onto the sides as it hauled itself out. It was thin with little to no muscle, basically sinew, skin, and bones.


    Great Forest Mob


    Decayed Human


    Level 22


    ¡°Level 22?¡± Owin asked.


    Both decayed moved slowly as they found their footing outside their caskets. The one on the right dragged a leg, while the one in front of Owin had a jaw that hung loose, showing a shriveled tongue as the decayed constantly moaned.


    ¡°The levels will barely matter to us, as long as they are decayed.¡±


    ¡°Are there other undead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I know there are skeletons and liches. I¡¯ve never seen one. I don¡¯t quite know how an undead would cast Power 7 spells. Not our concern.¡± Artivan calmly walked around the center ornate sarcophagus and faced the decayed undead. ¡°Good practice. Easy experience.¡±


    Owin walked over and swung the Thunderstrike Maul horizontally as hard as possible. The decayed¡¯s hips shattered. Its whole body went limp as it was thrown right into the wall.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Artivan beheaded his opponent and looked over. ¡°Wow.¡±


    The decayed slowly tried standing. It clawed at the wall with no fingertips, scraping its bones on the stone. Owin brought the hammer down on its head.


    0 Experience


    ¡°I thought that first hit would kill it.¡±


    ¡°Undead can live through a lot. The head is usually the easiest.¡±


    Owin kicked the corpse, but no loot fell out. ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t know much about undead.¡±


    ¡°They are probably the mobs I have fought the least. It doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know some things. I have been at this for quite some time.¡±


    The central sarcophagus shuddered.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was concerned about.¡± Artivan inched closer. ¡°Charge your hammer.¡±


    Swinging the hammer back and forth, and even spinning, was significantly easier with the raised strength. He put Naxile¡¯s knife back in his belt. Despite what Artivan had said, he wouldn¡¯t need to switch weapons in these closer quarters. Balance was still an issue as Owin started spinning a little too fast.


    The top of the sarcophagus grinded as it slid to the side, revealing a much more intact undead creature with scales. It roared as it climbed out, spitting fleshy bits onto the dust-covered floor.


    Owin spun, watching the hammer glow brighter and brighter. His foot caught one of the fleshy bits and slipped. The hammer flew right from his hands, cleaving straight through the undead. It shot across the room, embedding itself in the opposite wall. Stone exploded out from the impact and dust showered from above.


    Artivan stood with his arms hanging. His winged sword tip rested on the marble floor. ¡°Every fight we find ourselves in, I become less concerned about the heroes hunting you.¡±


    Owin, who had fallen onto the floor when he slipped, sat upright. The undead¡¯s head had landed beside him. It was a scaltari without eyes and it smelled worse than an ogre¡¯s breath.


    ¡°That was an accident,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Artivan sheathed his sword, walked over to the hammer, and yanked it out of the wall. It had gone right through the crypt wall and lodged itself into the stone wall of the cave. ¡°Imagine what you will do once you can balance.¡±


    Owin took the Thunderstrike Maul back from Artivan. ¡°This seems too strong.¡±


    ¡°It is a powerful weapon. I think you will find it will lose most of its value on higher floors, but down here, it is invaluable.¡± Artivan nodded to what was left of the scaltari undead. ¡°Did you check it for loot?¡±


    Owin kicked the head. A few dungeon gold pieces fell out. He handed them to Artivan, who reluctantly put them in his bag.


    ¡°You can keep anything you find,¡± he said.


    ¡°I want to share.¡±


    Artivan nodded, face hidden behind the helmet. ¡°I assume this room was meant to be far more difficult. Shortcuts generally have some type of trap or powerful enemy.¡±


    Owin hurried over to the stone door on the opposite end of the room. It took a little effort, even with his raised strength, to push it open. It scratched the marble floor as it slid open.


    Torches burned in a hallway beyond. Row after row of shelves with boxes covered both walls, except in the center where another sarcophagus sat with the image of a scaltari holding a greatsword carved on top.


    ¡°Maybe this room wasn¡¯t meant to be difficult. The crypt keeps going.¡± Owin took a few steps into the hallway, allowing Artivan room. There was no doubt there would be more undead. The sarcophagus was too clear of a trap. Owin knew he needed to raise his intelligence to get more mana points, and maybe to problem solve a little better, but some things were overly obvious.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°This hallway wouldn¡¯t be a boss room. The gods like to create arenas for those situations.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to go back the way we came into the cave?¡± Owin asked. Artivan kept calling the crypt a shortcut, but it was going to take longer than walking through a forest if they had to fight undead in every room.


    ¡°We would have had to find a way through the acid.¡± He touched one of the torches with his gauntlet, even waving his hand through the fire. ¡°Plus, I am one or two kills from level 32.¡±


    ¡°I can let you fight the next ones.¡±


    ¡°There will be plenty of fighting ahead. Fight whatever you find.¡± Artivan pointed his sword at the sarcophagus. ¡°That one will have an undead.¡±


    ¡°It feels obvious.¡± Owin held the hammer up with both hands and walked over to the sarcophagus. If he just smashed it, it would also kill the undead inside.


    The ceiling cracked. Owin looked up as a few pebbles bounced off his hair, which was still plastered to his head with viscera. The stone ceiling of the hallway had a massive web of cracks spread right above him.


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± Owin asked.


    The stone shattered, dropping a huge scaltari corpse right on top of Owin. He was flattened by the heavy, decaying body. At the same time, the top of the sarcophagus slid off and fell, landing heavily beside Owin.


    The scaltari corpse moaned, exhaling fishy breath into Owin¡¯s face.


    Great Forest Mob


    Decayed Scaltari


    Level 23


    Owin pushed the corpse off, but found the hallway too small. The other undead climbed out of the sarcophagus and fell onto Owin¡¯s arm, pinning the arm and hammer to the ground.


    ¡°Knife,¡± Artivan said. He was already approaching with his sword ready.


    ¡°I get it now,¡± Owin said.


    The winged blade easily decapitated both undead in a swift series of precise swings. Artivan grabbed Owin¡¯s arm and pulled him back to his feet.


    ¡°Looks like I needed three more kills.¡±


    ¡°That undead was in the ceiling.¡±


    Artivan looked at the hole it had fallen through. There was nothing but dirt above. ¡°A joke trap, apparently. It did work.¡±


    ¡°I noticed.¡± He shook his head again, spraying some more ogre bits around the hallway. Everything that hit Artivan seemed to slide right off his armor. ¡°Why are hobgoblins living by a crypt?¡±


    ¡°So much of the area is meant to be ruins. I assume this is deep into those ruins. I¡¯ve never ventured through the whole hobgoblin town before.¡± Artivan looked around the hall, specifically focusing on the odd box shelves along the walls. ¡°I suggest we hurry to find the hobgoblins. I would rather fight them than some of these mobs.¡±


    Each box, all down the wall, on every level of every shelf held a skull. Some were bleached white bones, while others were near-fresh heads, eyes and all. It would have been discomforting no matter what, with the sheer number of heads.


    What made it worse were all the eyes tracking Owin.


    ¡°All the undead are dying really easily,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan tightened his gauntlet straps and rolled his shoulders. ¡°It isn¡¯t the difficulty that¡¯s bothering me. The areas like this, the areas that don¡¯t match the theme of the floor are unpredictable. And undead are . . . disgusting.¡±


    ¡°I thought only the secret areas had other mobs.¡± Owin stared at a skull, which he swore smiled.


    ¡°There are secondary areas. Alternate paths on the bigger floors.¡±


    A clean skull near Artivan chattered. The noise spread down both ends of the hallway until the entire room was filled with the horrible noise of chattering teeth. Stone grinded loudly against stone in the next room. The floor shook as stone lids fell to the floor, crashing loudly when they landed.


    ¡°Artivan, what¡¯s happening?¡± Owin asked, having to yell to be heard over the skulls.


    He shook his head and backed into the empty sarcophagus. ¡°A trap.¡±


    ¡°We can handle it.¡± Owin walked over, grabbed a skull at eye level, and used Examine.


    Great Forest Mob


    Decayed Skull


    Level 10


    He crushed it in his hand. The bits of bone fell to the ground. ¡°They can¡¯t be that strong.¡±


    A taupe flash from Artivan lit up the hallway, quieting the skulls for a brief second. ¡°Owin, stay on guard. This isn¡¯t over.¡± He kept his eyes fixed on the door at the end of the hall, leading to the next room.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Whatever Ruvaine has prepared for us in the next room is dangerous.¡± Artivan finished checking the straps of his armor and drew his winged sword.


    Owin couldn¡¯t imagine putting away and drawing a weapon so many times. Not that he had much of an option. The Thunderstrike Maul didn¡¯t have a holder or much of a way to be held other than by resting uncomfortably on his shoulder.


    ¡°Let me go first,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan gestured to the door. Owin walked past the skulls, ignoring their chattering and all the eyes watching him. Other than opening and closing their jaws, it didn¡¯t seem like the skulls could do all that much.


    Owin stopped beside Artivan and looked up at the knight. The helmet looked back down, with no sign of Artivan¡¯s face. ¡°It could be fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting confident. Don¡¯t become cocky.¡±


    Owin slid the stone door open and immediately dove to the side as a rusted sword swung through the opening. It cracked on the stone floor, sending up a small shower of sparks.


    Great Forest Mob


    Skeleton Berserker


    Level 24


    The skeleton¡¯s bones rattled as it stepped through the doorway. Artivan took a step backward and hunkered behind his shield. Owin steadied himself and lifted the hammer.


    What was Artivan so rattled about? The skeleton was hardly dangerous. They weren¡¯t much different from Nosolus¡¯s minions on the second floor.


    Owin swung as hard as he could, catching the skeleton in the pelvis. The bones disconnected from one another as the hammer launched the pelvis through the doorway. The skeleton¡¯s jaw continued moving as it tried to bite at Owin, but it could hardly move on its own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look around the¡ª¡±


    An arrow flew through the doorway, pinging against Artivan¡¯s shield. He took a few quick steps before hunkering down again. A spell that looked like gray mist splashed against his shield, followed by another arrow that pinged harmlessly off the metal.


    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Owin punted the skull as it snapped at his feet again. It crashed into the shelves, shattering against another skull.


    0 Experience


    0 Experience


    ¡°Minor Lich.¡± Artivan didn¡¯t manage to say more before spells barraged his shield.


    Owin tried to sneak to the edge of the doorway, wanting to peek inside. If he could see even part of the mob, he would be able to use Examine.


    ¡°Stay back!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Artivan gave a single nod, still working his way forward. Each spell halted his movement. It looked harmless as it spread over his shield, but Owin had never looked closer at the shield. The rest of Artivan¡¯s equipment was magical. The shield probably was too.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t fought a lich,¡± Artivan said. His grip tightened on the winged sword. ¡°I lost a dear friend to a lich.¡±


    A bright green light shot past Artivan. It wasn¡¯t even close to hitting him. He didn¡¯t look, keeping his attention entirely focused on the creature before him. Only Owin saw the light shoot into a hundred different pieces that zapped into all the undead in the hallway, including all of the skulls.


    ¡°His wife watched his body become a vessel for the monster,¡± Artivan continued as he inched his way to the door. Whatever spells the lich used were ineffective against Artivan¡¯s shield. He was making steady progress, but Owin kept his gaze behind the knight where every skull on the shelves rolled off. Some shattered on the marble floor, but those that lived rolled to the center where the green light still shone.


    ¡°Artivan, the skulls are doing something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to handle it. I can¡¯t turn away from this.¡± A heavier spell smashed into the shield, causing Artivan to slide back about a foot.


    The skulls moved unnaturally, piling together to create a humanoid shape, starting with the legs. It didn¡¯t matter if they were bone or flesh as they seemed to fuse together with the green light.


    Great Forest Mob


    Skull Golem


    Level 25


    ¡°What¡¯s a skull golem?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. Is that what¡¯s happening behind me?¡±


    The green light shone brightly, casting Artivan¡¯s shadow through the doorway. The golem wasn¡¯t finished forming, but it wouldn¡¯t take much longer. To get to it, Owin would have to find a way past Artivan.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The last skull floated up and fit into place right at the top of the monstrosity. It was about eight feet tall and had a general humanoid shape with every part made from skulls. The green light poured out of the empty eye sockets and the open mouths of each skull.


    Another spell shot through the doorway, hitting Artivan hard enough to push him back. The knight kept his footing and immediately pressed forward again, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The lich was easily pushing him toward the golem.


    ¡°Let me handle the lich,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Turn and fight that golem or it will crush you. I¡¯m getting the lich.¡± Owin didn¡¯t wait for an answer. Artivan was inches from the golem and needed to fight. The old knight would know what to do. Owin was sure Artivan could figure it out.


    A skeletal archer stepped through the doorway before Owin could turn. He smashed it with the hammer, causing bones to fly across the room. Owin ran around the corner, through the doorway. A gray spell that looked like mist passed right above his head.


    The lich floated about a foot off the ground. It wore a long, flowing robe that extended past its feet and seemed to billow in a nonexistent wind. It held a magical staff made of wood, though the top looked like five skeletal fingers extending upward.


    Bright red eyes locked onto Owin¡¯s. The lich had no skin on its face. Just red eyes in a yellowed skull. Thick, greasy strands of hair hung from the lich, also moving in the invisible breeze.


    Great Forest Mob


    Minor Lich


    Level 28


    Owin grabbed the wand and cast Bolt three times. Each spell hit the lich, but the boss didn¡¯t react. Owin slid the wand back into his belt and dove to the side as a mist-like spell struck just where he had been standing.


    ¡°Give in,¡± the lich said. Its voice was ethereal, not coming from the being itself.


    ¡°Owin!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He lifted the hammer as another spell shot from the lich¡¯s fingertips. It hit the Thunderstrike Maul and spread out until it dissipated.


    Stone shattered in the hall. A puff of dust passed into the room. Artivan stumbled back with a section of his shield gone, as if it had simply broken off. The skull golem walked through the doorway, shattering the stone wall around the door so it could fit.


    Gray, almost blue mist spread into Owin¡¯s view, like it was inside his eyes. A cool breeze washed over him. His muscles relaxed. Everything was calm.


    ¡°Owin!¡± Artivan ducked under a wide, horizontal swing from the golem. The monster hit a stone column, which exploded into dust upon impact.


    Owin had been distracted, and the lich took control.

 Chapter 19

    Owin watched himself drop the Thunderstrike Maul as he grabbed both knives from his belt. He had no control. It was as if he was watching someone else act, but from their eyes. Owin couldn¡¯t even feel the muscles moving or the cool marble floor on his feet. He was only an observer behind a haze of gray mist.


    ¡°This is what I was afraid of,¡± Artivan said, his voice muted by the helmet. He stepped out of the way as the golem smashed down.


    The lich pointed its skeletal fingers and shot another burst of gray mist, which Artivan easily blocked. He continued moving fluidly through the wider room. Three sarcophagi were evenly placed near the center. One remained closed, while the others were open, having held the skeleton archer and the lich.


    The golem swung again, too fast for Artivan to dodge. He brought his shield up in time to block, but the golem easily tore another chunk from the metal shield. Artivan used the wider space to move faster than Owin had seen him move before. The golem trailed behind as Artivan circled the lich.


    Owin stalked right toward him, both knives raised and ready to stab. The knight had little, if any, openings in his armor. With Owin¡¯s increased strength, he knew he could find a way to injure or kill Artivan if he had the chance.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t needed to use these abilities for some time.¡± Artivan looked right at Owin. ¡°Apologies, friend.¡±


    Owin leapt through the air, knives flashing.


    Artivan stomped on the ground. A shockwave burst from him the moment his foot made contact. It smashed into Owin, throwing him backward. Both knives left his hands and flew across the room. The shockwave staggered the golem.


    The lich shot another spell, which Artivan blocked with what was left of his shield. Green lights danced on the finger-like top of the staff, causing the golem to glow brighter. The skulls from the skeletons killed in the hallway rolled in, joining with the already monstrous golem.


    Artivan pointed his hand at the lich. ¡°Flare Burst.¡±


    The lich erupted in luminous fire and howled, dropping the staff, which clattered on the marble floor.


    Owin watched himself get back up. His body was entirely focused on Artivan. He prepared, adjusting his stance, then lunged at Artivan again. The knight didn¡¯t try to dodge and let Owin land right on his shoulder. With no weapons, Owin simply pounded on the knight¡¯s armor. Artivan ignored him even as the hits dented his pauldrons.


    Artivan strode forward, not slowed by Owin¡¯s additional weight. A spell from the lich smashed into his helmet. He ignored it until he reached the staff, which he promptly stomped on, breaking it in half.


    The gray mist immediately cleared from Owin¡¯s view. His whole body felt like it was on fire, pain touching every fiber of every muscle.


    ¡°Are you with me?¡± Artivan asked.


    Owin nodded, still clinging to Artivan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Get the lich.¡±


    The floating lich was a few feet away, hovering in the air. The luminous fire hadn¡¯t lasted long. Most of the lich¡¯s hair had burned away and cracks were like spider webs through his skull.


    Owin jumped from Artivan¡¯s shoulder and punched, driving his fist right through the head of the lich. The skull exploded and threw shards of bone all across the room. Owin landed heavily on the marble floor right in front of the skull golem. The lich¡¯s corpse fell like a sack of grain to the floor.


    A bubble shield appeared around Owin as an arm of skulls smashed down. The shield shattered like glass, giving Owin enough time to move out of the way.


    ¡°I thought the golem would collapse with the lich¡¯s death,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin sprinted across the floor, easily dodging the golem¡¯s next attack. He skidded to a stop and grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul. He spun in circles while Artivan kept the golem distracted. It took little time before the hammer glowed like the sun.


    Owin sprinted back across the room. Artivan already knew what was happening. They didn¡¯t need to communicate strategies anymore. Owin had a particular way of fighting, and Artivan had obviously adapted to it.


    Owin leapt in the air and swung the hammer down. The golem, who was still focused on Artivan, didn¡¯t try to block as the Thunderstrike Maul smashed into its chest. Skulls launched in every direction, shattering and bouncing all over the room.


    Owin landed on the marble floor while it rained skulls and dust all over the room. It was suddenly silent as if the calmness of the lich¡¯s possession had washed over Owin again. Although this time, he wasn¡¯t trapped.


    Artivan lifted the visor of his helmet. Half his face was covered in blood, coming from somewhere under his helmet. ¡°That could have been worse.¡±


    ¡°I tried to kill you.¡±


    Artivan crouched beside Owin and touched his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Four dents from Owin¡¯s strikes marred the once-polished pauldron on Artivan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you?¡±


    Artivan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s find your knives and get out of here. I¡¯ve had enough of the undead.¡±


    It only took Owin a moment to find both knives. He slid them both into his belt and picked the hammer back up. Meanwhile, Artivan had looted the lich and the golem, finding a few things that he tossed into his bag.


    ¡°Can you tell me about your friend?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan took off his helmet and used a piece of cloth from his bag to wipe the blood away. A cut ran the length of his head above his ear, but the blood was only dripping out, despite how severe the wound looked. ¡°His name was Ilarion. He was a knight like me. A member of the Nimble Hogs.¡± Artivan sat on the edge of a sarcophagus as he cleaned the wound.


    ¡°He used to be a dungeon guide with his wife, Lera. She¡¯s a soldier, and a damn good one. They took kids into the dungeons who had just become of age to help them level. I never wanted to do that. It felt too dangerous, but they made it work.¡± Artivan pressed the cloth into the wound and winced. ¡°About a year ago, an alchemist out of Stelsodo hired the two of them to escort him into the Subterranean Dungeon to search for some rare ingredient. They found a lich who took control of Ilarion.¡±


    Artivan put the cloth back into his bag and slowly slid his helmet back on, leaving the visor open. ¡°Lera protected herself and the client. She killed Ilarion and left the dungeon.¡± He sighed. ¡°That was a minor lich we just fought. If it had been a real lich, we wouldn¡¯t be sitting here now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡±


    Artivan smiled. ¡°I was never worried about you. I guarantee that you will see the outside world, little goblin.¡± He stood up and stretched. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we killed some hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°What about the last sarcophagus?¡±


    Artivan shook his head as he crossed the room to the far door. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know what¡¯s inside. I¡¯ve had enough undead.¡±


    Owin agreed. Overall, the undead were less terrifying to fight than heroes, but he didn¡¯t need to fight any more of them. Being controlled was horrifying. In the moment, he didn¡¯t care. He felt at ease. The unnatural calmness that had taken control was the most unnerving part. How would someone not care about hurting their friends?


    Artivan shoved the stone door open. The room beyond was a simple square room with a few columns. Nothing else. ¡°This is my type of room.¡±


    Two doors led out, both barred by wooden beams and planks nailed to the outside. Even if they had tried coming into the crypt from the hobgoblin town, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to pass through. Unless Owin had just broken down the doors.


    ¡°What about your shield?¡± There were two whole chunks that had been ripped out of Artivan¡¯s shield, giving it an odd design. While it had still managed to block spells while damaged, there was significantly less of the shield to use for blocking.


    He held his arm up, surveying the damage. ¡°Nothing a skilled blacksmith can¡¯t fix. Or, better yet, it gives me a great opportunity to buy a new shield. This one has been with me for a long, long time. It will still do for now.¡±


    Artivan easily removed the planks and the wooden bar, then swung the door open.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    A hobgoblin stood on the other side. He had orange hair and yellow skin, and scratched his crotch as he looked at the two of them. ¡°There¡¯s a door there?¡±


    Artivan walked over and stabbed the hobgoblin right through the heart. A soft yellow glow flashed around Artivan. ¡°There it is,¡± he said.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°A level up. Finally, level 32.¡±


    Owin stepped into the next room, where everything looked different. They had officially left the crypt and were back in the hobgoblin town, or more accurately, the ruins. The floor was made of non-matching cobblestones that were covered in a layer of grime. The room was half empty, with the far half filled with cells. Hobgoblins sat in the cells with the doors wide open. Each cell contained a chest and a bed.


    ¡°Are they using a jail as their rooms?¡± Artivan laughed. ¡°If we weren¡¯t set on killing them, we could simply lock them inside.¡±


    At least one hobgoblin occupied each of the twelve cells, meaning there were about fourteen goblins packed into a small area. They were generally unaware as far as mobs went. Unaware or uncaring, Owin wasn¡¯t sure, but they weren¡¯t likely to charge them all at once. But in the close quarters of the jail, he didn¡¯t feel like it would be a good place to fight.


    ¡°What if we clear the rest of the town first? When I fought Naxile, I got shatter grenades. If we found something like that in the town, we could get all those hobgoblins at once.¡±


    Artivan chuckled. ¡°Sure. That will give me a chance to get some mana back too.¡±


    ¡°Do you have more mana now that you leveled up?¡±


    ¡°No, but my strength increased with that kill. That¡¯s what brought me up.¡± Artivan opened the wooden door outside and gestured for Owin to step through first.


    The sun was bright and warm, especially after having traveled through the grim darkness of the crypt. White birch trees waved in the soft breeze and birds chirped happily. A few hobgoblins stood lazily around the town, mostly loitering in front of the other two buildings. None looked particularly angry or aggressive at the moment.


    ¡°Our quest is to kill them all?¡±


    Artivan¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes as he read through the quest notes again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t use the word all, but it does ask us to annihilate them. We might as well take the loot and experience by killing them all.¡±


    Owin set off across the grounds, passing beside tall, swaying trees. He returned nods with hobgoblins greeting him from far away. Artivan followed quietly behind, letting Owin make his own decisions, no matter how questionable Owin¡¯s decisions had been in the past.


    Owin wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to be the one making choices after having been under the lich¡¯s control. Artivan had to save him again. It didn¡¯t matter how high Owin had gotten his strength if he still had to rely on Artivan for every little thing.


    He tossed open the kennel door, causing the hobgoblin leader inside to accidentally throw a cup of water. It splashed onto his yellow hair, flattening it as if he had purposefully slicked it back.


    ¡°Calm down, you little menace,¡± Blotnaark said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to kill you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Blotnaark immediately shifted his feet and raised his hands, ready to box.


    Artivan calmly closed the door behind them. ¡°He¡¯s an entertainer who isn¡¯t even a high enough level to use the powerful spells. The best he can do is buff you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do more than buff you, you skinny little bitch.¡± Blotnaark threw a couple of quick jabs into the air.


    Artivan looked down at himself. ¡°Skinny?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Owin handed Artivan the Thunderstrike Maul. He pulled the wand and both knives from his belt, tossing them onto the hay covered ground.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Artivan asked.


    ¡°He wants to fight with our fists.¡±


    Blotnaark pushed up his tattered sleeves, revealing more of his sky blue skin. ¡°See? This short child gets it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the difference.¡± Blotnaark jabbed a few more times, then waved Owin forward.


    ¡°Are you really going to do this?¡± Artivan asked.


    Ever since Owin had greatly increased his strength, he had been using greatswords and heavy hammers. The first time he truly used his fists was against the lich. How hard could he truly punch?


    ¡°Yes. I want to test my strength.¡±


    Artivan laughed. It was the hardest, deepest, most genuine laugh Owin had heard from the old knight. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about your strength, little goblin. I¡¯m worried about you covering yourself in guts again when the ogre¡¯s are just starting to dry. He¡¯s an entertainer. You¡¯re going to cause him to explode.¡±


    Blotnaark scowled, sending a sharp glare at Artivan. ¡°You want to get in the ring with me, old geezer?¡±


    ¡°No. Owin, see for yourself. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Blotnaark was at least twice as tall as Owin, if not a little taller. It didn¡¯t really make sense for a fist fight. But Owin¡¯s old instincts never faded. Jumping, leaping, throwing himself at the enemy always felt like a quick and efficient way to fight. Launching himself into danger usually put his opponent in danger as well. Who was ready for him to get so close so quickly? It even surprised him at times.


    Owin leapt forward, aiming his fist right at Blotnaark¡¯s face. The hobgoblin ducked out of the way, causing Owin to launch himself into a metal dog kennel. It loudly toppled, clanging as it crashed into other kennels, creating a whole domino effect.


    He managed to take a single point of damage from the hit, though he didn¡¯t actually feel anything. Anything that managed to do only one point of damage wasn¡¯t a real injury.


    ¡°Too slow,¡± Blotnaark said. ¡°If you looked like this, maybe you would stand a chance.¡± The hobgoblin posed and flexed his biceps.


    Owin pushed the kennels aside and faced the hobgoblin. Blotnaark kept smirking and flexing.


    ¡°Put your hands up.¡±


    The hobgoblin did as commanded, but his hands were feet above Owin¡¯s head. Owin held up a finger, signaling from him to wait. He walked over, picked up one of the kennels, and carried it back. He hopped on top and stood face to face with Blotnaark. The hobgoblin wiggled his eyebrows.


    Owin didn¡¯t have visible muscles. All of his strength had appeared magically within a few short days. It was much different from people who truly worked on their strength. People like Artivan. But did the old knight care that Owin had shortcuts?


    No, he encouraged Owin to take advantage of the buff potions. He sacrificed some of his own potions. He wanted Owin to be as strong as possible.


    There wasn¡¯t going to be a better chance to test his strength.


    ¡°You first,¡± Owin said.


    Blotnaark lightly hopped between both feet. His eyes bore into Owin. When he finally punched, Owin easily leaned to the side, using his goblin speed to dodge the punch. Owin immediately struck back, but Blotnaark dodged just as deftly.


    The hobgoblin smirked. ¡°You will need to be faster to¡ª¡±


    Blotnaark apparently hadn¡¯t been ready for a follow up punch that caught him right in the nose. Blood spurted from his nostrils, causing the hobgoblin to howl with laughter.


    ¡°Now that was a punch!¡± Blotnaark blocked one nostril and shot a glob of bloody snot on the kennel floor. He switched and did the same with the other side, leaving a whole splatter of blood along his cheek. ¡°I haven¡¯t been punched like that in a long time!¡±


    Owin had thought he would be capable of punching right through Blotnaark based on what Artivan had said. The hobgoblin was far from exploding based on that punch. It didn¡¯t even seem like he was close to dying. If anything, it seemed like Blotnaark had enjoyed getting hit.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t explode,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Well, that was far from your strongest. Also, I might have underestimated him,¡± Artivan said, still calmly standing by the door, holding the hammer. He kept his visor down, watching like a guardian.


    ¡°You can hit harder?¡± Blotnaark positioned his face right in front of Owin. ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°It will kill you.¡±


    Blotnaark wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like hobgoblins,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Nobody does,¡± Artivan said.


    Blotnaark grinned. ¡°Not even hobgoblins like hobgoblins. Hit me!¡±


    Owin formed a fist, positioned his feet just like Blotnaark had earlier, and threw his fist forward. Blotnaark¡¯s eyes widened right as the fist connected with his nose again. The hobgoblin¡¯s head snapped back as more blood sprayed into the air.


    Blotnaark collapsed with a smile still on his face. Bright crimson blood rained onto his sky blue skin.


    0 Experience


    ¡°That was disturbing,¡± Artivan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the hobgoblins are aware that they will respawn, but they act like they know they¡¯re immortal.¡±


    ¡°Will he remember this?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Owin hopped off the kennel and fetched his belongings. He took the hammer back from Artivan, happy to feel its heavy weight back on his shoulder. ¡°If mobs get smarter as you go up, the ones on the top floors probably remember,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a discomforting thought. Would you want to remember all the times you¡¯ve been killed?¡±


    Owin shook his head. That was one thing he was specifically glad he didn¡¯t remember. None of his life before awakening really mattered, and remembering it wouldn¡¯t help him in any way. He wasn¡¯t learning. He wasn¡¯t improving. He was simply hiding in the shadows until he could hop out and stab something.


    ¡°A dozen or so hobgoblins to go,¡± Artivan said, effortlessly changing topics. He opened the door and stepped outside. His winged sword immediately appeared in his hand, reflecting the sunlight.


    Owin hurried through the doorway. Blarwik, the purple hobgoblin berserker, lay against a tree with bright blood running down the white birch bark. Three humans stood just outside the hallway, laughing about the dead hobgoblin, while another stood only a dozen paces from the kennel.


    She had red hair tied back into a bun, with hard yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her sword glowed the same harsh yellow.


    Artivan¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. Owin wouldn¡¯t forget her or her eyes, but still used Examine again anyway.


    Hero


    Siora Rilokos


    Soldier


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 19


    Strength: 145


    Constitution: 165


    Dexterity: 101


    Intelligence: 100


    Wisdom: 60


    Charisma: 112


    She had gone up a level since Owin had last seen her. In such a short time, she had managed to increase a number of attributes. And now, thirteen levels below Artivan, she stood confidently.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Artivan said quietly. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention she was a Void Nexus hero.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it mattered.¡±


    Siora¡¯s party formed up behind her. She smiled as she caught Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I told you we¡¯d be seeing each other again.¡±


    ¡°Back away or you face me,¡± Artivan said.


    Siora¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°A Nimble Hog? A fucking joke. I¡¯ve never heard of you.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Artivan didn¡¯t flinch. His feet were already placed to brace himself, should a fight start. His ability that made him immovable would be his first to activate. The winged sword only had one or two more uses before it was simply a normal weapon again. They didn¡¯t have time to wait for it to recharge.


    The Thunderstrike Maul was completely uncharged. Owin had no way to build the charge without drawing a ton of attention to himself, which didn¡¯t seem worth it at the moment.


    Was this a fight they could win? The other three heroes stood confidently in the back.


    Hero


    Elas Olalee


    Wizard


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 17


    Strength: 101


    Constitution: 113


    Dexterity: 110


    Intelligence: 178


    Wisdom: 80


    Charisma: 81


    Elas held a wooden staff that looked like three separate staves braided together with a gnarled chunk on top. Most of his face was hidden by a wide-brimmed pointed hat. He wore robes that hung loose, hiding anything else he might be carrying on his body.


    Hero


    Titus Niraeumus


    Mender


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 18


    Strength: 91


    Constitution: 158


    Dexterity: 85


    Intelligence: 100


    Wisdom: 185


    Charisma: 51


    Titus wore metal armor that looked like a simplified version of Artivan¡¯s. It covered his whole body and obscured most of his face, though a slit with eye holes ran right through the center. He had a spear and round, wooden shield with a metal bump in the center. His bag was the biggest and heaviest looking of the whole party.


    Hero


    Placus Varro


    Umbra


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 18


    Strength: 63


    Constitution: 67


    Dexterity: 201


    Intelligence: 80


    Wisdom: 178


    Charisma: 81


    Placus had a short, straight bladed sword, very similar to the satyr umbra who had helped Owin on the second floor. Placus¡¯s face was mostly hidden under an oversized hood. His constitution was one of the lowest Owin had ever seen, but with dexterity that high, his aim would be deadly with everything. Owin could only imagine having dexterity that high.


    ¡°Do you really think a washed up knight and a level 1 goblin are going to scare us away?¡± Siora said. She let her glowing sword hang near the ground. The grass immediately started smoking.


    ¡°This is not worth your life,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°Killing a sentient goblin? I¡¯ll become famous!¡± Siora made some signal with her hands that caused her party to fan out.


    ¡°Veph doesn¡¯t care about you.¡±


    Siora¡¯s face contorted into a scowl. ¡°And you think some old man is worth more of my attention? Last I heard, Chorsay can hardly stand up out of a chair on his own.¡±


    Artivan dropped to one knee, getting his head near Owin¡¯s. In a quiet voice, but loud enough for Owin¡¯s huge ears to pick up, he whispered, ¡°Throw the hammer. It¡¯s too heavy for them. You know who to go for first?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Planning how to flee?¡± Siora asked. Despite how cocky she appeared, she made no move forward. She was clearly cautious of Artivan, even if she had just insulted him.


    Artivan stood again, repositioning from how Owin had seen him stand before. His weight was shifted differently, and his arm was held up, with the sword pointing back, ready to swing straight down. The damaged shield was covering his chest and neck.


    ¡°I will not hesitate to kill you,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°A Nimble Hog who wants hero blood on their hands? That¡¯s a first. If you give him up, we let you go.¡±


    ¡°Owin,¡± Artivan said, loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°What do we say?¡±


    ¡°No mercy.¡± Owin spun and threw the Thunderstrike Maul. As soon as the hammer left his hands, Artivan rushed forward, immediately closing the gap between him and Siora.


    Elas, the wizard, lifted his staff, about to smash it on the ground, when Artivan flashed red. All the eyes of the humans turned to Artivan as if they were unable to look away. His sword clashed with Siora¡¯s, sending bright sparks out as her glowing blade heated the winged sword.


    Before Elas could finish casting his staff¡¯s ability, the Thunderstrike Maul smashed into his chest, throwing him backward like a sack of flour. He flew back, crashing into a birch tree that shook and dropped leaves from the impact.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Artivan flashed white, causing the ground beneath him to shudder. His shield smashed into Siora¡¯s face, ripping the skin from her lip to her ear. She stumbled back, unable to turn her eyes from Artivan.


    Owin drew both knives and sprinted past them. The umbra had vanished in a small puff of smoke, leaving the mender standing, staring at Artivan. He was visibly trying to turn his attention away.


    Owin leapt and crashed into the mender, driving Naxile¡¯s knife right through the opening in his helmet. Metal grated on bone and blood poured from the helmet. Before Owin could do more, Titus grabbed him and tossed him to the ground.


    The attack had helped break his focus on Artivan, which he now effortlessly turned to Owin. He ripped his helmet off and tossed it to the side. Owin had missed his eye, stabbing right beside his nose. Blood poured over his cheek and lips.


    ¡°Fucking goblin!¡± Titus shouted as he touched his hand to his cheek. It flashed green and the wound closed. A gasp of pain escaped Titus as the injury healed.


    Using a spell meant his others of the same Power were on cooldown. There was no better time to attack. Owin leapt again, but he caught the vague shimmering outline of something right in front of him. He quickly brought the stone knife up in time to catch the umbra¡¯s sword swing. The clash of blades tossed Owin back into the grass where he bounced and rolled to a stop right in front of the kennel.


    Artivan shoved Siora onto her back with another bash of his shield. Before he could step forward and finish her off, the umbra was in Artivan¡¯s face, attacking wildly. Parts of Artivan¡¯s armor were melted from where Siora¡¯s blade had struck. He didn¡¯t have any obvious injuries.


    Elas the wizard slowly stood and tried to pick up the Thunderstrike Maul. It didn¡¯t move an inch as he yanked on the heavy metal hammer. Blood ran from his mouth, nose, and eyes as he stood on wobbly feet.


    Titus stalked toward Owin, ignoring the clash of the umbra and Artivan directly beside him. Artivan ducked under an umbra swing and jabbed the edge of his shield into the umbra¡¯s unguarded stomach. With such a low constitution, Placus the umbra immediately vomited blood from the blow and fell onto his back.


    Titus hesitated, turning to make eye contact with Artivan. Before any of his party could get up and intervene, Artivan¡¯s sword flashed blue as he activated the true power of the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth. Artivan¡¯s increased weight from his ability transferred into the sword as he swung horizontally.


    Titus brought up his spear in plenty of time to block, unaware of the sword¡¯s true power. With all of Artivan¡¯s weight and strength put into the swing, the sword effortlessly chopped through the shaft of the spear, and cleaved through Titus¡¯s plate armor. Artivan swung all the way around, not slowed down as he chopped through metal, flesh, and bone. By the time Artivan returned to his stance, ready to face Siora and Placus again, Titus hit the ground in two halves.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Siora weakly climbed to her feet. Her face bled severely as she pulled Placus to his feet. The umbra was barely standing after such a direct blow. ¡°What kind of fucking monster are you?¡±


    ¡°What do we say, Owin?¡± Artivan shouted.


    ¡°No mercy.¡± Owin brandished both knives and glared at Elas.


    The wizard, far behind the main fight, was barely standing. The collision with the hammer had broken bones. While his health likely only dropped a chunk, the real damage was more significant to how well he functioned.


    ¡°One more time,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°No mercy.¡± Owin sprinted. Siora¡¯s blade swung down as Owin passed, missing by inches. In the time she was focused on Owin, Artivan attacked, chopping into her arm. He wasn¡¯t able to pierce her chainmail without activating the sword, but the attack threw her off balance, allowing for another bash of his shield on her face.


    Owin leapt as soon as he was within range. With his full speed and all his strength put into the jump, it was easy to tackle Elas the wizard. He drove both knives into the wizard¡¯s chest as they collided. Owin practically threw the wizard¡¯s corpse into the ground.


    Owin landed and skidded. Placus the umbra looked back, horrified. Owin grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul and threw it again. Unfortunately, his aim was off, causing it to hit the ground early and throw up a shower of dirt.


    ¡°Siora,¡± Placus said, stepping farther from Artivan.


    Siora was already out of his range, trying to stop the excessive bleeding from her face. She opened her mouth to say something and blood poured out, along with at least a few teeth. She held up her hand, signaling something with her hand.


    Owin put the stone knife in his belt and grabbed Elas¡¯s staff. Placus continued backing away, keeping Owin in his view, while Siora had her free hand pressed to her mouth, which continued bleeding profusely.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Artivan said, voice loud even with his visor down. ¡°You came after us.¡± He took a step toward Siora, who immediately stepped back. Between the gash on her cheek and her bleeding mouth, the entire front of her chainmail was painted red.


    Owin sprinted at Placus, who immediately vanished, reappearing back at the hallway that held the floor¡¯s entrance. Owin skidded, turning his attention to Siora. She sheathed her sword and started running toward Placus. A trail of blood followed her.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin was about to start running again when the old knight¡¯s voice stopped him.


    ¡°Let them go.¡±


    ¡°You said no mercy.¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Artivan lifted his visor. The cut on his head was bleeding again, though he had no new injuries. ¡°And we gave them none. Two of their comrades are in pieces.¡± He sheathed his sword and rolled his shoulders. ¡°If I see either of you again, you¡¯re dead!¡±


    Placus the umbra guided Siora into the hallway, quickly slamming the door.


    ¡°They¡¯re trapped in there! We can finish them now!¡±


    Artivan approached Owin and dropped to one knee. He grunted and placed a hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You were brave, and we¡¯re both safe. They won¡¯t attack us again. We should focus on the quest to get you stronger. We can loot these two, and if the Void Nexus idiot attacks us again, you will be able to handle them both on your own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like letting them go.¡±


    ¡°Brutality has its place in the world, little goblin. I hope you never have to become one of the brutes. Get stronger. Prove yourself. Show the world that you refuse to be scared.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Now, tell me about this staff.¡±


    Artisan Level Staff


    Spells: Fireball, Viscous Fire


    5/6 uses remaining for today


    ¡°Oh.¡± Artivan tapped his armored finger on the staff. ¡°If he would have finished using that staff, we might be looking a little more burnt right now. Viscous Fire is a terrifying spell. You can¡¯t escape if it hits you.¡±


    The staff was far too tall for Owin. He felt like Vrod, carrying around a staff clearly meant for a human of average height.


    ¡°Can you hold it?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Are you certain? It could be useful.¡±


    ¡°Just throw it at me in a fight.¡±


    Artivan smiled, took the staff, and found a spot for it on his back. ¡°With your dexterity, I¡¯m not sure you would catch it.¡±


    ¡°I can pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s check what else these heroes had on them.¡±


    Artivan checked the mender while Owin dug through the bag of the wizard. He found a single white intelligence buff potion, along with four mana potions and some random gems.


    Owin carried the armful of things back, letting them fall right beside Artivan, who was still digging through the mender¡¯s bag.


    ¡°His armor appears to be mostly ordinary.¡± Artivan pulled out a health potion and drank it right away. The cut on the side of his head, the little that could be seen through the open visor, closed. ¡°Find anything good?¡±


    He pushed the gems around, then tapped his finger on the intelligence potion. ¡°Drink it. No reason to wait.¡±


    ¡°Buffs are good for you too,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Not as helpful as they are for you.¡±


    Owin drank the potion and gave Artivan the empty bottle. He chuckled and stuffed it into his bag.


    Intelligence +30


    Intelligence: 145


    The blue mana bar grew by a significant chunk, though half of it was still burned away from the apparition damage.


    ¡°Do you feel smarter?¡± Artivan asked.


    ¡°Would it work that way?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas how else it would work. Strength appears to work that way.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    Artivan tossed a few gold pieces to Owin. Each smacked into his chest as he failed to catch even a single one. ¡°Your share of the dungeon gold.¡±


    Owin picked them up and tossed them into his bag, along with the rest. So far, he hadn¡¯t needed to spend any. But that was mostly because everyone who would take it ended up dead. Maybe he needed to try buying something on the next floor.


    ¡°If we find a dexterity potion, you¡¯re drinking that as fast as possible,¡± Artivan said. He stood, groaning a bit with the effort. ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time we finish these hobgoblins.¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t help but stare at the door to the hallway. Placus and Siora were still inside, watching. Waiting.


    Artivan had said no mercy, and yet, he showed mercy the first chance he got. That¡¯s what made him different from the humans that had been forced into hiding. It¡¯s what made him different from the two corpses they were leaving behind.


    Owin feared he would see them again, and if he did, he would show them what it really looked like to have no mercy.

 Chapter 21

    The hobgoblins had little to loot in their buildings. Owin was surprised to see so little furniture inside the manor-like building as they rushed through the entrance. There were ten different hobgoblins in the building, all spread through different rooms. Owin led the way, ransacking and killing.


    Overall, it was a quick and decisive attack.


    Quest Complete


    Choose Your Reward


    Artisan Item


    ¡°Quest complete?¡± Owin asked.


    They were on the second floor of the manor. Artivan stood at the window beside a dead hobgoblin magus. He could see the hallway door from his position.


    ¡°Apparently the ones housing themselves in the jail don¡¯t count.¡± Artivan shifted his attention from the hallway and rolled a dead hobgoblin over. A single coin fell out. He picked it up and looked closely at the golden coin.


    Blood ran from the bodies, soaking into the extravagant rug that covered the center of the room. Owin watched the red blood pool over the wooden floorboards as it all moved toward one side of the room.


    The ogre quest didn¡¯t finish until all three were dead. Something was off. ¡°It said annihilate.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Artivan checked the other body for loot and found nothing. He lifted his visor and looked at Owin. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°What if someone killed the ones in jail.¡±


    ¡°Who¡ª¡± Artivan quickly stood. ¡°The mender?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Artivan turned back to the window. He couldn¡¯t see the castle ruins that held the jail and crypt from that position. ¡°If we fight them, the others will join in.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve killed them when we had the chance.¡± Owin waved the Thunderstrike Maul, slowly building its charge.


    ¡°Owin, we need to flee north. We can find our way into the secret on this floor.¡±


    ¡°We can kill Siora right now.¡±


    Artivan held his sword out. ¡°This has one charge. It will take another day for me to get more. My mana is useless, and my abilities can only handle so much of the combat. Their mender will keep them feeling fresh. Owin, we cannot handle all four. If we rush to the hallway right now, we will be giving the others time to find us. Our only choice is to flee.¡±


    ¡°This is your fault,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan sighed. ¡°I know. But they¡¯re coming after you, and I¡¯m not going to let them kill you. Blame me as much as you want.¡±


    Owin gripped the Thunderstrike Maul with both hands, squeezing as hard as he could manage.


    ¡°We can follow the lake to the secret. I don¡¯t know how to get in, so I¡¯ll be relying on you to help figure it out. Are we on the same page?¡±


    Owin nodded. What else could he say? Artivan wouldn¡¯t follow if Owin went to kill the other humans, and Owin absolutely couldn¡¯t handle fighting them on his own. He had already fled from Nikoletta and Miklos once.


    ¡°Did you claim your quest reward?¡± Artivan asked.


    Owin quickly scrolled through the list until he found a purple constitution buff. It appeared in his hand, and he immediately drank it. The sweet, fruity taste was nearly overwhelming.


    Constitution +30


    Constitution: 140


    His health bar stretched farther, now almost twice as big as his mana bar. When he actually looked at his stats, his constitution was still lower than his intelligence, but he was getting it up there. During a fight, he at least wasn¡¯t worried about a random attack outright killing him anymore.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Nothing. One quest reward per party.¡± Artivan set out, quickly passing through the door. Owin ran after as the knight jogged through the manor, stepping over dead hobgoblins without a second look.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You got the two rewards for those quests,¡± Artivan said without stopping. He left the same door they had come through on the east side of the manor. The forest was calm again as birds sang nearby. Blood still clung to the white birch bark outside the kennel where they had fought Siora¡¯s team.


    Owin glanced at the hallway leading from the stairs. The door was still closed. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that.¡±


    ¡°I did now. It¡¯s fine, really.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve taken at least one of the rewards!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Artivan said. He placed a finger to his mouth and nodded to the castle ruins. ¡°Let¡¯s not help them find us.¡±


    Artivan followed the manor walls north, through a small grove of trees and past the kennel, into a denser area of birch forest. Owin only saw the castle ruins for a brief moment, but didn¡¯t spot anything in that time.


    Owin followed silently through the calm, bright woods. Birch trees were beautiful with their white bark. Some had bark that was peeling, curling in on itself. Owin ran his hand along the trees they passed, admiring the serene calmness of the forest, even as fighting and slaughter happened all around.


    So far on the fourth floor, they had left a trail of death in their wake. That wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary for Owin. From the moment he awoke, people had wanted to kill him. Artivan was right. People only recognized strength. It took killing two of her party for Siora to recognize Owin and Artivan¡¯s strength.


    What would it take for them to recognize Owin¡¯s alone?


    Squirrels jumped from branch to branch and hares ran into underbrush all through the woods. Life moved all around them. Did the wildlife also respawn thirty minutes after dying? Could someone hunt the same hare all day?


    Artivan, the huge armored figure he was, walked so calmly through the woods. His strides were twice the size of Owin¡¯s, carrying him swiftly onward. The first time they met, Artivan didn¡¯t hesitate to protect Owin. He had never once hesitated to protect Owin, despite Owin doing nothing to help Artivan. If anything, traveling with Owin had made the dungeon significantly more difficult for him. The humans wouldn¡¯t have bothered Artivan at all if he hadn¡¯t gotten involved.


    ¡°Can I talk?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We should be far enough away by now.¡± Artivan slowed down, allowing Owin to catch up and walk at his side. The tall knight did have to make an effort not to simply walk normally. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Why are you really helping me?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Artivan took a drink of water and yawned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°All the humans I¡¯ve met have tried to kill me. All but you.¡± Even most of the mobs that were humans had wanted to kill Owin. Nosolus and Naxile hung in his mind, growing that deep anger.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have some motive for helping you, Owin. Look at the way you¡¯re talking. The way you¡¯re acting. The way you have managed to climb to the fourth floor. You aren¡¯t a mob. You aren¡¯t a monster. You may be a goblin, but that doesn¡¯t make you less of a person than anyone else. If that mender had been chasing someone else, I would have stepped in to help in the exact same way.¡±


    Artivan hiked the rest of the way down to the lake and stopped beside the blue water. Small waves washed ashore, passing over a short, pebble-covered beach. His boots crunched on the rocks.


    Owin stood higher on the hill, watching as the knight crouched and pulled a gauntlet off to pass his hand through the water. Artivan was also so calm. Fighting Siora had brought out anger and passion Owin hadn¡¯t seen before, but now, only a short while after the fight, he was calm again.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Owin was still angry at Cato from the first floor. He was still furious at Ponk and Naxile. He still wanted to kill Nosolus, even knowing that the magus had already died.


    Owin wanted to kill Nikoletta, Miklos, Siora, and Placus. More than kill. He wanted them to feel the same fear he had felt. He wanted them to be terrified for their lives.


    ¡°I think we should leave,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin relaxed his grip on the hammer. His knuckles ached from squeezing so aggressively. ¡°Leave what?¡±


    ¡°The dungeon. I had planned to finish the fifth floor. The mobs up there are more similar to my level. But there¡¯s no reason to continue. We can go straight to the stairs now and leave.¡±


    No.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Artivan cupped his hand and scooped water to his mouth. He drank, wiped his hand off, and put his gauntlet back on. He slowly stood, sighing. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Ruvaine has told me that I must climb the tower.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You¡¯ve grown, but you¡¯re not strong enough. Above the fifth floor is beyond what you can imagine, Owin.¡±


    Climb.


    ¡°I have to keep going or I¡¯ll die.¡±


    Artivan secured his gauntlet. His visor was down, hiding his features as he stared at Owin. ¡°I can¡¯t stay with you to the top.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Artivan looked over his shoulder, out across the lake. A castle stood off shore. Its dark stones clashed with the white forest surrounding the lake. ¡°We¡¯ll need to find our way into the secret. This one is less hidden, but the way inside is a closely guarded secret for those who know.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were leaving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll guide you through as far as I can. I don¡¯t think I can ascend to the sixth floor, but that will give us enough time to prepare you the best we can.¡± Artivan set off along the pebble-covered shore.


    Owin ran after him, keeping to the grassy hillside. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, little goblin. I¡¯ve been at this for a long time.¡± Artivan continued staring at the castle in the distance. ¡°I¡¯ve never even fully tried getting inside. I didn¡¯t know about the secrets on each level before and assumed the castle was for some quest I had missed. When the drawbridge wouldn¡¯t open, I just left.¡±


    Owin stopped on the grassy hill. He leaned on a birch tree, watching Artivan slowly walk away. The knight continued down the beach, wobbling a bit whenever the pebbles rolled under his boots.


    Owin wasn¡¯t going to be responsible for Artivan¡¯s death. Watching him walk away hurt Owin¡¯s stomach, but he couldn¡¯t follow. Not if he wanted Artivan to escape.


    Once the old man was gone, Owin would go right back to town. He couldn¡¯t give Siora the opportunity to try again. She would die. The forest was quiet for now between the lake and the ruined town. But Owin wouldn¡¯t let the humans sneak up on him again.


    Metal boots loudly crunched on rocks, quickly approaching behind Owin. He turned back to the lake to see Artivan rapidly approaching. The old knight had moved incredibly fast.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin squealed as he turned to run.


    Artivan grabbed the back of Owin¡¯s shirt and effortlessly yanked him from the ground. Owin managed to drop his hammer as he was shaken in the air. ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t even phrased as a question. The knight shouted so loud that it made Owin wince.


    ¡°I was letting you leave me,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°No, you moron.¡± Artivan set him down, picked up the hammer, and shoved it into Owin¡¯s hands. ¡°I did not say we¡¯re parting ways. We¡¯re a team. We¡¯re together until we absolutely have to split. Even then, we will find each other again.¡± Artivan grabbed both of Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Owin nodded slowly. The intensity. That quick switch from calmness. It was as though Artivan was always fired up, but was able to keep a surprisingly calm persona most of the time.


    ¡°Do I need to carry you or can you walk with me?¡±


    ¡°I can walk,¡± Owin quickly said.


    ¡°Then walk, little goblin. We have a castle in the middle of the lake to explore.¡±


    Owin walked in front of Artivan, sparing a few quick glances at the old knight. He was like a massive metal wall looming behind.


    ¡°Why are you so set on this? I¡¯m not helpless. You haven¡¯t even known me that long!¡±


    Artivan grabbed the back of Owin¡¯s shirt and lifted him again, picking up the pace as he walked along the pebble-covered beach. ¡°You haven¡¯t known yourself long either, little goblin.¡± He gently set Owin back on the ground, allowing him to walk quickly to keep pace.


    ¡°Despite how tough you act,¡± Artivan continued, ¡°you are scared and trying to learn. Trying to prove yourself. Trying to find your place in the world. We all go through that at some point in our lives. Every single person. Even those heroes we killed had once, or would have one day, questioned who they were and tried to find ways to better themselves. Does that mean they were good people or would have become good people?¡±


    The question hung in the air. Owin looked up at Artivan, who kept his visor down as he focused on the dark stone castle in the middle of the lake.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re correct, Owin. Bettering oneself does not make someone good or bad. There is no evil or just. There is only . . . this.¡± He gestured out to the forest. ¡°Life. Good, bad, right, wrong. It¡¯s what we make of it, and more importantly, how it makes you feel. If you met your younger self, would they be proud of who you became? Of who you are now? For me, I know that to be true. When I turned fifteen, I knew I would be a knight because I had struggled for it. I worked on my family¡¯s farm outside Kriergow everyday, and every day after my chores, I worked on my attributes. I read and studied to raise my intelligence. I ran and found sparring partners who I let hit me, just to raise my constitution. I joined a wrestling team of berserkers in training, and I got pummeled. Everything I did, I did to become a hero.¡±


    Artivan casually reached out, bumping Owin¡¯s head with his armored hand. ¡°I know that¡¯s not a question you can ask. You haven¡¯t aged like a human would. Who but Ruvaine knows how long you spent in that cave. Does even Ruvaine know if you will age once you leave? For you, there are more than just unknowns. There are things that have never been studied before. But the same question still stands: In ten years, in twenty years, in one hundred years, will you be proud of the decisions you made today? Would you be proud of who you are right now? If you live forever, would you tell stories of when you awoke in the Great Forest or would you hide the details of this adventure in shame?¡±


    Owin stared at the beach ahead. The way to the lake was long and the forest on the right was dense with white trees. His mind turned at Artivan¡¯s questions. What did it mean to be proud? What did it mean to regret? He hadn¡¯t had many opportunities to learn how those things felt. The meanings might have appeared in his mind when his intelligence jumped, but a meaning and an understanding weren¡¯t the same thing.


    ¡°How do I know?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan fished through his bag without looking, bumping around glass jars, until he pulled two red sticks from his bag. He lifted his visor and sniffed. ¡°Do you actually get hungry or did you just steal some of my mango when we first met?¡±


    There had been a few rumbles in Owin¡¯s stomach, though the concept of hunger was a distant one. Would anything happen if he didn¡¯t eat?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Artivan grunted. ¡°Eat this meat stick.¡± He held out one of the small red sticks. It looked like a branch, but floppy.


    Owin sniffed it, accidentally almost slipping it up his nostril. It smelled of spice, though it was all unfamiliar. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Artivan shrugged as he took a bite and ripped a chunk free. ¡°Meat.¡± He quickly devoured the whole stick as Owin slowly chewed on the first bite. It tasted fine, though it wasn¡¯t as good as the other couple of things Owin had eaten.


    ¡°How do you know if you would be ashamed?¡± Artivan asked.


    Owin nodded as he worked on the snack.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. That¡¯s the difficult part. I was seventeen when I tried my first dungeon. I rushed right from Kriergow into the Subterranean Dungeon, thinking I would conquer it. Certain I would conquer it. My mentors called me a prodigy with the way I leveled from my fifteen to my seventeenth birthday. Levels flew past. I was level thirteen when I entered. Strong enough for the first floor, sure, but the second floor was immediately difficult. I struggled onto the third floor and refused to leave.¡± He slapped the armor right under his armpit.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t so difficult to remove all my armor, I¡¯d show you the scar. I was lucky I had made it to the end of the floor before becoming truly overwhelmed. I crawled out of the exit, leaving a trail of blood the whole way. I swore I bled enough for three people. There was a mender approaching the dungeon who was kind enough to force the wound closed.¡± Artivan patted the spot on his armor again before letting his arm drop.


    ¡°How old are you now?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan rubbed his armored fingers along his cheek. ¡°Fifty three.¡±


    ¡°It took thirty six years to go up nineteen levels?¡±


    ¡°It took me seven years to gain nineteen levels.¡± Artivan grinned. ¡°That¡¯s where Chorsay Eoghet comes into my story.¡± Artivan sighed, taking a moment to drink water and admire the castle that slowly grew in the distance. ¡°I quit adventuring right after I escaped the Subterranean Dungeon. I took odd jobs for years until I ended up in Izylia tending a bar.¡±


    Artivan chuckled quietly to himself. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of my story that won¡¯t mean much to you. Not until you¡¯ve seen the outside world. You have a lot to learn. A lot to see.¡± He grinned and patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re going to have fun once we¡¯re out. I¡¯ll make sure of it. Let¡¯s save the rest of the story for another time. We need to focus. How does one get into a castle in the middle of a lake?¡±


    ¡°I could¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you say jump, I will throw you into the woods.¡±


    ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know. You said a bridge?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Part of the castle was in the middle of the lake. A small building with huge, ornate windows. Something inside glittered beautifully in the sunlight, though Owin couldn¡¯t tell what it was from so far away. A bridge that looked like it was sticking together by threads connected the small building with the rest of the castle, which was separated from the mainland by a moat.


    Artivan stood on the edge of the moat, which was a good ten feet from the edge to the dark castle stones. The water rushed through, dark as it moved, hiding the depth of the bottom. All Owin could think about was the water grabbing hold of him and throwing him out into the lake, too far away to be saved.


    The gatehouse jutted out from the main wall with thin arrow slits on both sides of a raised drawbridge. It was the only obvious way in, though with it raised, there wasn¡¯t a clear way to get through.


    ¡°This is the only entrance?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I walked all the way around the last time I was here. Nothing. The moat gets even wider in some sections. Never thinner. We need to find some way to open the drawbridge. If it was easy, it wouldn¡¯t be a secret. It¡¯s difficult to miss the castle here.¡±


    It was huge. The dark stone was a stark monument on the horizon even from the hobgoblin town. Whatever secrets Ruvaine hid inside were going to be more than simply difficult to unveil.


    ¡°Jumping the moat would be easy,¡± Artivan said. ¡°But then what?¡±


    ¡°Can we destroy the bridge?¡±


    Artivan pointed at the raised wooden bridge. ¡°Flare Burst.¡± Luminous flames appeared on the wooden, but quickly fizzled out. ¡°That¡¯s my only ranged attack.¡±


    Owin looked down into the dark waters. Throwing the hammer was his best ranged option, but if it didn¡¯t work, or if he missed, he might lose the hammer forever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw the hammer,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin shot him a look. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re predictable, little goblin. You jump or throw. Your moves and attacks haven¡¯t been all that different from one another. Ogre? Jump. Hobgoblin? Jump. Scaltari? Both.¡±


    ¡°I could do something different,¡± Owin said, ready to argue. Before he had the chance to say anything else, he had trouble imagining even a single other way to fight. Berserkers had abilities that helped them charge forward, while knights and soldiers had shields and weapons to block and parry. Real wizards, not deficient ones like Owin, had plenty of spells to work with, especially by the time they reached the fourth floor of a dungeon. What else could he do?


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You will learn new techniques as your skills grow. You may not get new abilities and spells like every other hero, but that won¡¯t stop you from improving.¡± Artivan looked around the ground and used his armored foot to kick a few patches of grass until he found a decent rock. He tossed it and swiftly snatched it out of the air.


    ¡°I can throw harder than you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And with the five points you have in dexterity, you might end up throwing it backward through my skull.¡± Artivan positioned himself right in front of the drawbridge and adjusted his grip on the rock. ¡°If I can damage the bridge, that will give us an idea of ways to get inside. I know going on the roof doesn¡¯t work. I heard a story of an umbra who teleported up top and slipped right off as if he had stepped onto grease.¡±


    ¡°I have thirty points,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure that the difference matters. Anything below fifty is useless.¡±


    ¡°Wisdom and charisma are lower,¡± Owin muttered.


    Artivan whipped his arm around and threw the rock. It pinged off the wood, booming out a loud, but empty thunk, before the rock dropped into the rushing moat. ¡°That wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected.¡± The knight waved Owin on, leading him along the moat. ¡°Perhaps the entrance is hidden like the labyrinth.¡±


    Owin kept his eyes on the water as Artivan walked perilously close to the edge. The old knight didn¡¯t seem bothered by the possibility of falling in, or he was oblivious to just how close he was.


    ¡°Low wisdom and charisma don¡¯t show themselves as much as the other stats would if they were that low. Let¡¯s just say that a low charisma won¡¯t be helping you make friends. Being a goblin isn¡¯t going to assist that either. And wisdom . . . it¡¯s what magus and menders use for spells. I can¡¯t say mine is all that high either. It helps with common sense, intuition, and understanding people. While I feel I can still do those things, someone with higher wisdom likely does much better.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s common sense?¡±


    Artivan clapped his armored hands together. ¡°And that, little goblin, might just be the evidence you are looking for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Artivan looked over his shoulder. His face was mostly hidden in shadow under the raised visor of his helmet. ¡°You will someday.¡±


    From outside, the main hall of the castle looked like it was at least as big as the Malignant Spirit¡¯s cathedral. It was difficult to tell from the outside. There weren''t as many ornamentations on the walls as there had been on the cathedral, and the castle was shorter, but most of the ceiling had been empty space in the cathedral that did little more than make sound bounce around wildly.


    It took them a while to walk around the main hall, and all Owin could do was watch the dark water below. He kept back from the edge, but the flowing water was still visible wherever he went, like it was always reminding him that it could sweep him away and kill him like it was nothing.


    The forest continued all around them, rising away from the lake on a gradual slope. Birch trees of all sizes grew in the forest as the only tree, though various bushes and flowers covered the ground throughout the forest. Birds continued chirping happily, and Owin spotted a few small animals darting through the underbrush.


    Compared to the second floor, looking out into the forest felt less threatening. There hadn¡¯t been anything dangerous stalking through the woods that Owin had seen. Not like the bears and wolves on the second floor. It was a peaceful forest with aggressive creatures living in the caves and ruins.


    A passageway led from the main hall to a separate room that was covered in massive, ornate stained glass windows. The whole design of the room looked different from what little could be seen outside. Owin stared at the stained glass, trying to make sense of it as Artivan stopped on the edge again, placing his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Whatever is important inside must lie within that room,¡± he said.


    Owin kept walking, hoping to circle around the other side to see the other windows. Deciphering the shapes was difficult. There was something vaguely humanoid, and many colorful things swirling about in the biggest of the windows. Maybe a wizard?


    A bit of dirt crumbled near the edge, tumbling down into the dark waters below. Owin took a step back, still staring at the window. There was a sliver of something that looked as though it could be a staff. Maybe only wizards could enter the castle?


    His leg bumped into a bush. A small stick jabbed him in the leg, not even damaging his health bar. The two smaller stained glass windows on each side were easier to see. One was clearly a hobgoblin, posing and flexing. Its bright yellow hair was the easy sign, along with the cool colored skin. On the opposite side was an ogre. The massive splotch of gray in an otherwise colorful stained glass display made the ogre shape with the long, bristle hairs obvious. The center window was much larger, causing Owin to back up even farther, pushing through the bush. If his constitution had been lower, the branches would have scraped up his legs, but now they were hardly noticeable, not even leaving marks on his green skin.


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    Above the top of what Owin thought was the wizard¡¯s head was a violet halo. He hadn¡¯t seen any spells or creatures with a halo, and he couldn¡¯t think of anything Artivan had said that would fit that description.


    He took another step back. The world flipped. Owin scrambled for footing as he fell backward. He flailed and failed to grab onto anything. His head smashed into a step, lowering his health by one. His feet flipped over, and before he could recover, Owin was tumbling backward down a set of spiral stairs, constantly smashing into the wall as it turned.


    It felt like a full minute before he rolled over and finally landed on his face. His health had only dropped a few points, which hardly mattered. The embarrassment was worse.


    ¡°Owin?¡± Artivan called, voice distant.


    ¡°Down here,¡± Owin called. He jumped to his feet, brushed off dirt, and surveyed his surroundings.


    It was dark. Survey done.


    ¡°Down where?¡± Artivan¡¯s metal armor clanked above. ¡°Owin?¡±


    ¡°In the bush!¡±


    He could hear Artivan rustling around above. The bush shook and armor clanked about. ¡°Oh. Stairs?¡±


    Owin waited until Artivan reached the bottom. He thought he looked casual, keeping the Thunderstrike Maul on his shoulder as he leaned on the wall, waiting.


    ¡°You fell down the stairs, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Artivan walked up and brushed dust off Owin¡¯s hair and the back of his shirt.


    ¡°I thought I got all the dust,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yeah . . .¡± Artivan looked into the darkness beyond. ¡°I finally get to use my torch, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You have a torch?¡±


    Artivan made a face Owin hadn¡¯t seen before. He looked like he was going to laugh, but somehow still serious. The old knight pulled out a wooden stick with a bundle of thorny material on the end. ¡°What kind of hero doesn¡¯t have a torch?¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Other than you.¡± Artivan smashed the bundled end on the wall. The thorn-like material sparked and ignited, throwing firelight down a long hallway.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Blaze vine. Most alchemists grow it in the outside world.¡± He tapped it on the wall again, causing it to spark more. ¡°Very helpful. It burns for hours.¡±


    ¡°What if you need it to stop burning?¡±


    ¡°Water. Urine. Whatever works.¡±


    Owin scowled. Had Artivan peed on that torch before? If so, was that the source of the slightly off putting smell coming from the torch?


    Roots poked through crumbling stone bricks all down the hallway. Nothing adorned the walls. Bits of frayed carpet covered the floor, though what was left crumbled from the slightest touch.


    Owin sucked in air through his nose. It was damp and musty, reminding him of the labyrinth. ¡°Is it going to flood?¡±


    Artivan smacked his armored fist against the wall. Some bits of stone crumbled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it. With the roots from the trees above poking through, water would already have a way inside.¡±


    The hall was wide enough for them to walk side by side. The blaze vine torch burned brightly, but not strong enough to cast light to the other side, however far away that was. Artivan led again, walking confidently as his armored steps echoed.


    What Owin didn¡¯t understand was the thick layer of dust covering the floor. Things didn¡¯t change in the dungeons. They respawned a half hour later, back to exactly as they had been before. Even the damage from Nikoletta¡¯s fight against Charzosk had been fixed when the boss respawned. The ruins of the hobgoblin town and the dust in the hall were placed to specifically make the areas look old and ruined. But why?


    ¡°Is there anything in your history about what was before the dungeons?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Before? Nothing was before. The dungeons and humanity were made at the same time. The first humans lived in villages around the dungeons. There are some written records, and sometimes people still find some artifacts buried around one of the entrances. That¡¯s actually why there are other forts outside the Fortress Dungeon. Vekuborg is so far away because of . . .¡±


    Artivan looked down at Owin. ¡°You don¡¯t know where any of that is, so I¡¯m not going to keep throwing names at you. Really, the gods of the dungeons also created us. Why do you ask?¡±


    Owin crouched and ran his finger through the dust, letting a thick chunk build up on the end of his finger. ¡°Where did the dust come from if things don¡¯t age? Why are there ruins?¡±


    Artivan lifted the torch to the crumbling ceiling. Roots shriveled under the heat and light. ¡°A question I hadn¡¯t previously considered, little goblin.¡±


    ¡°Gropnil had told me that the Malignant Spirit was an enemy of Ruvaine. One of the Lords of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Okay . . .¡± Artivan repositioned the torch so he could see Owin¡¯s face. The light was harsh. ¡°Who is Gropnil?¡±


    ¡°Leader of the satyrs.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, a mob believed this boss that always appears on the second level is an enemy of the Great Forest Goddess?¡±


    Owin nodded. The hall ended abruptly with a black iron door that seemed to grow bigger the closer they got. ¡°I believed it too because I was still figuring out what was happening after I awoke. Gropnil was sure the Malignant Spirit was an enemy of Ruvaine. Now, seeing this dust and the ruins, I feel like there is some story Ruvaine is trying to tell in the dungeon. If nothing ages, why make it look old if there isn¡¯t a purpose?¡±


    Artivan stopped in front of the door, holding the torch close. The dark metal ate the light, refusing to reflect anything back. There were designs that looked like little more than swirls to Owin. There was no handle, though it was undoubtedly a door.


    ¡°There were undead on the second and fourth floors,¡± he said as he ran his hand along a groove in the door. ¡°Nothing connects the goblin caves with anything else. The scaltari don¡¯t show up again in the Great Forest either, from what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    One small design on the door stood out, happily reflecting the torch¡¯s light. It was nothing more than a little silver ring near the top. Owin stood on his toes, trying to get even a slightly better view, but the dark metal was too difficult to see in the low light. Bulges and swirls throughout the door combined to make some design or shape that was going to remain a mystery.


    Artivan pressed his fist against a section of the door, pushing in a hidden button. The door automatically slid open, grinding loudly as it moved.


    ¡°How did you know to look?¡± Owin asked. He hadn¡¯t seen a thing.


    ¡°If there isn¡¯t a handle, then the door has to open some other way.¡± Artivan stuck the torch through the tall doorway, revealing a steep set of stairs down. ¡°Lower?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t go down, we go back up,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan held the torch high, casting the light as far down as possible as they descended. Owin stayed right at his side, hands wrapped tightly around the Thunderstrike Maul. It was too narrow of a hall to use the hammer properly, but that wouldn¡¯t stop him from trying. Having to go back to relying on non-magical knives wasn¡¯t going to get Owin far. His weapons needed to get stronger as he climbed the floors or he would be overwhelmed easily. If he only had the stone knife and bolt wand still, he would have been crushed by the ogres.


    They descended for nearly a minute before hitting the bottom. Torchlight revealed a room that looked uncomfortably familiar. Shelves covered both walls, placed right in front of sarcophagi that had been built into the stone walls. The center held a massive sarcophagus with two violet swirling spires on each side.


    Some of the box-like shelves held skulls, though most were empty. Owin looked over them all, watching for eyes that met his own. Luckily, they were all clean, unmoving bones. Artivan crept forward, keeping his eyes locked on the center sarcophagus.


    ¡°The last sarcophagus like that one had a decayed scaltari,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to face a weak mob down here.¡±


    The Sovereign One Rises


    The entire room shook. It was like a distant earthquake that only caused the room to sway back and forth. Artivan immediately threw his torch to the side and drew his winged sword.


    ¡°Get behind me.¡± He looked back. ¡°Now.¡±


    Owin did as he was told. He stood directly behind Artivan, peeking to the side of the massive knight. Artivan shifted his stance into his defensive pose with his ruined shield out front.


    The top of the sarcophagus exploded off and crashed into the ceiling where it shattered and rained stone and dust. A violet light glowed inside the sarcophagus, shining on the dust that hung in the air.


    ¡°Who is the Sovereign One?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Artivan flashed white. The stones under his feet cracked with the sudden change in weight. ¡°We move together. You¡¯re fast enough to stick with me even when I dodge. I expect you to stay behind me until it¡¯s your time to charge.¡±


    Owin nodded, knowing that Artivan couldn¡¯t see him. The knight wasn¡¯t looking for an answer anyway. It wasn¡¯t a question. A pulse of energy hummed through the room, shaking Owin¡¯s ribs.


    A Cursed has been summoned


    The Sovereign One - 50% Awakened


    Level 30


    Owin didn¡¯t use Examine. The words had appeared in his vision just like they had with the Malignant Spirit.


    ¡°This is a boss,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°A secret boss. I didn¡¯t know they existed.¡±


    A door slammed shut behind them, locking them in the crypt.


    The Sovereign One floated out of the sarcophagus. Long, thick hair hung from its fleshless head. A violet halo hovered right over the top, casting its light through the room. Purple eyes glared at Artivan as another pulse of energy erupted from the lich.


    It held no weapons and wore no clothes. Its body was half skin, half bone. Some strands of sinew stuck out of tears in the flesh along arms and legs. 50% awakened left the Sovereign One in rough shape.


    Gray mist trailed behind its skeletal fingers as it examined its own hand. The lich looked at both hands and laughed. The deep, horrible laugh echoed in the small room. The skulls on the shelves laughed back.

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Flare Burst,¡± Artivan said, pointing at the Sovereign One.


    The lich erupted in bright luminous fire. Its laughter continued, even as skin peeled off in burnt strips. Artivan¡¯s attack quickly faded.


    ¡°I have Ironclad Stance activated,¡± Artivan said, nearly shouting to be heard over the laughter. ¡°If I have to activate Rampart, I won¡¯t be able to move. Do not let that mist touch you.¡± Artivan rolled his shoulders and readjusted his stance. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    Gray, shining mist followed the lich¡¯s every movement. The minor lich from before had thrown similar mist as a spell, but the Sovereign One had it drifting off its whole body. It moved incredibly fast, darting straight from the air into Artivan.


    Its skeletal hand smashed into his shield, throwing gray mist out to the sides. Artivan slid backward, pushing Owin back a few steps. He pulled back, creating a bit of room, then bashed the lich¡¯s hand aside with his shield, leaving him open.


    The Sovereign One moved way faster than anyone Owin had seen. Even as Artivan was in the middle of a swing with his winged sword, the lich thrust its other hand forward. Skin and sinew peeled right off from the quick burst as it drove its hand right onto Artivan¡¯s breastplate.


    The Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth caught the Sovereign One¡¯s other arm and easily chopped through the bone, severing the limb. It was an incredibly quick exchange that pushed Artivan back again, shattering the stones under his feet as he staggered. His increased weight with Ironclad Stance made each movement a little clumsy, but he stayed on his feet.


    ¡°Rampart!¡± A brown flash covered Artivan as a whole blast of gray mist covered his body.


    Owin dove to the side, avoiding the spell. A chill washed over him as another pulse of energy left the lich¡¯s body. Owin hopped right to his feet, looking for any sign that Artivan was safe.


    ¡°Go! Now!¡± Artivan shouted from within the spell.


    Owin ran forward, swinging the Thunderstrike Maul with all his strength. The head of the hammer glowed, partially charged, as it collided with the lich¡¯s legs. A skeletal leg flew back, cracking into the wall on the opposite side.


    It had disconnected so easily. The lich, still spreading mist on Artivan with its one arm, turned its gaze down to Owin.


    ¡°Pest,¡± it said, its voice like a quiet breeze.


    ¡°Back!¡± Artivan shouted.


    Owin dropped the hammer and leapt backward with all his strength. The lich swung too late, stopping its spell to swipe at Owin. It only cut through open air.


    It hadn¡¯t even cared to lose its leg. The lich was fast enough to dodge. But it didn¡¯t walk. Why would it even need legs?


    The lich¡¯s bright violet eyes were clear through the dust and wisps of gray mist as the last of the spell dissipated. Owin hurried back behind Artivan, drawing Naxile¡¯s knife.


    Artivan hadn¡¯t moved at all. Even the slightest readjustment of his shield was a slow, labored movement. The old knight was practically just a wall at the moment.


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Strike in openings. I¡¯ll keep its attention.¡± His rampart and ironclad stance ended, letting Artivan move freely. He stomped his foot and flashed yellow. The lich wheezed as its violet eyes locked onto Artivan¡¯s.


    The knight stepped forward and stabbed with the winged sword. The lich didn¡¯t attempt to dodge, letting the sword stab through its empty ribs. Owin dashed to the side as the lich grabbed Artivan¡¯s hand that held the sword. It cackled, letting the skulls echo its laughter as it forced the blade farther through.


    Owin pivoted and leapt. He crashed into the lich and drove the iron knife into the side of its skull. It easily pierced the bone, and did nothing else. The lich completely ignored Owin.


    The Sovereign One used its remaining foot to press into Artivan¡¯s chest as it tried to leverage the winged sword from his grip.


    This time, Artivan laughed.


    The lich quickly gave up trying to disarm him and flew backward, letting the sword easily slip between its ribs. The violet halo bobbed above its head as the lich came to a stop near the ceiling, floating over its sarcophagus.


    Owin wasn¡¯t sure if it had forgotten he was still there, or if it was just ignoring him. He held on tightly to the knife like it was a handle. His feet found the lich¡¯s pelvis to use so he wasn¡¯t dangling quite as much. They were only maybe fifteen feet up, but that was farther than Owin wanted to fall.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of the plan,¡± Artivan said.


    Owin knew that. It wasn¡¯t part of his plan either. It didn¡¯t appear any regular weapons would do damage to the Sovereign One. He needed something magical. The Bolt wand hadn¡¯t had a chance to recharge after the last lich fight, and using it without charges would take away more health than it used to, now that he had more.


    What else did he have that was magical?


    Owin pulled the wand from his belt, keeping his other hand tightly wrapped around the knife handle. He swung up and jabbed the wand into the lich¡¯s eye, casting Bolt twice.


    Twenty health vanished immediately on each cast, sending a wave of burning pain up his arm. Luckily, it also caused pain to the Sovereign One as a horrible, deafening scream erupted from its skull.


    The lich grabbed Owin¡¯s face with its skeletal hand. Before he could let go, gray mist filled his entire vision. Coldness spread through his whole body. He barely felt the fall before he crashed into the sarcophagus below.


    ¡°Flare Burst,¡± Artivan shouted


    The knight¡¯s heavy steps quickly approached. His vision was gray mist, and his body felt numb, like he couldn¡¯t move even an inch. The Sovereign One laughed again, no longer screaming in pain.


    Owin felt Artivan¡¯s hand pull on his shirt, yanking him from the sarcophagus. Spells crashed into the knight¡¯s armor. Skeletal fingers scraped along his shield. Owin hit the stone floor as they clashed again.


    Owin wasn¡¯t sure what was worse, having a lich control his body, or to lose his vision and movement. He felt like a sack of flour, unable to do anything while Artivan fought. He didn¡¯t even feel pain. It was only the unusual coldness that swept through his body in waves.


    His red health bar was low, and dropping lower. But from what? Nothing hurt. As far as he could tell, he was lying on the floor while Artivan fought the Sovereign One.


    If creatures like this were common on the fifth floor, Owin wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to keep climbing. Not that he had much of a choice. Artivan had said the fifth floor was where he would find enemies that matched his level. This one was already level 30 and Owin didn¡¯t stand a chance. How was he going to survive through that floor and then climb again to find even stronger mobs and bosses?


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    Artivan¡¯s steps circled Owin. His armored boots crashed loudly against the stone floor. They shoved Owin aside a few times. It was difficult to tell if it was intentional or not. Maybe Artivan had to dodge and just accidentally kicked Owin.


    How could they defeat the Sovereign One? Taking out its eye had caused pain, but Owin doubted taking out both eyes would stop it. The lich was willing to lose limbs to gain an advantage. As an undead, it could have a way to heal those types of injuries fine. Artivan had said to take heads from undead, but did liches follow the same rules?


    With only gray mist in his vision, Owin was able to easily visualize the lich and the fight from before he was incapacitated. The lich was falling apart even before the fight had started. It was only partially awakened, according to the announcement.


    What caused it to awaken?


    Something warm splashed onto Owin¡¯s face. His health bar shot up, but didn¡¯t quite top off.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Artivan shouted. A glass bottle hit the ground near Owin¡¯s face, shattering loudly. His vision hadn¡¯t returned, but he wasn¡¯t dying anymore. For now. He still felt cold and couldn¡¯t move.


    Owin continued looking at the lich. The main difference between the minor lich from the ruins and the one Artivan fought now was the halo. There was an identical halo depicted on the stained glass window of the castle, and a shining halo on the door above.


    Was it that simple?


    Owin tried telling Artivan, but his mouth didn¡¯t move. No sounds came out.


    Something clattered on the ground by Owin¡¯s face. A hand grabbed his own face, firm fingers squeezing his cheeks.


    ¡°This is going to hurt,¡± Artivan said.


    What felt like an electrical shock shook Owin¡¯s whole body. His muscles tensed and spasmed as the gray mist rapidly faded. The cold sensation was immediately a distant memory as pain seared Owin¡¯s face.


    Artivan was hunched over him with his bare hand over Owin¡¯s face. The lich dove in for another attack, which Artivan seemed to have expected. He pulled his hand free, grabbed his sword, and turned, throwing his shield in between himself and the enemy.


    The lich crashed into him, throwing Artivan onto his back.


    Owin flipped off his back onto all fours. He pushed off with his feet, breaking the stones with his powerful jump. He landed right on the lich¡¯s back, grabbing Naxile¡¯s knife with one hand and the halo with the other.


    The violet halo burned straight through Owin¡¯s skin as he gritted his teeth and ripped it free of the lich¡¯s head. As soon as it was in his control, the knife easily sliced through the skull, causing Owin to tumble right off the back of the lich. He smashed into the stone floor again, looking back up at the ceiling.


    The lich screamed and spun to face Owin. Before it could dive, Artivan stabbed the winged sword straight through its skull. The Sovereign One went limp and hung from Artivan¡¯s weapon like a doll.


    Owin dropped the halo. Smoke rose from his hand. The crypt now smelled like cooked meat. Or it might have just been Owin that smelled like it. He sniffed his burnt hand.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Artivan stood over Owin, looking down with his visor raised. He looked tired.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan laughed. ¡°How did you know to go for the halo?¡±


    ¡°I had some time to think about it.¡±


    Artivan grunted. He looked around the room, then crouched and pulled Owin to his feet. ¡°We¡¯ll have to find a mirror for you.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    He pointed to his face. ¡°It shows what you look like.¡±


    Owin ran his hands over his face. Entire sections of his skin were bumpy like he had something stuck under his skin. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Your skin peeled away. The health potion and Healing Touch fixed it, but they don¡¯t stop scars from forming.¡± Artivan put his gauntlet back on and tightened the straps. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Owin shook his head. He fixed the knives and wand on his belt and checked everything else. It all appeared to be fine. His health wasn¡¯t all the way up, but it wasn¡¯t low enough to need another potion.


    The bright violet halo still glowed on the ground. Artivan stood on the other side of it with his hands on his hips. His index flashed in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Owin used Examine.


    Halo of the Doomed Harbinger


    Unique Master Magical Item


    The Doomed Harbinger is a legend long forgotten, twisted by time. A king anointed by the gods, corrupted by the Abyss, and cast into the world to act as a warning¡ª A curse that would never end.


    Whoever wears the halo becomes the Doomed Harbinger, destined to become a lich who will haunt and kill for the rest of eternity.


    Provides a boost to all attributes when worn.


    The halo cannot be held or carried. It must be worn.


    Note: Magical item does not vary by user


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re wearing that,¡± Owin said. He held out his hand, letting Artivan see the horrible burn across his palm.


    ¡°Remember the window on the castle?¡±


    Owin nodded and sighed. ¡°You think the halo is the key to the secret?¡±


    ¡°Well . . . yes.¡± He crouched beside the glowing halo, grunting with effort. ¡°I could see if my armor can manage.¡±


    ¡°It will burn through. I don¡¯t think the description is trying to trick us.¡± The burn pulsed with pain as Owin looked down at the bright halo. If it was the key to the secret, they wouldn¡¯t need to keep it long. But what did it mean to be destined? ¡°Can heroes turn into liches?¡±


    Artivan exhaled loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Artivan quickly snatched the halo and placed it over his head. He let go right away and waited, as if balancing something on his head. The glowing halo floated in place.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°Whoa. That was more than a boost,¡± Artivan said, looking at his index. ¡°And what¡¯s this new ability?¡± He pointed at the closed door, which immediately opened. ¡°Look at that. I think I know how to open the drawbridge.¡±


    ¡°But now you¡¯re destined to die,¡± Owin said, finding himself still shouting.


    Artivan shook his head. He waved Owin over and patted him on the head. ¡°We¡¯re all destined to die at some point, little goblin. This halo isn¡¯t going to change any part of my life.¡± He looked back at the open door. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s going to let us see what¡¯s in this damn castle that has been a mystery to me for years.¡±


    Artivan waited by the door as Owin ran around the room, checking the skulls and the lich for any loot. He grabbed the hammer, checked his belt one more time, and retrieved the torch. The way back felt much quicker than the way down as Artivan led the way back up to the surface. With the constant glow of the halo, they hardly needed the torch in the dark hallway.


    Sunlight was too bright, causing Owin to squint as he pushed through the bush and reemerged on the surface. He moved to the side, looking back at the hidden staircase. Even while knowing where it was, he couldn¡¯t spot it. That made him feel a little better about falling down before.


    The violet halo floated above Artivan¡¯s helmet. He grinned as he looked across the moat at the same halo on the stained glass. ¡°Does that look like me?¡±


    ¡°That person is wearing a pointed hat.¡±


    Artivan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He reached over and tapped Owin¡¯s head. ¡°We match with your hair and my halo.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that you have it,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan ignored the comment and set off back to the drawbridge. Owin followed, keeping an eye on the white forest beyond. Siora and Nikoletta were out there somewhere. After the last fight, maybe Siora and Placus would flee, but Owin knew deep down that Miklos and Nikoletta weren¡¯t going to go anywhere without his head.


    After finding the Thunderstrike Maul in the last secret, Owin was looking forward to what they would find in this one, but that glowing halo that hung just above Artivan made Owin¡¯s stomach turn.


    Birds continued singing in the forest as they followed the moat to the front of the castle. Artivan positioned himself in front of the drawbridge and activated whatever new ability he had gained from the halo.


    The bridge immediately started lowering. At the same time, a metal gate lifted behind the bridge, allowing them access to the castle¡¯s main hall. Artivan stood still until the wooden door hit the ground, pressing hard into the grass. He strode across confidently with his boots thunking on the wooden platform as it flexed slightly under his weight.


    The door into the castle was wide and brightly lit. Firelight poured out, shining off Artivan¡¯s metal armor. Owin had yet to move, still standing beside an old birch tree. Right in the center of the room, just beyond the gate, was a small tower made of bones. Skulls, ribs, and various limb bones had been arranged into some type of spire.


    Artivan continued on, unbothered by the decoration. The violet halo bobbed above his head as he stepped through the threshold and immediately stopped. A massive, slimy white eye floated down from the ceiling, stopping right before the knight. Its pupil shrank as it focused on Artivan.


    Great Forest Mob


    Ocular Guard


    Level 27


    It floated closer, causing Artivan to take a step back.


    ¡°Owin, I might need a hand here,¡± Artivan said as he slowly reached for his sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an eye. How dangerous can it be?¡±


    The ocular¡¯s black pupil sparkled like there was a light deep inside the eye. The pupil shuddered before widening to cover most of the blue iris. Artivan threw his shield in front of his face as a red beam erupted from the pupil. Owin jumped back as Artivan skidded to a stop at the end of the drawbridge. A plume of smoke lifted off his red hot shield.


    The massive eye floated right in the gateway, staring at Owin with a twinkle deep inside.

 Chapter 24

    The ocular guard floated right in the doorway, refusing to pass the threshold. Its pupil had narrowed as it looked between Artivan and Owin. The old knight was back on his feet, keeping his shield up and ready to block another beam attack. Part of the shield had melted, but it had only drooped a little before cooling down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it can leave the castle,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan drew his winged sword and gave it a little flourish. ¡°I gathered that too.¡±


    The eye blocked most of the doorway, floating, watching, and waiting. Light flashed deep inside.


    ¡°Have you seen one of these before?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Only one the size of my fist back in the Fortress Dungeon. This . . . that¡¯s huge.¡± Artivan tilted his shield just far enough to see the damage. Between the melted section and the chunks that had been torn out, the shield was quickly nearing the end of its life. ¡°That beam is likely its only attack. You slip in and make it follow you so I can attack it freely.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even want me to attack?¡±


    ¡°Not this time. It¡¯s about speed. Run. Make it follow you.¡± Artivan rolled his shoulders as he shifted his feet into a fighting stance. ¡°This one isn¡¯t a boss. It shouldn¡¯t have too many tricks hidden away.¡± Artivan repositioned his shield and glanced at Owin. ¡°Ready?¡±


    If he needed to go fast, he didn¡¯t need anything heavy with him. Owin dropped the hammer, letting it smash into the grass at his feet. He shook his arms out a little. When was the last time he actually moved as fast as possible without any weight on him? He couldn¡¯t remember.


    The next time he got a quest reward, he needed to pick a dexterity buff. Not only would his aim be better, he would also land easier, move faster, and jump farther. Still, with his racial feat, he moved far faster than Artivan could.


    Owin sprinted across the drawbridge, loudly slapping his feet on the wooden surface. The ocular guard¡¯s pupil flashed and widened as Owin neared. There was a moment where he could see inside the eye and the conflagration of energy within. It looked like red magical flames that raged through the entire massive eye.


    Owin dove underneath the eye, sliding across the wooden floor just as the beam erupted from the guard. The energy crashed into an invisible wall, unable to leave the castle, as the eye turned upside down to follow Owin. It blasted the ground where it looked, leaving a melted path of molten stone.


    Artivan¡¯s heavy footsteps pounded on the wooden bridge, quickly closing the distance. Owin felt the heat of the laser as he continued running. A straight line would get him killed, so he ran in a semi circle around the eye until he was about to run into the front wall. He dropped to the ground, barely ducking under the beam as it cleaved through the wall.


    Owin¡¯s toes pressed into the stone floor and launched him forward, barely ahead of the killer eye beam. Something squelched as Artivan reached the ocular guard and slashed. Whatever damage he had done, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The skeletal spire sat right in the middle of the room, untouched by all the chaos. It was topped with an old skull that had cracks around one of the eyes, balanced precariously atop what looked like a femur. If the spire represented something, it was lost to Owin. If it was important, he hoped the eye would avoid blasting it to bits.


    Owin scurried behind the bone spire, ducking as the beam quickly carved its way toward him. A bucketful of blood dropped from the back of the eye as Artivan attacked furiously. The beam slowed, inching toward Owin. It sputtered but didn¡¯t die as it hit the bones, immediately disintegrating the bottom of the spire.


    Owin took a step back as the beam stopped. The ocular guard fell to the ground, splashing a pool of blood across the room.


    ¡°That was easy,¡± Owin said.


    The bone spire collapsed and spilled across the floor. Owin picked up a femur and used Examine.


    Nothing.


    Something deep inside the castle rumbled. Shockwaves moved from the center, making it feel like Owin was on waves instead of a stone floor. The bone in his hand shook just as all the others in the collapsed pile clattered on the stone floor.


    Owin held out the shaking femur. ¡°I think I shouldn¡¯t have hid behind that spire.¡±


    ¡°What did we do?¡± Artivan asked quietly, staring into the next room.


    Behind Owin stood two suits of armor, posing with their hands resting at their sides. Small, decorated jars sat on shelves beside the armor with little carved skulls on top. His eyes lingered on the jars for a second before following Artivan¡¯s gaze to the room beyond the open doorway.


    It immediately reminded Owin of one of the first things he saw upon awakening. Rows of pews, columns to the side, and some type of shrine at the front of the room. It was almost identical to the little temple area beyond the goblin darkblade¡¯s hiding spot. His hiding spot.


    A woman with white skin stood before the shrine. She opened her mouth and screamed, causing the castle to shake again. The suits of armor rattled from the scream.


    ¡°What is she?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan stepped in front of the goblin, raising his shield. His index flashed in front of his face. ¡°A wight, apparently. And look to her sides.¡±


    Some bones that had been lying on the floor near the wight rattled and rolled, joining together until they formed two skeletons at her sides. Neither looked all that intimidating, as they had no weapons and the last skeletons Owin fought had been easy enough.


    Great Forest Mob


    Wight


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Level 29


    ¡°Level 29 isn¡¯t that strong,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You¡¯re level 1.¡± Artivan stomped on a bone from the spire, crushing it to dust. ¡°These could make more of those golems we fought in the crypt. Crush what you can.¡±


    Owin walked around, stomping on the bones. They broke easily, leaving a fine powder on the floor. The wight wailed again. Some splinters broke off the pews just from the power of her voice.


    ¡°Go grab the hammer. This should be an easy fight for me.¡± Artivan tapped the end of his winged sword on the ground.


    Owin ran straight back outside, fetched the hammer, and sprinted back in. Artivan looked back at the drawbridge and activated his halo¡¯s ability, closing it behind them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need those heroes following us inside,¡± Artivan said. ¡°We earned our way into this secret.¡±


    Owin nodded. Not only did they work hard to defeat the Sovereign One, they were going to have to keep working to clear out all the other undead enemies inside the ruins. From what little he knew of Siora and Nikoletta, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were the kind of people to try to take advantage of the work Owin and Artivan had done.


    Artivan strode forward to stand in the doorway between the two rooms. The wight had yet to move, instead howling over and over. Her skeletons swayed at her side and stared into space.


    ¡°There might be a trap,¡± Artivan said. ¡°If she¡¯s not moving closer, there might¡ª¡±


    Both suits of armor moved at the same time, striking out at Artivan. He easily blocked one punch with his shield, but from the odd position, he was forced to take a hit on his pauldron. The armored fist skid across Artivan¡¯s armor, scraping like a knife along the metal.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Artivan shouted. He took a step back and blocked both fists as the suits of armor followed up with another synchronized strike.


    Great Forest Mob


    Possessing Specter


    Level 22


    ¡°What¡¯s a possessing specter?¡± Owin asked. He stomped on another few pieces of bone that had fallen from the spire.


    Artivan continued backing away as the armor advanced and attacked in perfect sync. ¡°Most people call them possessors. Think of the shapeless specters but they have no body. That one hit on my armor did more damage to my mana than any of the shapeless specters did in the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Back away.¡± Owin let the hammer head fall on the floor, cracking the stones.


    Artivan took another step back, which the suits of armor matched perfectly. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡±


    Owin leapt into the air and swung the hammer down, striking one suit of armor right on top of the helmet. The hammer glowed as it dropped to the ground. The armor pieces exploded outward, crashing against the other suit and bouncing off Artivan¡¯s shield. They were empty and lifeless, clattering against the ground.


    Owin landed as Artivan bashed his shield into the other suit of armor, knocking it off balance. Owin swung and smashed a leg. Without anything inside the armor, it crumpled easily under his strength and the weight of the hammer.


    ¡°That was easy.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that.¡±


    A hazy cloud passed in front of Owin¡¯s face. It had only appeared for a second before it was gone. He opened his mouth to say something just as a skull-topped jar on the wall shook violently.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill the possessors. They left the armor.¡± He pivoted, turning back to the ocular guard¡¯s corpse that continued spilling an absurd amount of blood across the floor. The corpse twitched.


    ¡°How do you kill one?¡±


    ¡°Your hammer is going to be the only option. They¡¯re immune to luminous, remember?¡± Artivan flicked his sword tip into the air. ¡°Let me handle the wight and skeletons. You can manage with the specters.¡±


    Artivan hurried to the space between the rooms. He reached out with his sword and pushed the shaking jar off, where it hit the ground and shattered. Artivan grunted, then moved on. ¡°I thought the jar was what it was possessing.¡±


    A full brain had popped out of the jar upon its shattering. The pink brain pulsed, then shivered and shook the potsherds from its back. Tendrils of sinew spawned from the brain, acting as legs as it scurried at Owin.


    ¡°What is that?¡± he shouted. He lifted the Thunderstrike Maul. A single solid drop from the hammer would likely be enough to squish something like a possessed brain. If it could shatter stone, it could kill a brain.


    The stone floor shook, sending chunks of debris across the room. Owin turned, trying to ignore the pitter patter of the brain¡¯s footsteps. The ocular guard floated off the ground with a river of blood pouring out of its back. The pupil was narrow, and the light had vanished from deep inside. Whatever powers it had seemed to have disappeared with death.


    A quick Examine confirmed both the brain and the eye were still possessors, despite how they looked. Was one more dangerous than the other? At level 22, they should be the same, but the giant ocular guard looked far more intimidating, even if the walking brain was disgusting.


    ¡°Flare Burst,¡± Artivan shouted.


    The wight exploded in luminous fire, which vanished just as quickly. The ability left no visible damage. Luminous fire had lasted longer on things like the scaltari than it did with the wight. It screamed again, causing the entire room to shake.


    ¡°I guess wights aren¡¯t undead.¡± Artivan used his winged sword to block a swipe from the wight. Its claws scraped along the metal, ringing out through the castle. He knocked the wight back with his shield and slashed at a skeleton, easily cutting it in two.


    ¡°How do I kill a possessor without it switching bodies?¡± Owin asked, trying to ignore the fight going on in the other room.


    ¡°Kill the body before it leaves. It¡¯s a matter of speed.¡± Artivan blocked another hit from the wight, launching him backward over a pew. He crashed and rolled back to his feet. ¡°You can do this.¡±


    The brain lashed out with a tendril, narrowly missing Owin¡¯s face. It ripped through his ear, easily puncturing the green skin. Pain exploded immediately, but his health didn¡¯t change. Instead, part of his mana bar burned away, adding to the rest of the burnt, unusable chunk from the labyrinth.


    Owin ducked under another tendril jab and swung the Thunderstrike Maul down. The brain dropped to the floor as all the tendrils quickly raised up, shielding the main fleshy chunk of brain. It caught the hammer, giving slightly, then resisted Owin¡¯s strength.


    Energy hummed behind him, overcoming the splashing of blood still spilling from the eye. Owin pushed against the brain, trying to force the hammer down, as he looked over his shoulder. The light shone brightly inside the eye, even as it lost its color. Red fire swirled inside.


    Owin immediately let go of the hammer and leapt to the side. ¡°Artivan!¡±


    The knight cut through the second skeleton and blocked another attack from the quick wight. He looked at the possessed eye, helmet visor obscuring his face. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± The wight attacked again, sending Artivan skidding backward, out of Owin¡¯s view.


    The brain adjusted its tendrils, wrapping them around the hammer, and held it upright as if ready to swing. The ocular guard easily tracked Owin as the beam charged inside. Both possessors advanced on Owin.


    The last time he had felt true fear was in the labyrinth with cold, dark water rushing in. Before that, it had been when Nikoletta and Miklos had been chasing him. Both times, Artivan had been there to save him.


    That wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Artivan was wrapped up in a fight against the powerful wight, and before long, he wouldn¡¯t be around to help at all as Owin continued his climb. Owin had to overcome his fear on his own. No more relying on knights in shining armor.


    Fear wasn¡¯t an excuse. His heart hammered in his chest. Energy rushed through his veins. No longer would he hide in fear. It would be his fuel.


    He backed into the stone wall, staring into the whorling fire within the possessed eye.

 Chapter 25

    The specters weren¡¯t more terrifying than the Malignant Spirit. The Lord of the Abyss had laughed at the death of its devout follower. It had even eaten part of Nosolus without hesitation. The Malignant Spirit had been a boss that had nearly killed Owin even while it was only 25% formed.


    Compared to the demon, the bloody, dead ocular guard and the weird crawling brain were hardly terrifying at all. It was simply a matter of figuring out how to kill their host bodies before they could escape.


    Owin slid both knives from his belt and held them with the points down. Without the hammer, he felt light. There was nowhere else to go. He needed to eliminate the specters as quickly as possible to help Artivan with the wight. And he needed his hammer back.


    Owin used the wall to launch himself forward. He managed to crack the stone brick as his bare foot pushed off. The distance between him and the eye vanished as he crashed right into the possessed ocular guard. Both knives easily punctured the eye, spurting cold blood onto Owin¡¯s face.


    The brain¡¯s tendril pattered on the ground below, unable to reach the top of the eye. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed as the possessor swung it around in a poor attempt to hit Owin.


    The ocular guard bobbed in the air and tried to look up, but all it did was cause Owin to flail around while the knives cut through the colorless flesh. Even as the blades easily sliced into the eye, the possessor continued charging the beam and wobbling around. If only magical things could hurt specters, then cutting into the flesh wouldn¡¯t be painful.


    Owin let go of the knives and grabbed onto chunks of flesh, prying them open until the swirling storm of red energy was visible from the top. Five different ideas swarmed through his mind on what to do next. He immediately went with the one he was most afraid of. The one that seemed the most dangerous.


    Owin jumped inside.


    The ocular guard was about the same size as Owin, so he could fit entirely within the eye if he ducked. His bright purple hair still stuck out the top where he had cut the monster open.


    Red energy battered him, burning across his skin like magical flames. The brain holding the Thunderstrike Maul was visible through the pupil as they sank closer to the ground. The brain waited nearby, apparently unwilling to strike another specter.


    Every little brush against the red energy caused Owin¡¯s mana bar to drop even further, burning away until only a faint blue line was left. It took less than a second before his mana bar was gone completely inside the raging storm. Pain far worse than what he had felt from the lich¡¯s gray mist flared across Owin¡¯s entire body. His health bar was suddenly bright red in the bottom of his vision, shining like a warning as it rapidly dropped.


    Right between his feet was a small, perfectly circular red gem. It glowed like his health bar as the numbers quickly depleted. Owin ripped it right out of the dead flesh and felt his stomach drop as the whole ocular guard fell from the air.


    0 Experience


    He crashed into the lens as the eye rolled. The Thunderstrike Maul cleaved through dead flesh, nearly cutting the ocular guard in half. With the storm gone, Owin had about three quarters of his health left and one more specter to manage.


    Killing the host was considerably easier than killing the shapeless specters. If the possessed brain was just a brain, squishing it would be enough to stop the creature. Owin leapt from the corpse, landed on the stone floor, and slipped on his bloody feet. He fell right onto his face as the brain scurried closer.


    The brain was too slow to be scary on its own. The only real problem was that it held the hammer that Owin knew was too strong. He wouldn¡¯t survive a fully charged hit, even if he found a way to block it. He wasn¡¯t even confident that Artivan could live through a full powered hit.


    Heat radiated from the red gem clasped in his bloody hand. Two floors ago, he had eaten demon flesh and found it increased his strength. The ocular guard wasn¡¯t a special boss like the Malignant Spirit had been, but it had to do with the type of creature it was, not if they were special. Demon flesh gave a small strength buff. What did this do?


    Ocular Heart


    There was no other information. If ocular hearts were an alchemy ingredient, as Owin assumed they were, then they would give some type of small benefit on their own. Owin popped the red gem into his mouth.


    His sharp teeth crunched right into the glass-like gem. Spicy liquid rushed down his throat.


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence: 155


    Not the attribute he had been expecting. A small blue bar showed up beside the entire burnt section of mana. He now had five usable mana points, which was far from enough to cast anything.


    The brain swung the Thunderstrike Maul down in a telegraphed swing, giving Owin plenty of time to roll out of the way. Before the hammer hit the ground, it used extra tendrils to change the direction, swinging sideways.


    The hammer smashed into Owin¡¯s ribs, just below his arm. The castle spun around him as he flew across the room and crashed near the other skull jars. Owin wheezed as he pushed himself off the ground.


    How could a small brain swing with so much power?


    The possessor was already scurrying across the floor, leaving a trail of blood on the floor as it ran at him. The hammer glowed. It was fully charged. With 60 health left, under half of his total, one more hit could be enough for the brain to kill Owin. He had managed against the bigger, more terrifying ocular guard. A brain shouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    Owin sprinted at the brain, ignoring the pain in every part of his body. Each breath whistled. Bones were broken across his chest. It was pain or death, and that had become an easy choice for Owin. Fear had been more painful as he shivered in the rising waters of the labyrinth. There had been nothing he could do back then.


    There was plenty he could do now.


    He leapt over the brain, easily passing over the raised hammer. He slipped in blood as he landed, rolling a few feet before hopping back to his feet. Owin reached into his bag, grabbed a health potion, and poured it on his face in one smooth motion. He tossed the empty bottle to the side. It hadn¡¯t healed him all the way, but it was enough to help him focus. His ribs stitched back together, causing his entire chest to shift momentarily. He grunted through the pain, but kept his eyes locked on the specter.


    No weapons, no spells. But what had he been working toward? Even Ruvaine had said people only respect strength. Perhaps she had meant power, but Owin had taken it literally. He formed both hands into fists. He had speed and strength. A brain was weaker than the hobgoblin leader that he had killed with a punch. All he needed was one solid hit.


    The brain brought the hammer down. Last time, it had quickly changed the direction of the swing with impressive dexterity. Owin wouldn¡¯t fall for that again. He sidestepped and jumped. The hammer changed direction and passed right under Owin as he threw a punch with every ounce of his strength.


    His fist passed right through the brain and crashed into the stone floor below, obliterating the stone brick.


    0 Experience


    Tendrils flopped onto the ground. The fully charged hammer tipped over, not releasing its charge as it clattered on the stone floor. Owin pulled his arm out of the brain and flung blood off.


    A small explosion knocked pews over in the next room. Metal clanged and scraped. The fight between Artivan and the wight was still going on. Owin took his hammer and sprinted through the opening.


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    The wight¡¯s hair hung behind her like she was in the wind as she hovered over Artivan. The knight was on the ground with his shield raised, which was missing a few more chunks out of the edges. Broken pieces of furniture lay scattered through the room.


    The wight¡¯s scream caused Artivan to flinch. He kept his shield between him and the wight as she rushed him again, swiping at the metal. Her long claw-like nails gouged strips out of the shield.


    Luckily, Artivan was fast. She never managed to hit his armor, even as she tried to reach around the shield. After a few swipes, she simply struck the shield with her palm, sending Artivan reeling again. The sheer power of the hit was enough to throw Artivan.


    Owin sprinted straight in, kicking up shattered pieces of wood as he ran. The wight didn¡¯t notice as she smashed against the shield again, tossing Artivan into the corner of the room. He braced himself on the wall and slashed, cutting into the wight¡¯s arm. He had to yank the sword back out, leaving only a shallow, bloodless gash. The wight was full of similar wounds, none of which looked deadly.


    The wight floated above Artivan, attacking down at a sharp angle. She screamed as she rapidly swiped at the knight. Owin noticed some blood that dripped from Artivan¡¯s gauntlets. The source of the blood, or the severity of the injury was a complete mystery.


    Owin leapt off the ground and swung the glowing hammer. The wight kicked out, smashing her foot into the head of the hammer. Energy exploded out, sending a shockwave that launched broken pews to the other side of the room.


    Owin fell hard onto his back. The Thunderstrike Maul fell beside him as a block of dim metal. He groaned and sat up. Artivan remained in the corner, hunkered down behind his shield.


    The wight remained in the air. Shredded bits of colorless skin hung from her hip where her leg had once been. She hadn¡¯t even turned to acknowledge Owin. When she screamed again, it caused him to cover his ears and want to run.


    Magic. He had to remember the scream was nothing to be scared of. That feeling of wanting to run was fake, only some debuff caused by the wight. The last thing Owin wanted to do was run. Fear was now his fuel. Each time she screamed, he would motivate himself even more.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I should be asking you,¡± Artivan said, voice muted by his helmet. He stepped out and bashed his shield against the wight¡¯s next attack. Her claws dug more trenches into the shield and knocked Artivan back into the corner. ¡°I need some room.¡±


    She was obviously strong. Possibly stronger than Owin. Without armor like Artivan¡¯s, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight her up close for a prolonged time. At least, not as well as Artivan. Owin¡¯s constitution was still too low to tank damage. He needed to get in quick, open some room, and get back out.


    The wight still kept her back turned, not taking Owin¡¯s threat seriously. Even losing her leg wasn¡¯t enough to deter her from ferociously attacking Artivan.


    Owin shook his head, clearing his mind from the last of the wight¡¯s scream. All he had to do was make room. Artivan was strong enough to handle the fight himself once he had room to move.


    Owin grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul and sprinted right back in. Since the enemy was ignoring him, he had a free attack. Jumping directly at her would only give her a chance to block like she had with her foot. He sprinted through the room, kicking some scattered bones aside, and leapt at an angle behind the wight, swinging the hammer horizontally. The wight tensed and brought an elbow back to take part of the blow. Owin¡¯s speed and the weight of the hammer carried the swing all the way through, launching the wight into the wall. Dust exploded out as she crashed into the bricks. Her scream radiated through the room.


    Artivan ran from the corner. He grabbed Owin¡¯s shirt and dragged him away as he ran into the center. The entire room was a disaster. Everything was broken, causing the castle to look just like the ruins of the hobgoblin town.


    The dust settled, revealing the wight partially embedded in the stone wall. She glared at Owin, but had yet to move as she screamed again. The stone wall was cracked, more from the wight than from his attack.


    ¡°How do we kill her?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Taking off her head should do it. I need her low enough to reach.¡±


    That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Artivan was already twice as tall as Owin. All he had to do was be the bait. Easy enough.


    ¡°I think she might already want to kill me.¡±


    The wight pushed off the wall, launching herself through the air. She collided with Owin faster than he or Artivan could react. Her shoulder drove right into his ribs, rebreaking what had just been stitched back together. The Thunderstrike Maul fell from his limp hand as he shot across the room. Stone bricks came up to greet him as he hit the ground and skidded until he crashed into the opposite wall.


    Owin rolled over, coughed up blood, and spat a gob of red mucous onto the floor. A quick glance showed the wight already heading toward him, not even stopping to acknowledge Artivan. She was apparently very focused on her target. Owin pushed himself onto his feet and squared up to stand against the wight. He wouldn¡¯t survive another hit like that, but she was moving slower now that she was hovering again.


    Artivan sprinted, armored boots loudly clanking on the stone floor. The old knight lacked speed, especially when it came to running.


    Focus on the incoming attack. Owin stared at the wight, watching her black claw-like nails that shone in the light. She swiped for his face, giving him plenty of time to duck. Her next attack was much faster as if she had predicted his dodge. Claws raked across his face, easily ripping skin across his nose, lips, and cheeks.


    The power of the attack threw Owin to the side. Enough blood ran from his face that he practically landed in a puddle of it. Staying still meant certain death. The wight, no matter what level she was, appeared to be the strongest opponent he had faced. Nothing stopped her. Even a fully charged Thunderstrike Maul only took a limb off. If the mobs were stronger as he climbed, the hammer wouldn¡¯t stay useful for long, just as Artivan had said.


    He jumped to his feet and saw the world twist around him. His head had never felt so heavy before as he swayed. Owin took a step back to steady himself, accidentally stepping right into the puddle of blood. His foot slipped right out from under him, causing him to fall hard onto his back. The wight¡¯s claws passed right overhead as he landed, having accidentally dodged an attack. Owin groaned and tried to pull himself up, but his body was sluggish.


    Artivan¡¯s winged sword appeared in Owin¡¯s hazy vision. It swung in, and stopped as if it had hit a wall. Another scream ripped through the air causing Owin¡¯s head to pound. He reached for a health potion, fumbling it a few times. As he tried to take the cork off, he dropped the bottle, which fell and shattered on his face. The bright red liquid soaked right into the gashes.


    His health bar shot up just over halfway. Wounds closed, though the pain lingered, and would until he got his health higher. Everything cleared in his vision, letting him jump right back to his feet.


    Artivan was in a hole on the far wall. His helmet was dented and blood ran in a steady stream from his visor. His arms hung limp at his sides. Was he alive?


    The wight hovered a few feet in front of Owin. The Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth had gotten stuck about halfway through her neck. She didn¡¯t seem to notice the weapon.


    Owin pulled out another health potion and smashed the bottle on his face. It was the fastest, easiest way to use it, even if he lost a point of health each time.


    The wight hovered in place as she watched Artivan, like she was seeing if he moved again or not. Blood ran over his breastplate and down his leg, pooling at the base of the wall. The wight screamed, causing fear to flare up within Owin again.


    He looked past the wight at Artivan. His friend. Fear came from possibly losing him, not from the wight herself. Owin was still standing, feeling strong and ready to fight. Artivan had already set up the wight¡¯s death. He just needed a little help finishing the job.


    Great Forest Mob


    Wight


    Level 29


    Owin sprinted away. The wight turned and watched him run. She screamed as she tracked him with black eyes. Her hands flourished out to the side with her nails shining brightly.


    Owin pivoted, sliding to a stop, then sprinted as fast as he could manage straight at the wight. Her scream grew louder as her mouth opened far wider than a human could manage, revealing multiple rows of needle-like teeth. Owin pushed off the ground, focusing his strength onto one foot. Low dexterity wasn¡¯t a threat when it came to simple movements. He had figured all that out. His aim was always the bigger concern.


    Luckily, Artivan¡¯s sword was huge compared to Owin, giving him plenty of room to grab. A quick slash of the wight¡¯s claws caught Owin¡¯s stomach, ripping straight through his shirt and belly. His health plummeted to a little speck of red as he wrapped both hands around the sword. One hand caught the crossguard, while the other snatched the handle.


    Momentum carried him through, into the wall. He smashed into the stone and fell onto the ground with the winged sword in his hands. It took a moment to notice the silence as the wight¡¯s screams stopped. The last of the echoes faded.


    0 Experience


    Owin grabbed his last healing potion and poured it right onto his stomach. He could see his insides and heaved at the sight. His skin snaked out, stitching itself together right before his eyes. The pain of healing was worse than the pain from the injury, though that might have been in his mind. Owin leaned over and vomited, adding to the mess already spread around the room.


    There was no time to wait. Owin held the sword up, careful to not let it bump into anything, as he used the wall to stand. Even with some health back, he felt significantly weaker. His ribs and stomach were especially raw. Every little movement felt like a knife stabbing into him. Most of his skin still burned from the ocular guard like he was just a little too close to a fire.


    He immediately reached into Artivan¡¯s bag and found a health potion. Owin was out, and Artivan would only have one remaining. Doing everything while holding the longsword was difficult, so Owin carefully laid it across Artivan¡¯s lap, as he was mostly sitting in the wall anyway. Artivan¡¯s helmet visor squeaked as Owin raised it open.


    The knight¡¯s eyes were closed. Blood ran from the scratch on the side of his head and from a purple, broken nose. Some still dripped from his fingers as well, but Owin wasn¡¯t planning on taking his gauntlets off.


    It took a few careful seconds for Owin to pour the potion down Artivan¡¯s throat. He didn¡¯t want to waste it by splashing it on his face if that didn¡¯t work for humans. He really had no idea.


    Artivan¡¯s nose snapped back, but the swelling didn¡¯t go down. The flow of blood quickly halted, even though the wounds appeared to linger more than they did for Owin.


    No movement.


    Owin sat between Artivan¡¯s feet, ignoring the puddle of blood around him. He rested his head against the knight¡¯s armored leg and stared at the wight¡¯s headless corpse.


    Artivan would be fine. He had to be.

 Chapter 26

    Owin didn¡¯t sleep. He couldn¡¯t sleep. Back when he had been a mindless mob, a goblin darkblade, he sat in the shadows and watched for heroes. Nothing more. He had never slept before, and even closing his eyes now only made it easier to imagine Artivan dying.


    The light of the violet halo became stronger, coloring everything with a soft glow as the sun set on the fourth floor. Owin wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been sitting there. Before long, only the halo and the torches near the drawbridge entrance were the only sources of light within the castle.


    Were things better or worse for Artivan after meeting Owin? If Owin had insisted on staying behind on the hill outside the hobgoblin village, would Artivan be healthy right now? Would he be safe?


    If a level 29 mob could cause so much damage, how dangerous was the rest of the dungeon?


    Did Owin have even the slightest chance of climbing to the top?


    He rested his forehead on his knees. The residual pain from his injuries had faded, though his skin was now scarred and twisted on his stomach and face. Between the wight¡¯s claws and the Sovereign One¡¯s gray mist, Owin¡¯s face was a canvas of scars. He ran his hand over the bumps and sighed.


    Even with his head down, he couldn¡¯t escape the violet glow of the halo. The blood pooled around Owin was the color of cranberries in the halo¡¯s light. He couldn¡¯t forget the description of the halo, no matter how much he wanted to. Artivan had grabbed it so readily, without fear.


    A curse that would never end.


    Whoever wears the halo becomes the Doomed Harbinger, destined to become a lich who will haunt and kill for the rest of eternity.


    Owin should have taken the halo first. He was already cursed. Already doomed. Humans would continue to hunt him even if he left the dungeon. There wouldn¡¯t be anywhere safe in the outside world, even if Artivan was certain the Nimble Hogs would welcome him. A couple of friendly humans wasn¡¯t going to be enough to stop so many others from chasing him like he was some animal.


    He would continue his climb, and maybe he would die. There was a lot of pain he might avoid if that happened. Multiple attacks had already almost ended his life in a split second. Maybe the next boss would make it easy, and Owin could respawn, mindless, back on the first floor.


    What happened to the goblin darkblade?


    Did one respawn a half hour after Owin left? Is the darkblade gone until Owin returns or dies? He didn¡¯t want to know. He didn¡¯t want to think of himself as a mindless mob again.


    He wasn¡¯t mindless. He wasn¡¯t alone.


    Artivan stirred, groaning as he slowly sat forward. He coughed, spraying saliva, some vomit, and a bit of blood on Owin¡¯s head.


    Owin immediately jumped to his feet, pushing his face close to Artivan¡¯s. The violet light illuminated them both.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark,¡± Artivan said, voice hoarse.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡±


    Artivan groaned again. ¡°Last I remember, I thought you were the dead one.¡± He gently pushed Owin back as he stood up. He let his sword fall to the ground as he stood on unsteady feet.


    Owin backed away, staring straight up at the knight¡¯s face. The halo hung ominously above Artivan¡¯s head. Owin picked up the sword and handed it back to Artivan.


    He placed it in his sheath and leaned heavily on the wall. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You left the sword in the wight¡¯s neck. How? I thought you couldn¡¯t let go of things.¡±


    Artivan opened and closed his hand a few times. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would have an arm anymore if I kept my grip on the sword.¡± He nodded slowly and pulled his helmet off. A chunk of his hair was missing where the dent had been. A huge scab covered the spot. ¡°I remember a little bit. Sword got stuck and I backed away before she ripped my arm off. I did think you were dead.¡± He looked past Owin at the pools of blood from the earlier fight. ¡°You were close.¡±


    ¡°So were you.¡±


    Artivan nodded again. He held his helmet out and scowled. ¡°Better the armor than me.¡± He tossed it to the side, letting it roll across the stone floor. ¡°How¡¯s your health?¡±


    ¡°Full enough.¡±


    Artivan looked in his bag. ¡°Any potions left?¡±


    ¡°Just the one you have.¡±


    Artivan took it out and looked at the red liquid. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave myself empty . . .¡±


    ¡°Drink it, please.¡±


    Artivan did so and carefully placed the bottle back into his bag. His injuries didn¡¯t disappear, but he stood more upright, and his eyes lost some glossiness. ¡°Oof.¡± He rolled his shoulders. ¡°What happened with your fight?¡±


    ¡°I killed the possessors.¡±


    He frowned at the blood and stepped around the puddle. Owin followed him back to the wight¡¯s corpse. Artivan picked some bits from Owin¡¯s hair and flicked them away.


    ¡°Did you find any loot?¡± he asked.


    ¡°An ocular heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He crouched beside the wight¡¯s body. ¡°Those sell for a good amount. They can be a main ingredient for intelligence buffs.¡±


    ¡°I ate it.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Artivan chuckled. He reached for the wight¡¯s corpse, but began laughing harder until he fell onto his bottom. ¡°You find a glass heart and you eat it?¡±


    ¡°I thought about it more than that. I ate the Malignant Spirit¡¯s flesh on the second floor and got stronger.¡±


    ¡°Tell me it did something and didn¡¯t explode in your mouth.¡± He tilted his head as if trying to look inside Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Is your brain gone?¡±


    ¡°My intelligence went up by ten. I thought it was a good choice.¡±


    Artivan patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Next time, check with me before eating anything. Okay?¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°What will a wight have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never fought one before today. Want to find out?¡± Artivan grunted as he kicked the headless corpse. A dark gray, almost dust-like bone fell out of the body. Artivan¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Owin scooted closer and used Examine on the weird bone.


    Bone of the Withered Shade


    1 of 50


    ¡°What¡¯s a withered shade?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. It doesn¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    Owin quickly snatched the bone. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± It felt oddly fluffy like there were hairs all over the bone.


    ¡°All yours.¡± Artivan slowly stood, grunting with the effort. He offered a hand and yanked Owin off the ground.


    Journal Updated


    Owin opened his index and jumped right to the journal page. A new quest had been added, though it didn¡¯t give him the usual notification. Instead, the new quest was smaller and labeled ¡°World Quest.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a world quest?¡±


    ¡°Hm? A what?¡±


    ¡°I got a new quest that is labeled a world quest.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Read it to me.¡±


    ¡°The Withered Shade is a ceaseless phantom, appearing in all seven of the world dungeons. To summon the shade, more pieces are needed.¡±


    Artivan scratched his cheek. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Owin nodded. He reread the journal entry, hoping to find something else. There wasn¡¯t anything he missed.


    ¡°Well, hold onto it. Maybe we can find another bone soon and see if that changes anything. If there are quests that span multiple dungeons, I would think they¡¯re linked to the secrets. Otherwise it would be more common knowledge. Does it mention the rarity level for the bone?¡±


    ¡°No. Just the name of it.¡± Owin stuffed it into his bag and brushed his hand off. ¡°Why haven¡¯t the mobs respawned? You were asleep for more than thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Remember how the second floor is an isolated floor? That means you¡¯re the only one there, and things won¡¯t respawn. They don¡¯t need to. Secrets have some similar mechanics. Nothing will respawn here until the secret is claimed. In the labyrinth, that was your hammer. We still don¡¯t know what we¡¯re looking for here.¡±


    ¡°Does that count the Sovereign One?¡±


    Artivan reached up and poked the halo. It bobbed in the air. ¡°I assume so, though the halo is unique, so I don¡¯t know how that would work. A mystery to uncover another time. Why don¡¯t we get a move on?¡±


    ¡°I need to go get my knives from the ocular guard,¡± Owin said, gesturing to the room beside them.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll check the rest of the room, then we can continue.¡± Artivan took a drink of water from a flask and grabbed a handful of food from his bag. He rolled his shoulders and slowly started to move.


    Owin stayed still and watched until the knight was actually walking around the room. It was difficult to believe he was fine. Artivan kicked some of the skeleton bones and muttered some insult as he continued wandering through the room.


    Satisfied that Artivan wouldn¡¯t randomly collapse, Owin hurried to the other room and yanked both knives from the ocular guard corpse. The eye was mostly deflated and colorless after sitting dead for so long. Owin nudged the dead brain with his foot, hoping to find loot, but nothing fell from the corpse.


    Artivan waited by the wooden door leading to the next room. He ran a hand over his shield, feeling all the gouges and scrapes from the last several fights.


    ¡°You need a new shield,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°This was a gift from Sanem many years ago. I didn¡¯t think it would be ripped apart so easily.¡± He pushed the door open without hesitation. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Owin ran over, grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul, and rejoined Artivan in the next room. It was a simple, short hallway with huge stained glass windows on the right side. These were the ones they had seen from outside, depicting a wizard with the Halo of the Doomed Harbinger. Artivan looked up at the window and grunted.


    Two bone spires framed the ornate door on the opposite end. These were bigger and more complex than the one near the entrance. They looked to be made primarily of rib cages.


    A plain double door led to the left, directly opposite of the stained glass. This one had no ornamentation and no windows on the whole wall.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan pointed left. ¡°That will lead out to the middle of the lake, I think. We should check out the room directly ahead first.¡±


    The room with skeletal spires, which likely meant more undead or another wight.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Am I sure?¡± Artivan patted Owin¡¯s head, smushing his hair down flat. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure.¡± He drew his sword, walked over, and kicked a skeletal spire over. It easily crumbled and spilled across the stone floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°The wight was already there. These are just to scare us.¡± He kicked the other spiral and crushed a skull under his boot. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to let them.¡±


    ¡°Let them what?¡± Owin asked. He stood just beside where the bones had scattered with the Thunderstrike Maul resting on his shoulder.


    ¡°Scare us, Owin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Artivan tossed the ornate door open and strode inside without hesitation. The floor was a darker stone than the rest of the castle. Instead of gray, it was closer to black with bigger, polished bricks.


    Four white columns in the center created a walkway, leading to a massive white chest with a chalice sitting on top. Behind it was a throne covered in red velvet with a dust-gray skull resting on the cushion.


    Artivan slowed his stride, inching forward as he analyzed everything around him. He nodded to four suits of armor, two on each side.


    ¡°Possessors?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No way to know. You can¡¯t check until they start moving. We should assume they are. Keep an eye out.¡± Artivan took a big step forward, stepping right between two of the columns. He took a step forward, then pulled his foot back, watching for any movement.


    ¡°I think it might just be armor,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It could be . . .¡± He took a real step forward, then faked another. This continued until he reached the chest without any suit of armor moving. ¡°Are they really just armor?¡±


    ¡°It looks like it.¡±


    Artivan put his sword away and grabbed the chalice from on top of the chest. It was carved to look like a skull, though the proportions were way off. Blood red liquid splashed over the lip, spilling onto Artivan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say anything when I use Examine.¡± He leaned forward and sniffed it. ¡°Smells like wine.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh . . . How do you explain that one?¡± He sniffed it again. ¡°It¡¯s . . .¡± Artivan shrugged, spilling more of the liquid over his hand.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan watched the red liquid run over his gauntlet. ¡°It was overfilled. I¡¯m fine. Healing potions really do make things like new.¡±


    ¡°Why do you still have wounds?¡±


    Artivan set the chalice back down and fully faced Owin. ¡°I¡¯m fine. When you get older, healing potions work a little differently. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s . . . complicated. I feel perfect. I promise.¡±


    One side of his head was covered in the huge scab from the damage to his helmet, while the other side had a thin red line from the gash he had received a long time ago. Dark bags hung under his eyes as he smiled at Owin.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin hurried through the room, watching the armor out of the corner of his eye. The white chest was about the same height as Owin and had carvings all over, resembling bones.


    Artivan picked up the chalice again and sniffed. ¡°Why do you think this is here?¡±


    ¡°To make one of us drink it. Like the halo. It will do something bad.¡± Owin reached up, far too short to actually grab the chalice from Artivan¡¯s hands. ¡°It should be me if we have to drink it.¡±


    ¡°I think drinking this will make the chest open, but I do have the halo ability that opens things . . .¡± He looked at the chest.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°How could you tell?¡± Artivan sniffed it again. ¡°I don¡¯t have antidotes if it poisons you.¡±


    Owin hopped on his toes, trying to reach the chalice without spilling it or knocking it from Artivan¡¯s hands. If he really wanted to, he could move much faster than the knight and swipe it from his hands, but with low dexterity, he would likely spill it right on Artivan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Artivan crouched and carefully handed the overfilled chalice to Owin.


    The red liquid smelled somewhat sweet with a tinge of something sharp. The black eyes of the skull on chalice stared at him as he slowly spun the cup in his hands.


    ¡°Just drink it?¡±


    Artivan shrugged. ¡°I think so. Are you sure you want to do this? We don¡¯t need to see what¡¯s in the chest. We could move on.¡±


    ¡°Then Nikoletta or Siora will come in here and take whatever is inside.¡±


    Artivan remained crouched, though his grunts and random flailing for balance showed a lot of discomfort. ¡°You¡¯re right. If it¡¯s dangerous, I¡¯ll help you through it. Just be careful.¡±


    ¡°Careful?¡± Owin sniffed the drink again, then opened his mouth and chugged the entire chalice.


    Artivan sighed. ¡°Drinking it slowly would have been the safe choice.¡±


    Location Updated


    ¡°Location updated?¡± Owin asked.


    Artivan immediately stood up and scanned the room. Nothing had moved or changed. He drew his sword and ran out of the room, closing the door behind him.


    Owin had yet to move. The drink had been a little bitter, but overall it tasted decent. The top of the chest popped open right behind him.


    What had gotten into Artivan? He might as well check what¡¯s inside before¡ª


    Artivan kicked the door open causing Owin to flinch and chuck the empty chalice across the room.


    ¡°Go as fast as you can. That drink pinged your location to every hero on the floor. I can see you on my map even when we¡¯re not in the same room.¡±


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°They know exactly where you are and will be heading this way.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve drank it. I could have pulled them away.¡± Artivan shook his head. ¡°Too late now. What¡¯s inside the chest?¡±


    Owin had to pull himself up to see inside the chest. It was a blank, dark void that reminded him of the doors between floors.


    Pick your reward


    ¡°I can choose.¡±


    ¡°Go quickly. What are the options?¡± Artivan stayed at the door, constantly checking over his shoulder.


    Every option was a weapon made of bone. Some were slight variations of swords or knives, while others were spears and halberds.


    ¡°About fifty different bone weapons,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Pick something you will want to use that¡¯s easy to carry.¡±


    Owin scrolled up to the knives and found one nearly identical to the stone knife, but made of a jagged bone. He focused on the selection, and it immediately appeared in his hand.


    Lich Bone Knife


    Journeyman Magical Item


    A knife carved from the bone of a powerful lich. The lich bone knife harnesses the power of the undead, dealing bonus damage to abyssal and specter enemies.


    Note: Bone will shatter if used against luminous


    Owin rushed over and handed Artivan the knife. The knight¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. He nodded and handed the knife back.


    ¡°Good choice. Keep that away until we¡¯re out of here. The mender could break it immediately. Ready?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin ran back, hopped over the chest, and grabbed the dusty gray skull on the chair. ¡°Look.¡±


    Bone of the Withered Shade


    2 of 50


    Journal Updated


    ¡°Another bone?¡± Artivan asked. ¡°It still says one out of fifty for me.¡±


    Owin set it in his bag. It seemed fragile, but the other one had managed fine while bouncing around inside the bag.


    ¡°Are we going to the island?¡±


    ¡°We need to get out of here as soon as possible. The ping will disappear once you leave the floor. You can rush through or hide out on the fifth floor until they¡¯ve passed. At their level, I doubt they will make it far up there.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s only one more room! What if there is something really rare inside?¡±


    Artivan opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and scratched his head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re with me.¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°There are ogres guarding the stairs. We need to go now to deal with them before the other heroes arrive. I know it feels odd to leave a whole room unchecked, but I¡¯m not going to risk your life for gold,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°Are you sure? It could be another weapon.¡±


    ¡°Owin, they can see exactly where you are on their maps. We need to move now. I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t scared anymore. I really am. But look at me.¡± Artivan¡¯s eyes were red as he stared right into Owin¡¯s. ¡°I am slowing down. I¡¯m tired. All of those specters damaged my mana. Those heroes are more dangerous now than they were before.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re running the whole way. Ready?¡±


    Owin adjusted his belt, making sure all three knives sat in it fine. He let the heavy Thunderstrike Maul rest on his shoulder. ¡°How far?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. It¡¯s a long floor, but we¡¯ve already crossed most of the ground. If they start fighting us on the way, I want you to keep running for the door. You¡¯re their target.¡± Artivan didn¡¯t wait for another word. He turned and bolted through the hall, past the double door, and into the room beyond.


    Owin easily kept pace, taking huge strides for his little legs. Artivan ran right through the wight¡¯s room and opened the drawbridge using his halo ability. It slowly lowered while the metal gate lifted, creaking the whole way.


    Artivan ducked under the metal gate before it was fully raised, running up the slanted drawbridge still in the process of lowering. He jumped off, landed heavily, and paused until Owin landed right beside him.


    ¡°Straight north. The cave entrance is right beside the boundary. You won¡¯t be able to miss it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re staying together.¡±


    ¡°For now.¡± Artivan patted Owin¡¯s head once, then took off, following the moat back around the castle and continuing north into the birch forest.


    The atmosphere was different at night. Instead of a bright, lively forest, it was a haunting place. Sounds echoed through the woods, including Artivan¡¯s footsteps. What made it worse was knowing an umbra would be one of the heroes hunting them down. There were so many spots someone could be hiding in the woods.


    Owin flew through the forest, sticking to Artivan¡¯s flank. The old man ran faster than Owin had seen him move before, taking monstrous strides. Each step pounded heavily on the ground, shaking the dirt as he pushed off.


    ¡°Are we going to fight the ogres?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We will have to. The cave is tight. You could sneak past, I suppose.¡± Artivan kept his eyes focused ahead. White trees flew past. Artivan didn¡¯t hesitate to plow right through bushes and shrubs, fully destroying the small plants.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you fight ogres alone.¡±


    ¡°Then we will want to be quick.¡± Artivan glanced back. He skidded, throwing dirt into the air. A magical green arrow flew through the night and bounced off his shield, quietly pinging as it disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°The umbra?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Keep running.¡±


    ¡°Not without you.¡±


    In the dark, Owin almost missed the hazy form of a sword passing through the air. He dropped the hammer and drew Naxile¡¯s knife just in time to block. Placus, the umbra, formed right beside Owin, tossing him back from the blow.


    Artivan picked up the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°I guess you chose death.¡±


    Placus slid his hand over his blade, leaving a trail of purple fire on the shortsword. ¡°In the name of Veph, for Void Nexus.¡±


    Artivan spat on the ground. ¡°Scum, all of you.¡±


    Owin grabbed his new bone knife in his other hand and positioned himself in Artivan¡¯s shadow. Other forms, no more than silhouettes at the moment, were approaching through the woods. Five more people approached, which meant it was more than Nikoletta and Miklos.


    ¡°That¡¯s too many,¡± Artivan whispered.


    ¡°Placus is trying to slow us down.¡±


    Artivan pointed at the umbra, who stood with an undeserved smirk on his face. ¡°Flare Burst.¡±


    Luminous fire consumed the umbra, who screamed and flailed immediately. Artivan grabbed Owin and shoved him forward.


    ¡°As fast as you can. Don¡¯t stop until you¡¯re inside the cave!¡±


    Owin took two steps, stopped to see if Artivan was also running, then continued. His index flashed open and immediately flipped to the map. In the dark, less of the map was revealed at a time, but it still helped to stay going straight north.


    ¡°You think a hog can save you?¡± the familiar voice of Siora shouted through the woods.


    ¡°Ignore her,¡± Artivan said, running behind.


    Owin ducked and swung with Naxile¡¯s knife in a wide arc as Placus reappeared a few steps away. The umbra leapt over the low swing, slashing down with his fiery blade. Artivan barreled over Owin, smashing his shield right into the umbra¡¯s face. Artivan caught the swing on his armor, letting the blade scrape down his arm.


    Placus flew back, letting go of his sword, and landed heavily on his back. Owin moved to leap onto the umbra, but other people already appeared nearby. An arrow flew just off target, barely missing Owin. He hadn¡¯t even noticed a hunter just a few feet behind Placus.


    Artivan lunged forward and blocked an arrow from hitting Owin. ¡°We can¡¯t fight this many in the open. We¡¯re almost there. Keep moving.¡±


    Placus was slow getting back to his feet with his skin burned and bleeding. But the umbra still continued his chase.


    Artivan ran directly behind Owin, letting his armor take a few arrows from the hunter. Owin kept his map up, letting it be his guide to the cave. The edge only barely appeared when the commotion behind grew significantly louder. Owin spared one glance back and saw the burning golden light of Nikoletta¡¯s mace. It shone on her face, over her bald head.


    Hero


    Nikoletta Olah


    Mender


    Level: 20


    Strength: 140


    Constitution: 112


    Dexterity: 78


    Intelligence: 84


    Wisdom: 200


    Charisma: 76


    She had leveled up significantly since they had last seen each other. Owin turned around and focused entirely on running. Artivan was right. Fighting in the open when they were outnumbered wasn¡¯t going to do them any favors. They needed to get inside where they could use the close quarters to their advantage.


    Metal clashed right behind Owin. He only looked over his shoulder as some other hero pushed against Artivan¡¯s shield. The old knight swung the Thunderstrike Maul, smashing the hero in the leg.


    ¡°Go, Miklos,¡± Nikoletta shouted.


    The berserker appeared almost instantly, bursting through the dark as if launched. Artivan tensed as Miklos slammed into his shield, throwing the knight onto his back.


    Owin slid, turned, and leapt right at Miklos. The berserker had raised his axe high, ready to chop down. Owin slipped underneath the axe and drove Naxile¡¯s knife right into Miklos¡¯s shoulder, spraying blood across their faces.


    The berserker ripped Owin off, who tore the knife across as much skin as he fell to the ground. Artivan pulled Owin right back to his feet, just in time to face all five humans. Nikoletta pushed her way through, golden mace lighting up the area. The color was harsh and shone brightly off the white trees. The other humans seemed to follow Nikoletta, watching as she eyed Artivan.


    ¡°You¡¯re still with the freak?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Fighting him means fighting me.¡±


    Nikoletta smirked. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re already hurt, old man. These two got a personal vendetta against you too now after killing their party back at the hobgoblin village. Just like the beast killed our Kata.¡±


    ¡°At least she died quietly,¡± Owin said.


    Artivan nudged Owin, shushing him as Nikoletta¡¯s face contorted into a scowl.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have fun with this.¡± She reached over, gently tapping her fingers against Miklos. The gash across his shoulder sealed, causing him to grunt. It left a splatter of blood over his skin and clothes.


    Artivan looked the soldier in the eye. She looked a little older than Nikoletta with long black hair. Her arms, from what was uncovered, were sculpted with muscle. She stood awkwardly, taking weight off the knee Artivan had struck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this. He¡¯s a hero, like us,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°He¡¯s nothing like us,¡± Siora said. ¡°Don¡¯t think an old hog like this knows a thing. He¡¯d protect a rat from an exterminator.¡±


    ¡°A goblin¡¯s a goblin,¡± the soldier said.


    ¡°Aye,¡± the hunter confirmed. His eager fingers played with the bowstring. He hadn¡¯t stopped staring at Owin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only protected myself,¡± Owin shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to any of you!¡±


    The hunter raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d be standing here even if you were human. Too big a bounty to ignore.¡±


    ¡°A bounty?¡±


    ¡°The chalice didn¡¯t just ping them. They choose an adept item if they kill you.¡± Artivan flashed white, causing the ground to quake. ¡°I should have told you. I should have drank it.¡±


    ¡°Your abilities don¡¯t protect that bare head of yours,¡± Siora said, grinning. She drew her glowing sword and pulled her shield from her back. Both soldiers held the flanks with Nikoletta, Miklos, and the hunter in the center.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the umbra?¡± Owin turned as purple fire flashed across the umbra¡¯s blade. He blocked with both blades, easily catching the attack. The fire burst off the blade and washed over Owin¡¯s face, burning across his skin just like the gray mist.


    A solid thunk shook the ground as the umbra collapsed, quickly followed by a spray of blood across Owin¡¯s face. He wiped the blood away and caught a quick glimpse of the umbra¡¯s collapsed face. He was alive, but both cheeks appeared broken with blood pouring from a shattered nose.


    Artivan held the Thunderstrike Maul with umbra blood splattered on the front of the hammer. ¡°Cheap tricks won¡¯t get you far.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°What do you know about getting far?¡± Siora said, finally stepping past Nikoletta. She spun her sword with a practiced flourish, throwing light around the clearing. ¡°It took you sixty years to get to level thirty. A joke.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it say about the Void if a sixty year old can win a four on two fight?¡± Artivan shifted his feet, shaking the ground with each movement. ¡°Owin.¡± He barely shook the hammer.


    Owin put both knives in his belt and caught the hammer as Artivan tossed it to the side. He immediately drew the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth. Siora eyed the sword cautiously, taking a half step back.


    ¡°Placus, you idiot. Get up.¡±


    The umbra groaned and coughed blood onto the grass.


    ¡°You should have taken the opening he made,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°There was no opening. We know how to fight a knight,¡± Miklos said.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Artivan pointed the winged sword at Nikoletta. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    The hammer was about half charged. Too much movement at the moment would draw attention to Owin, which he didn¡¯t need. Charging during combat was the only real option. Artivan was doing a good job creating an opening for Owin to flee, but he had to know it wouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°You¡¯re confident for someone so injured,¡± Miklos said. He ran his hand over the blade of his axe. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to show you who we are.¡±


    Artivan nodded, causing the halo to bob above his head. ¡°You think I¡¯m without headgear? What is this?¡±


    There was no way they could Examine the halo while it was equipped. Artivan was tricking them, causing them to think more before acting. Everything he did, he did to confuse his opponents. It was all so easy for him, so effortless while Owin didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    Owin had been wrong. Terribly wrong. There was no reason to be confident. Owin was once again terrified. Even with the umbra bleeding behind him, he faced unfair odds, which put Artivan in mortal danger. Again.


    Owin had to prove his worth with strength. Only strength. But how when everyone was stronger than him?


    ¡°Fortification!¡± Nikoletta shouted, lifting her glowing mace in the air. A burst erupted off her, touching only her allies in the area.


    The berserker was still standing when the sword stopped, lodged part way into Miklos¡¯s ribs. He grinned as his eyes flashed red. Muscles all around his body bulged. Veins rose to the surface. A whole new stream of blood shot from the horrible wounds across his shoulder. Miklos tilted his head back and roared.


    ¡°Run!¡± Artivan shouted. He tore the blade out and raised his shield, clearly expecting an immediate attack.


    An arrow hit Owin in the shoulder, easily passing right through his thin body. It took a chunk of health with it, but it was so quick he had hardly noticed the attack. Siora and the other soldier rounded on Owin, lifting weapons high.


    He bolted, looking back to see Artivan running as fast as possible. His Ironclad Stance had vanished, letting him run on light feet, at least in comparison.


    Siora flew past the other soldier and stabbed at Owin. Even while running, he felt instincts kick in. The blade hummed as it passed by his ear, barely missing. She pulled it to the side, searing the skin on the edge of Owin¡¯s long ear. He gritted his teeth and leapt, kicking up a spray of dirt into the soldiers¡¯ faces.


    Artivan let the hunter batter him with arrows, taking most of the hits off his armor. As the cave neared, Artivan shifted to the side, slamming Siora off course. She lost her footing and slammed against a birch tree, sending leaves cascading onto the forest floor.


    Miklos was farther behind, having been healed by Nikoletta. The two heroes stalked toward them, toward the cave, with evil in their eyes. Nikoletta¡¯s shone gold while Miklos¡¯s were like burning fires of red.


    Owin slid around the mouth of the cave and almost ended up head first in a pool of bright green acid. He pressed his free hand into the ground to stop his slide, then hopped over. Acid flowed from deep inside the cave, quickly making its way to the hazy boundary wall just beyond the cave entrance.


    Artivan barreled past, crashing into the wall. He narrowly avoided stepping in the acid and pushed himself off the wall.


    An ogre roared loudly. The mouth of the cave was narrow enough that the huge ogre blocked the entire path inside. Artivan was right. Owin could easily run underneath and scurry away like a little rat. But he would never leave Artivan alone to face all the bloodthirsty heroes.


    Artivan adjusted the winged blade in his hand. ¡°Quickly,¡± he said.


    Before Artivan was done talking, Owin was already in the air. He slammed the hammer down on the ogre¡¯s head, cracking its skull even under the thick, armor-like skin. Owin clung to its head, dropped the Thunderstrike Maul, and pulled out knives. He drove them into the ogre¡¯s eyes and leapt off as the mob wobbled.


    Artivan grabbed the hammer, even as he blocked attacks from the other heroes. He was bleeding from somewhere underneath his armor again, but he quickly maneuvered over the ogre¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Get to the stairs,¡± Artivan said.


    The other ogre, deeper inside the cave, roared and charged. The cave was long and narrow, with the other ogre deeper inside by a glowing pool of acid. Artivan guided Owin to the right, over a small stream of acid and into a small cove that wound toward the stairs, barely on the edge of his map.


    A stone arrow caught Artivan in the shoulder, throwing him into the wall. He bounced off, mostly unharmed and faced the incoming heroes. He rolled his shoulders and took up as much of the cave as he could. He dropped the Thunderstrike Maul behind him.


    ¡°Go,¡± Artivan said.


    ¡°Not without you.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Owin.¡±


    Placus was the first to engage again. The umbra was badly scarred but still moved fluidly. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t learned from earlier. He easily slipped past Artivan¡¯s blockade and struck at Owin. Luckily, Owin had been ready for some desperate attack and was already swinging the Thunderstrike Maul.


    It wasn¡¯t charged to 100%, but his strength still carried the heavy hammer with incredible speed. It caught Placus on the wrist and immediately shattered bone, throwing the umbra¡¯s weapon into the cave wall.


    Arrows pinged on Artivan¡¯s shield as the other heroes arrived. Miklos, the berserker, charged away, shouting something as he went to stop the ogre from flanking.


    Siora, with her face all scarred and torn apart, followed right behind Nikoletta.


    ¡°Beast,¡± Nikoletta said.


    Artivan¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. He took a step back, giving the mouth of the small area to the other heroes.


    ¡°Back up toward the stairs. Run,¡± Artivan said, turning his back to Placus.


    The umbra lashed out, striking Artivan with something that hardly made the knight react.


    It was only a dozen feet into a narrow passageway. The black void of the exit was a hundred feet away, with the stairs leading to the fifth floor beside it in the corner. It was all so close.


    Artivan stopped in the narrow passage and stomped his foot down. ¡°Bulwark!¡±


    The cave rumbled. Stone cracked around Artivan¡¯s feet as his shield flashed yellow. It pulsed with energy, causing the walls to shake. Artivan thrust his shield forward just as a bright yellow barrier erupted. It rapidly grew, filling every little open space in front of Artivan until the whole passageway was blocked.


    Nikoletta pounded her mace on the shield, causing energy to ripple through the spell. She growled and shouted insults, but failed to break Artivan¡¯s spell.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Bulwark. A knight¡¯s last resort.¡± He turned. Blood ran from his eyes like tears.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Artivan said, grunting slightly as Siora¡¯s glowing sword slammed into the barrier.


    ¡°I told you the Nimble Hog is a coward!¡±


    Miklos appeared from around the corner, covered in ogre blood. His eyes shone even under the incredible amount of blood clinging to his hair. He pushed past the others and smashed his axe against the yellow barrier.


    ¡°Look, Owin.¡± Artivan turned and crouched, leaving the barrier alone. He reached into his bag, found a piece of paper and started scribbling. ¡°Even without the other heroes that joined them, we can¡¯t fight them and win.¡±


    ¡°What about your sword?¡±


    ¡°I used the last charge for today against Miklos, and the mender protected him. It doesn¡¯t matter. Just listen. We don¡¯t have much time. You have to leave. Not ascend. Leave, Owin. Please.¡±


    ¡°But Ruvaine¡ª¡±


    Artivan held up his hand, cutting Owin off. ¡°If I stay here, as long as my shield is close, Bulwark will hold until my mana is gone. With all that damage from specters, I don¡¯t have all that much mana. You need to run. They will chase you down. Get to Oriathria, take the portal to Atrevaar, and go find Chorsay Eoghet.¡± Artivan sheathed his sword, undid his belt, and stuck it in Owin¡¯s arms. ¡°This is his sword. I refuse to let scum like them touch it.¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a debate, little goblin. The Nimble Hogs will help you.¡± He held up a folded piece of paper and stuffed it in Owin¡¯s bag. ¡°Show Chorsay the note. He¡¯ll know. I will hold them off as long as I can. That will give you a good head start. Plenty of time to run. I¡¯ve seen how fast you can be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you a choice. If I have to throw you through that door, I will.¡±


    Climb, thrall.


    Owin gritted his teeth. He hadn¡¯t heard Ruvaine¡¯s voice in a long time. And now, of any time, she decides to try and talk again?


    Climb or die.


    ¡°Ruvaine says I¡¯ll die if I leave.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t. She¡¯s trying to scare you. You¡¯ll die if you climb. I want you to live.¡±


    Miklos smashed his axe against the barrier again, causing cracks to slither through. Artivan stood and pressed his shield into the center. The cracks healed, causing the whole spell to glow bright yellow again.


    ¡°Go, now.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Artivan knelt in front of Owin. ¡°I will see you again, little goblin. They are hunting you, not me. Once my spell breaks, they will be frustrated, but that will be the end of it. I will follow you out and meet you at the Nimble Hogs, okay? I will introduce you to everyone, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid to do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    Artivan grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I promise to keep you safe. Now, ignore Ruvaine. I don¡¯t care what the goddess says. Nobody controls you. Nobody ever will. You are incredible, and you will show the world just how amazing you are. But to do that, you need to learn more about the world. Chorsay owes me a favor, okay? Don¡¯t let him forget that. I¡¯ll make sure I remind him too.¡±


    Owin¡¯s stomach turned. Blood ran from Artivan¡¯s eyes. It leaked from the injuries on both sides of his skull. Some of Artivan¡¯s blood soaked into Owin¡¯s shirt as it leaked from his gauntlet.


    The violet light of the halo glowed on the cave walls.


    Artivan wasn¡¯t coming, no matter what he promised.


    Owin hugged Artivan and felt the old knight¡¯s body shudder a little. Artivan sniffled as he pulled back.


    ¡°Be brave. Be quick.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a team,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Best team I¡¯ve ever had. Keep that sword safe, okay?¡±


    ¡°What will you use?¡±


    Artivan pulled the staff from his back. ¡°I¡¯ll make this work.¡±


    Nikoletta and Miklos pounded on the spell, slowly cracking away.


    ¡°You won¡¯t escape us!¡± Nikoletta screamed.


    ¡°Nobody can save you!¡± Siora shouted right after. She cackled, backing away to let the others pound on the barrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop running until you get to Oriathria. You have more than enough to pay the toll to Atrevaar. Don¡¯t let anyone stop you.¡±


    Ascend.


    Owin¡¯s heart thumped loudly. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. If he went up a floor, he would have to navigate the unknown landscape on his own with all the heroes chasing him. But if he left the dungeon, he would have the entire world to navigate without Artivan. Every choice was a bad one. Every choice meant leaving Artivan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Artivan hugged him again, squeezing tightly. ¡°You can do anything you want. These people are the worst of the world. Don¡¯t be scared about what¡¯s out there. You will find your place. Better yet, you will make your place.¡± Artivan pulled back. His eyes were hard as he poked a finger against Owin¡¯s forehead. ¡°You are strong in here, and here.¡± He moved the finger to Owin¡¯s chest. ¡°Strength is more than who you can kill. That¡¯s what these fools don¡¯t realize. Show the world how strong you are. How capable you are. How incredible.¡±


    Miklos roared and slammed his axe into the barrier. The tip of the blade broke through, sending a huge wave of cracks across the bulwark.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°No mercy,¡± Owin said, barely more than a whisper.


    Artivan smiled softly. ¡°Sometimes we need mercy, little goblin. Sometimes we need to forgive and forget. But sometimes . . . sometimes we need to make people wish they never met us. See you soon, little goblin.¡±


    Artivan pressed his shield back against the Bulwark and held the staff an inch off the ground, ready to cast a spell. The violet halo bobbed over his head.


    Owin ignored Ruvaine¡¯s words inside his head. Six heroes stood just beyond the spell, pounding at the yellow shield over and over. Artivan didn¡¯t flinch. Even as blood ran from the wounds on his head, down the outside of his armor, he stood confidently.


    Owin turned and sprinted right through the exit, even as Ruvaine¡¯s calls turned to screams inside his head.


    The black void of the doorway washed over him, taking everything away. It was impossible to tell how much time passed until Owin found himself on a little flat outcropping of wood.


    A monstrous tree stood over him, disappearing into the clouds high above. The sky looked infinitely bigger than it had inside the dungeon, though Owin was having trouble even imagining that he was outside.


    Far to the right, around a curve of the tree and down a hill, stood a line of heroes waiting their turns to enter the first floor, the goblin caves.


    Owin watched for only a moment before leaping off the small wooden platform. He landed in the grass and sprinted away from the Great Forest Dungeon.


    Ruvaine had lied. Owin was outside. He was alive.


    He carefully unfolded Artivan¡¯s note as he ran. The words were clear, even if they were in shaky handwriting.


    He¡¯s a good one.


    Trust me.


    - Artivan


    Ruvaine had lied. Owin would never know what she meant or what she wanted. It didn¡¯t matter anymore. What mattered was the massive world around him. Owin was free to do what he wanted.


    But there was only one thing on his mind.


    Owin would make sure the Void Nexus heroes regretted ever meeting him.

 Epilogue - End of Book 1

    Siora idly spun her sword, listening to the humming as it cut through the air. Her face now sat in a perpetual glare from the scars the knight had left her. It was time she paid him back for that.


    It didn¡¯t matter that the goblin had fled. How easy was it going to be to track down a goblin in the outside world? Everyone would know about him within days. Who would welcome a beast like that?


    No. Instead of hunting goblin, Siora was going to hunt a hog. Her favorite game. There was nothing Veph paid more for than hog treasure. What did she have against the small hero company? Siora didn¡¯t know, and didn¡¯t care to ask.


    The bulwark continued cracking, healing less every time. The knight¡¯s mana had run out, lasting for a surprisingly short amount of time. Usually a bulwark would protect a knight for hours. Sometimes days, depending on the knight. This was a pathetic display. All that, and the knight didn¡¯t even have his primary weapon anymore. What kind of knight used a staff?


    ¡°This is my kill,¡± Siora said. ¡°Or our deal is off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your kill,¡± Nikoletta said, stepping back.


    Miklos, the berserker, continued smashing his axe against the barrier without rest. The idiot had used his Untethered Rage to stay alive. Berserkers were the worst while having their fits.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about this guy,¡± Vida said. The soldier sheathed her sword and leaned against the cave wall. ¡°He bashed my knee, but he could have done worse. He had the opening.¡±


    ¡°We wanted that bounty,¡± Seuthes said. He continued playing with his bowstring, causing it to make noise with each flick. It was an annoying habit.


    ¡°Then back off. You can pass to the fifth floor when he¡¯s gone,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°Fine with me.¡± Vida walked back into the cave, waving for Seuthes to follow. They turned the corner, talking about a chest Miklos had apparently left.


    The berserker didn¡¯t react to the mention of his name, if he had even noticed. He continued smashing away. The bulwark was near its breaking point, and all the knight did was stare at them from the other side. Blood ran down the sides of his head and he just stood and waited like a patient statue.


    ¡°Are you going to fight with some brains this time?¡± Siora asked.


    Placus cradled his broken wrist. ¡°They both reacted so fast.¡±


    ¡°Last time I¡¯m healing you,¡± Nikoletta said. She touched his wrist, causing the bones to snap back together.


    Placus gulped and winced, then moved his wrist back and forth until he grew used to the minor pain. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Your kill means you¡¯re engaging first,¡± Nikoletta said, stepping to the side. Her mace continued to glow as her Luminous Surge continued flowing. Her control of the spell was impressive. Keeping it running for so long would have taken years of practice, or the mender was a prodigy. Having a Power 3 spell that young . . .


    Siora needed to find a way to hook Nikoletta into Void Nexus.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll engage after Miklos. He needs to hit something or his rage¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know how it works,¡± Siora said.


    Miklos smashed through the bulwark, shattering the massive yellow barrier. The pieces fell like glass, dissipating into dust as soon as they touched anything. Before Miklos could recover from passing through the wall, the knight slammed his staff down.


    Liquid fire erupted from the gnarled head, covering all of Miklos. The berserker, rather than reacting like any sane person, roared and attacked. Even the old knight seemed surprised as he backed away, blocking as Miklos¡¯s axe chipped away at the damaged shield.


    Artivan swung the staff like a melee weapon and caught the burning berserker in the knee, causing him to collapse, even while Miklos continued roaring. Nikoletta pulled him back and started her healing spell. Fighting Viscous Fire was difficult, no matter how talented the mender.


    ¡°Looks like a pretty staff. Would be a shame if I got it back,¡± Siora said as she positioned her shield in front of her face. ¡°Viscous Fire is a cheap opening for a knight.¡±


    ¡°Ironic to complain when you fight me with your numbers.¡± The old knight¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes.


    He was checking the cooldown period of the staff.


    Siora feinted forward, causing Artivan to stagger and move his shield. She swung her shield in, catching the edge of his shield, and pried it to the side like opening a can. Siora stabbed forward to drive her shining sword through the hog¡¯s gut.


    His staff bashed it aside and caught her on the cheek. It hit with enough force to stagger her. Blood rushed into her mouth, but the hit did little real damage. Artivan forced her shield away and lifted his staff, ready to cast a spell again. That was Elas¡¯s staff, meaning Artivan also had Fireball ready to cast.


    Nikoletta remained in the back with Miklos, whose rage had ended prematurely. They watched with Placus as Artivan continued blocking the way to the exit. Would he go for damaging numbers by hitting them all, or would he go for more focused damage with Viscous Fire against her? Would a knight even think that much about spells?


    Siora had always had a mind for battle. It had just taken her a few years to get the soldier class figured out. There were a lot of setbacks in the early levels of soldiers compared to other classes. She had wanted knight, like Artivan, but that¡¯s how life goes. How many people successfully got what they trained for as kids? Few, if any. The lucky ones got things like knight, alchemist, or umbra, while most got the basic classes like soldier and hunter.


    Artivan must have been some rich kid, trained by professionals to have a head start in life. And look at him now, an old man barely past level 30. What a joke.


    A fireball flew right past Siora¡¯s head, giving her a huge opening to step in and stab. Her glowing sword passed right through the edge of Artivan¡¯s already damaged shield, melting the metal as it caught a nick in his armor. The metal superheated, turning red and running like blood as she screamed and pushed forward, driving the sword right through his stomach.


    Nikoletta negated the fireball, managing to heal herself and Miklos in a calm manner. Placus had dodged, as umbra do, and remained to the side, sweating nervously. He wanted to help so badly, but she had made him promise. It was her kill.


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    To his credit, Artivan remained on his feet. He tossed the useless shield to the ground and let the staff fall to the other side. Its cooldown was too long for it to be of any help at the moment.


    His eyes were hard as he stared at Siora. ¡°You will not hurt my friend.¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do about it?¡± she asked.


    Artivan¡¯s armored fist caught her in the cheek, rebreaking bone. Siora backed away, breath caught in her throat. The bastard pulled her sword from his stomach, holding the shining sword like he was about to face them all.


    ¡°You will not hurt anyone else!¡± He flashed white, shattering the cave floor. ¡°Come die like the scum you are!¡±


    A Nimble Hog held her family¡¯s sword. A Nimble Hog challenged her, threatened her, insulted her. Even with blood pouring down his armor, Artivan stood like a monster before her.


    Siora drew her hunting knife and growled. ¡°You aren¡¯t worthy of wielding that blade!¡±


    Artivan spat a bloody gob of mucus onto the glowing sword. ¡°I¡¯d wipe my ass with it if I had the chance.¡±


    Miklos cackled with laughter.


    Siora feinted in, causing Artivan to swing wildly. The injured, nearly disemboweled man, missed by a wide margin. Siora slipped past and drove her hunting knife right into his throat. She let out a warm breath on his ear as his body went limp and fell into her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll skin your friend alive,¡± she hissed.


    Artivan let the glowing sword fall to the ground. Siora let him go, causing his body to slam into the stone ground. The old knight was smiling.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± she asked.


    Artivan coughed up blood. ¡°You think you won,¡± he said. He sucked in a raspy breath. ¡°The fight is far from over, and Owin¡¯s a fast little goblin.¡± He breathed in again, wheezing the whole time. ¡°You¡¯ll never catch him.¡±


    Siora stepped over Artivan. ¡°I can start my chase right now.¡±


    A pulse exploded off the old knight, sending his shield, the staff, and Siora¡¯s sword flying across the cave.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Placus asked.


    Vida and Seuthes returned, watching the fight from afar. Nikoletta¡¯s mace continued glowing as she pushed Miklos behind her.


    Siora turned around, looking down at the old knight as he bled out. Where had that energy come from? He should be dead.


    Artivan sat up, spilling blood all down himself. ¡°There¡¯s a story forgotten by time.¡± He wheezed.


    She should shut him up, but he wasn¡¯t even a threat. He could move no faster than a snail.


    ¡°A legend of a Doomed Harbinger. A curse that would never end.¡± Artivan smashed a gauntlet against his chest. ¡°And I will have my revenge.¡±


    Siora picked up her glowing sword and stabbed it through the knight¡¯s head. ¡°Some fucking legend that was.¡± She ripped the sword out, letting Artivan¡¯s lifeless body flop against the cave floor.


    A Cursed has been summoned


    The Sovereign One - Artivan Morro - 100% Awakened


    Level 32


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± Placus screamed.


    Artivan¡¯s corpse shuddered and lifted into the air. Entrails and blood poured from his wounds, even as his eyes opened and glared directly at Siora. The halo above his head glowed brightly, casting violet light through the cave.


    Siora used her Examine as the corpse¡¯s eyes flashed violet like the halo.


    The Sovereign One


    Artivan Morro


    Knight


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    No mention of attributes. No mention of the word ¡®hero.¡¯ Whatever he had become, Siora had never heard of it before. But it still mentioned his damn hero company.


    Gray mist trailed off his fingers and out his nostrils like he was exhaling smoke. He floated in the air, hovering menacingly, but not attacking. Not yet.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°Never seen something like this,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°You two?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Vida said.


    ¡°An undead fucking hero without a lich to raise it?¡± Siora scoffed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s test the old man,¡± Miklos said.


    He took a step forward, lifting his axe to chop. As soon as he moved, Artivan¡¯s body twitched and bolted through the air. His hand sliced across Miklos¡¯s face, tearing through the skin and bone easily. The gray mist that trailed behind latched onto the berserker¡¯s skin, burning enough that Siora could hear the meat popping.


    Miklos swung his weapon, but it was caught by Artivan. The undead knight tore the axe from Miklos and tossed it behind him, where it landed right beside Siora.


    She needed to help, but she found herself watching in awe. Never before had she seen an opponent as resilient as Artivan, and now, even in death, he was causing problems.


    Nikoletta, Placus, Vida, and Seuthes all moved in to help as Miklos was torn to shreds. Artivan attacked wildly, literally ripping Miklos apart. His hands, even as simple gauntlets, tore through the berserker as if the man had claws. And the gray mist that trailed each swing burned everything it touched.


    Nikoletta poured healing spells into Miklos, but within seconds, the berserker was nothing but a pile of shredded, bleeding flesh and sinew. As soon as Miklos fell, Artivan¡¯s lifeless body snapped toward Vida, who had just struck the corpse with her sword. She screamed and tried to shield herself as the undead knight ripped her apart. Everyone fought. Everyone lost. They could do nothing to stop Artivan as he ripped through another hero.


    Siora looked over her shoulder. The exit was about ten feet away.


    Seuthes shot an arrow at Artivan¡¯s head. It passed right through his skull, splattering his brains onto the cave wall. The knight didn¡¯t even notice.


    Placus was too involved. The damn fool was going to try to help the others.


    Only Nikoletta caught Siora¡¯s eyes. Siora shook her head.


    Nikoletta nodded once just as Seuthes began screaming before his throat was ripped out.


    Nikoletta sprinted away, letting Placus be the focus of Artivan¡¯s next attack. She sprinted right through the pool of blood, over the rubble, and shoved Siora along toward the exit.


    ¡°Tell me more about Void Nexus,¡± she said right before she disappeared through the exit, the black doorway.


    Siora took one more look over her shoulder. Four heroes were dead. More than dead. They were ripped apart like pigs. Artivan hovered in the cave passageway, blood running from his arms. His eyes were violet as they glared at Siora, but he made no move toward her. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn¡¯t reach her before she slipped through the doorway.


    ¡°How?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You may escape,¡± he said, his voice distant. ¡°But you will feel my wrath.¡± Artivan lowered himself to the ground. His head shifted unnaturally as he blinked and seemed to come into his mind. ¡°Owin will never let you find peace.¡±


    Siora scowled. He was still of enough will to remember his life? There was no reason he should remember a thing. ¡°I¡¯ll kill the goblin.¡±


    Artivan smiled. ¡°I will haunt this dungeon for eternity, and I will do it happily, knowing Owin will return to inform me that Void Nexus and all the scum that work under Veph have paid the price for the atrocities they¡¯ve committed. He¡¯s a better human than you.¡± Blood suddenly rushed from Artivan¡¯s mouth as the last of it left his body. Now he was truly nothing more than a husk.


    He lifted his gauntlet and pointed at Siora. ¡°You will suffer worse than me.¡±


    Siora spat on the floor. ¡°Hog scum.¡± She turned and passed through the doorway before the undead knight could find some way to reach her.


    Haunt the dungeon? Impossible. Whatever spell or item was keeping him alive would run out and he would be left rotting on the floor until the ogres respawned in a few minutes. They would toss him in the acid or eat him without hesitation. Next time she passed through the Great Forest, there would be no sign of the Nimble Hog knight. No sign of whatever the Sovereign One was.


    Siora appeared outside. Nikoletta had waited, using her hand to shade her eyes as she looked into the distance.


    ¡°The goblin has already gotten far. I can¡¯t spot him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be going to Atrevaar.¡±


    Nikoletta dropped her hand, eyeing Siora with uncertainty. ¡°What¡¯s in Stelsodo that would interest a goblin?¡±


    ¡°The damn Nimble Hog Hero Company.¡±

 Prologue - Book 2

    Verdantallis was a confusing world, especially when one stepped into a dungeon. The Ocean Dungeon was, perhaps, the oddest of them all. Ernworth Eckelson stood on sand at the bottom of the ocean and took a deep breath. Only two of the seven dungeons went down, which was an odd change. One had to get used to saying ¡°descend¡± instead of ¡°climb¡± when talking about the floors.


    A massive shipwreck filled most of the third floor. Much of it was nothing more than framing. Some sections still had planks, but those were rotten and warped. It had never been a real ship. It was simply something that had been created for the dungeon to give the cetanthro homes to occupy on the third floor.


    His partner stood beside him, calm and still despite the horde of enemies nearby. Katalin had her brows lowered, as she often did while she was thinking. Her long hair floated elegantly in the water. Ernie¡¯s hair, as curly and compact as it was, seemed to only poof out more in a much less elegant way.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t looking great, Ernie,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie fished a grenade from his bag, clutching it tightly just in case he needed it. Throwing explosives underwater was even more dangerous than on the surface, but alchemists rarely had other ways to fight. Katalin held her own creation, which was made from a metal pipe. Hers was far more dangerous than his on the surface, and he preferred not to find out what it would do beneath the water.


    Most things needed for real alchemy were located in the dungeons. A special aquatic mushroom grew outside the caves of the fourth floor, and he desperately needed a bag full of mushrooms. In fact, he could lose his job if he didn¡¯t manage to find them. Althowin was not an easygoing boss. One couldn¡¯t create without risking a life. Ideally, one risked someone else¡¯s life. Althowin sent her assistants, and her assistants hired heroes. Unfortunately for Ernie, the current hire wasn¡¯t looking great.


    Hero


    Tibur Egyed


    Soldier


    Golden Bull Hero Company


    Level: 29


    Strength: 201


    Constitution: 190


    Dexterity: 105


    Intelligence: 104


    Wisdom: 73


    Charisma: 110


    Tibur was a young man. A prodigy, according to Andres, though from what Ernie was seeing, Tibur was not qualified for the job. It was simple, really. Ernie had hired a hero to escort him to the fourth floor and safely out the exit. Any talented hero would have managed the expedition just fine. In fact, Ernie had gone on the exact same trip a few months back, but at that time he had hired a Void Nexus hero.


    Damned Golden Bulls charged more than half up front and failed to deliver. They had been decent in the past, though they charged more than most of the other hero companies. He had hoped they would prove their worth with another try. The only ones to charge more were the big three, but with those one knew they were getting quality and their prices varied on the mission.


    For as much as the Golden Bulls charged, he could have hired multiple Nimble Hogs. A Void Nexus hero in the low 20s would have been roughly the same price for this ¡°prodigy.¡± Even the Magna Regum Hero Company charged the same per hero as the Golden Bulls, and Magna Regum never failed to deliver.


    Tibur fought a horde of monsters. Cetanthro, no matter the variety, loved to swarm. Itajara and phyraena brutes wailed on Tibur. To his credit, the soldier was standing his ground. For now. Sure, Ernie could attempt to help, but what would it do? The cetanthro would swarm him just as fast and an alchemist can¡¯t take more than a hit or two before they¡¯re truly in danger.


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    Ernie never wanted to let heroes die, but they knew the risk when they took his money. They could have remained citizens like most of the world if they were scared of death. Instead, they took incredible amounts of money.


    ¡°Do you know how much we paid for him?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Barely more than Althowin was going to give us.¡± Katalin sighed. Her voice sounded distant while underwater. The Ocean Dungeon really was an odd place.


    Tibur had made quick work of the first two floors, but enemies bigger than him were apparently a weakness. The itajara were lumbering oafs of mobs that carried clubs made from what appeared to be the old sides of the ship. One carried a big piece of coral that looked as though it might crumble just from waving it around. The phyraena brutes were more vicious and found all of Tibur¡¯s openings as he blocked the itajara attacks.


    ¡°We should leave,¡± Katalin said.


    A cloud of blood already floated in the water around Tibur. The young man wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Katalin was right. The grenades could kill the mobs, but they would rip Tibur apart too. A death by battling would be better than a death from alchemical grenades. There was little they could do for the hero as soon as he had decided to rush in against the cetanthro ambush. A smart soldier would have found a way out before he could be overwhelmed.


    The exit was through the rest of the shipwreck on the far side of the floor. A cetanthro city was built into much of the wreck, though there were paths that avoided many of the mobs. It would be a long, arduous journey through the third floor, but Tibur had already pulled most of the mobs from the city. Ernie followed Katalin to the edge of the shipwreck. They could maneuver through the frame and get on top where only weak mobs still roamed.


    A soft yellow glow flashed over Tibur as he sliced the head off another phyraena brute. Cetanthro mobs backed away as the soldier roared. Smarter mobs often responded to a hero leveling up. Ernie wasn¡¯t sure why. It was one of the countless mysteries of the dungeons. Though it was odd that the itajara reacted since they hardly had a brain at all. Tibur pushed harder against the horde before him. Ernie grunted. The timing of that level up could have allowed Tibur time to flee. Instead, he was right back in the fight.


    Katalin climbed over another beam and stopped, watching the fight. ¡°The young ones are always morons,¡± she said.


    Tibur was impressive. Ernie would give him that. Lesser heroes would have been torn apart against such an overwhelming force.


    ¡°I told him to play it safe. We just needed protection.¡± Ernie climbed onto the same beam as Katalin and leaned on it. Even if the fight ended soon, the cetanthros were far enough away to not notice either alchemist.


    ¡°Heroes always want to clear the floor. I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    She was right. Most heroes, even those with companies, always wanted to kill every last mob. It didn¡¯t matter that they would respawn. They were a bloodthirsty lot that liked to think of themselves as unkillable.


    ¡°Althowin will murder us if we don¡¯t grab those gilled mushrooms.¡±


    Ernie nudged Katalin. ¡°I know what we can do.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± She placed her pipe bomb back in her bag. Shaking one too much could cause it to explode. Horribly. Ernie relaxed a little seeing it stashed away.


    ¡°We can go back to Atrevaar. We can hire¡ª¡±


    ¡°Artivan,¡± Katalin said, finishing Ernie¡¯s thought. She grinned. ¡°The old man knows how to avoid an unwinnable fight. He¡¯d get us through at twice the pace Tibur did.¡±


    They were quiet as they watched Tibur finally collapse. Blood and guts from Tibur and all the mobs floated in the water without a current to pull it away. He was certainly carrying some valuable loot, but it wasn¡¯t worth grabbing. Althowin made sure they had everything they needed anyway. As long as they delivered their ingredients.


    It was sad watching the young hero take his final breath. He was an ambitious one. All he talked about for the first two floors was his goal of collecting all seven shards. There was a reason most hero companies didn¡¯t have Shard Carriers. The qualities for that impossible task were rare. Even a prodigy wouldn¡¯t achieve such a feat. It required something different. Something Ernie certainly didn¡¯t have, and obviously Tibur didn¡¯t have either.


    ¡°Straight from here to the Nimble Hogs?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Might as well. We have a couple weeks before Althowin expects us back. Atrevaar isn¡¯t too far from Minolitana Prima.¡±


    Katalin nodded and climbed up the last bit of ship wreckage. Ernie followed her up, putting his own grenade back in his bag. The open ocean was still bright above them. They weren¡¯t too deep yet where the real disgusting mobs appeared. He hadn¡¯t seen them, but Althowin spoke of some horrific creatures in the trench.


    It would be a quick journey if they could simply swim up. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t how the Ocean Dungeon worked. They would need to climb the exit stairs to find their way back to the beach. At least they had a plan. Ernie could always rely on Artivan and the Nimble Hogs.

 Book 2 - Chapter 1

    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    Oriathria looked unlike anything Owin had seen before. Even considering the cultist or hobgoblin villages, Oriathria was different. It was a massive stain on the horizon. A glowing beacon that was dramatically different from the forest Owin had just sprinted through. Buildings jutted from the ground like monoliths, taller than anything Owin had seen before. Even Nosolus¡¯s cathedral was small compared to any building on Oriathria¡¯s fringe.


    The forest ended as a solid line as if a god had cleaved the ground, cutting down all trees within a mile of Oriathria, leaving only a grassy plain with a rough muddy road cut through.


    Some humans walked toward Owin, who stood on the edge of the tree line, holding two oversized weapons and a bag full of random mob pieces. People whispered to one another as they noticed the short green man before them.


    Without the need to sleep, exhaustion in the normal sense wasn¡¯t an issue. That much had helped Owin stay ahead of any potential pursuers. Unfortunately, his muscles and body still felt the effects of running. Even standing still was proving an effort as his knees shook just holding up his small frame.


    ¡°Wait,¡± someone said, pointing to Owin. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking goblin!¡±


    A soft sigh escaped Owin. Even if they didn''t use Examine, they would still notice the obvious differences in Owin¡¯s appearance. None of the humans he saw had hair nearly as vibrant as a goblin¡¯s. His own purple hair nearly shined in the sunlight.


    ¡°Just let me pass,¡± Owin said.


    One hero drew a sword, followed by a series of heroes equipping themselves with their own weapons. Indexes flashed before many of their eyes, though a few just glared at Owin with unearned confidence.


    They were all low levels. He had examined each as soon as they were within his range. The Great Forest was known as a beginner dungeon, for whatever reason. Any serious heroes weren¡¯t going to be wandering from Oriathria in parties like the half dozen heroes before him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Owin whispered as he set the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth on the ground. He shrugged off his bag, setting it in the grass beside the weapon.


    ¡°Killing a goblin that escaped a dungeon is bound to make us famous,¡± someone shouted.


    ¡°It says he¡¯s a hero,¡± a woman said. She sheathed her daggers and checked Owin again. Her face twisted in confusion.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what it says. That¡¯s a damn goblin.¡±


    Arguments from both directions bounced around the humans who slowly closed around Owin. He was about a mile from the city. No one was coming to help.


    ¡°Nobody controls me. Nobody ever will.¡± Owin took a deep breath and readied the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°I promised to not let anyone stop me. Be brave. Be quick.¡±


    Owin dashed forward, swinging the heavy hammer before the first human could even react. The hammer glowed as it splattered the human¡¯s brains across the muddy road. Owin landed and skidded, throwing mud into the face of another hero.


    They closed in all at once, even those that had spoken out against killing a hero. They didn¡¯t care, and Owin didn¡¯t either. He made a promise and he would do anything to keep it.


    Even with tired legs, Owin dashed faster than any of the low level heroes could follow. Their attacks were slow and clumsy and Owin killed each of them in one or two swings. Even a knight collapsed when his helmet buckled in the top, spraying blood out of the openings for his eyes.


    The single road leading from the Great Forest to Oriathria was already an unkempt mess. Now with blood and innards spread across, it was almost impossible to trek. Owin retrieved the sheathed sword and his bag and sprinted away, ignoring the wobbling of his knees.


    Oriathria grew, becoming more and more massive as Owin closed the short distance from the trees to the city. The passage of heroes thinned as the day waned, leaving the western edge of the city calm and quiet. Owin sprinted right through, not stopping long enough for anyone to look at him.


    He opened his index and pulled open the map, but it was blank. No map outside the dungeons. The city¡¯s narrow streets gave no sign as to where the portals might be. Artivan hadn¡¯t given Owin directions, so his only hope was to run until he saw something.


    Buildings of stone covered him on every side. With the sun setting, many people cleaned up small shops or stands along the edges of the narrow streets, not paying attention to the goblin running by.


    Owin passed through a narrow opening between two fences and skidded to a stop as a huge shape slid toward him. He hopped backward as the object rang a bell. A few people who sat aboard looked at Owin, faces uncertain as they tried to figure out who or what he was. The object continued following a rail down the center of the street.


    ¡°Almost got hit by the streetcar,¡± someone said.


    Owin turned to see an old lady standing beside him. She sat on a bench with a cane resting across her lap. He quickly used Examine.


    Citizen


    Ethel Amos


    Assassin


    None of her attributes were displayed. She certainly didn¡¯t look like any assassin Owin had seen before. Even her head turning to face him was agonizingly slow.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. She stopped to sip a cup of steaming coffee, then carefully set it on the bench beside her. ¡°You are ugly.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin looked around, making sure the old woman was talking about him. ¡°Me?¡±


    She sipped the coffee again and waited to acknowledge Owin until she set the cup back on the bench. ¡°Yes.¡±


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    ¡°Where are the portals?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Follow the streetcar. Those won¡¯t make you handsome.¡±


    Owin launched himself down the street. The edge of the streetcar was barely within sight as it crested a small hill, leading deeper into Oriathria. He chased it down the road, around a corner, and eventually caught up to the object. It didn¡¯t move nearly fast enough for what Owin wanted, so he ran past and followed the rail.


    Bridges connected the tall buildings, spanning the space over the streets. Fading sunlight reflected off the massive panes of glass covering the sides of buildings. Owin took in as much as he could while staying right on top of the rail. The path was mostly straight with a few small turns until he found himself in what felt like the exact middle of the city.


    A massive marble circle was raised above the street with stairs leading up from the four cardinal directions. There were no walls, though arches acted as doorways from the stairs to the marble platform. Each archway held a person wearing a lean black suit. The one closest to Owin watched him closely. Owin¡¯s grip on the Thunderstrike Maul tightened.


    ¡°Do you have the fee?¡± the man asked.


    Something was off about the man. The way he stood, so relaxed and confident, had the air of someone strong. Even as Owin sprinted toward him, the man didn¡¯t flinch.


    Hero


    Vondaire Faikel


    Umbra


    Izylia Unity Force


    The rest of his information was hidden. Owin could sense it as if a cloud covered the attributes and level, but he couldn¡¯t do anything to move it aside.


    A small smirk curled Vondaire¡¯s lips. He held out a gloved hand. ¡°Five dungeon gold.¡±


    Owin hurried up the stairs, set the Thunderstrike Maul down, and grabbed five gold pieces from his bag. ¡°I thought it was going to be more.¡±


    Vondaire took the coins and returned to his relaxed position. The coins seemingly vanished. ¡°Prices are higher in the hub cities.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin picked his hammer up and moved to step past Vondaire. The umbra appeared right before him.


    ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°A hero.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that.¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t seen an index flash in Vondaire¡¯s eyes. Even when Owin used Examine without opening his index, others could still see the spell and information appear before his eyes. How had Vondaire done that?


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a bit more information.¡±


    ¡°I paid you.¡± Owin tried to move past again, but Vondaire always managed to be directly in front of him. Anger bubbled up inside, though Owin knew better than to try fighting Vondaire. More than one thing was worrying about the man.


    ¡°And with that, I¡¯m giving you my time. Now, I¡¯m sure you saw the Izylia Unity Force organization in my information. As a soldier for Izylia, it is in my best interest to discover and report anything odd or unique to my supervisor. You see, I have a job to do, and even if I don¡¯t want to do it, I need to comply for another month or two. And you, Owin, are that exact type of odd or unique. A hero, yes. If it said mob, you would already be dead. But . . .¡±


    Vondaire squatted, perfectly matching Owin¡¯s eye level. The umbra¡¯s eyes were black circles with a thin ring of yellow around the outside. He looked entirely demonic, bringing memories of the Malignant Spirit back to Owin¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Even a fused hero doesn¡¯t take on as many qualities of the mob as you have, at least not for something as weak as a goblin. You look entirely like one, and no hero in their right mind would ever fuse with a goblin. That would be more than useless. Which means, the only possible explanation is that you, Owin, are a goblin from the Great Forest Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to fight?¡±


    Vondaire¡¯s black eyes snapped to the Thunderstrike Maul. Some blood from earlier still clung to the metal surface. ¡°It appears you have had a rough road to Oriathria. Did any of that happen within the city?¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t even noticed the small bit of blood that remained on the hammer. His tattered clothes were already stained with blood, especially after he battled the wight.


    Vondaire raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response. Owin didn¡¯t see any weapons, though umbras had a way of hiding things.


    ¡°No,¡± Owin finally said. ¡°They attacked me in the forest.¡±


    A notebook appeared in Vondaire¡¯s hand. He reached into the air and produced a pen, which he tapped on the notebook. ¡°I will write a few notes down to follow up. Your existence, while unique, is not a crime. Though that may be a point of discussion for my superiors.¡± Vondaire tilted his head. ¡°Actually, allow me to rephrase that. My supervisors.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means.¡±


    A slight smile caught Vondaire¡¯s features again before he corrected it and tapped the pen against the notebook again. ¡°Where are you heading?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To allow the Izylia Unity Force to follow up should I discover that anyone was killed within Oriathria.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Vondaire sat down. ¡°Yes, Owin, I understand you said that. Now, if I could take everyone on their word, life would be simpler. In fact, it may be too simple in that sort of life. They wouldn¡¯t need guards at the portals and could instead just have a bucket for you to toss your coins into because in a world where I can take everyone at their word, there wouldn¡¯t be thievery or deception. And now, Owin, would you say everyone you have encountered has been decent and honest?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Vondaire nodded slowly and readied his pen. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Atrevaar.¡±


    Vondaire wrote it down and let the pen hover, waiting. ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°The Nimble Hog Hero Company.¡±


    Vondaire¡¯s eyes narrowed as he slowly wrote the information. ¡°Such a small organization is an odd place to seek. Do you know a hero from the Nimble Hogs?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°You would be better seeking Magna Regum, the Three Heads, or Void Nexus. I can give you directions to any of the three.¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°The Nimble Hogs are perhaps the smallest official hero company. News of an intelligent goblin will spread, Owin. People will know who you are. You will need protection.¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself.¡±


    Vondaire raised his eyebrows. ¡°Can you?¡± He glanced back at the blood on the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°Perhaps you can, to a degree. Should a serious hero come after you, you will need more than a journeyman weapon.¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus is already after me. That¡¯s why I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Vondaire stood to his full height, towering over Owin again. The notebook and pen both vanished as he put his hands behind his back. ¡°Perhaps we should solve this now. Remain here.¡± The umbra vanished in a puff of smoke.


    Owin looked at the archway, wide open right before him. Just beyond were two portals, each at least twenty feet tall. They were framed by perfect glowing rings and hovered a few inches off the ground right over an oval of the same color. A mix of colors like water running through paint filled both portals. They were identical, aside from the frame color. One yellow, one red. If Owin tried going through without guidance, he could end up somewhere far from Atrevaar. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know if one of those portals led to Atrevaar. It wasn¡¯t very clear how they worked.


    Vondaire appeared again in the exact same spot he had been before. ¡°I could have sworn you weren¡¯t going to listen.¡± He adjusted his gloves and cufflinks, then nodded in the direction Owin had come from.


    ¡°Your pursuers are not far behind. One Void Nexus soldier, one unaffiliated mender. Does that sound accurate?¡±


    Owin¡¯s stomach dropped. Siora and Nikoletta?


    He hadn¡¯t believed that Artivan would make it out. No matter what the old knight said, he had planned on holding off the enemy as long as possible. But for those two specifically to survive? He hoped seeing them through the Bulwark was the last time he would see Siora¡¯s glowing sword or Nikoletta¡¯s glowing eyes.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°My comrade will intercept them for routine questions from heroes returning from a dungeon. This will provide you adequate time to find yourself within the bounds of the Nimble Hogs small compound.¡± Vondaire pulled a map from the air. ¡°This is where you will appear in Atrevaar. Luckily, the Nimble Hogs are near the portals. I am unsure how they are able to afford such prime real estate, though that is for the Stelsodo Security Regime to worry about. Take the yellow ringed portal and you will find yourself in Stelsodo¡¯s premiere city. If you find yourself in Oriathria again in the future and find yourself harassed by anyone in the Unity Force, ask for me. I am the lead in your investigation, after all.¡±


    ¡°Investigation?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry over. Hurry through.¡±


    Owin took the map and moved past Vondaire. The umbra stood in the same place, but turned and gestured to the yellow portal on Owin¡¯s left. Both portals appeared to grow even larger as Owin approached. They hummed and spiraled with colors.


    ¡°I just step through?¡±


    Vondaire nodded. ¡°You will hardly notice.¡±


    Owin stepped into the portal and immediately heard screaming from every direction. It felt as though his skin was being ripped from his body while abyssal fire consumed him. Pain far worse than even the lich¡¯s gray mist soaked into every bit of his being.

 Book 2 - Chapter 2

    Atrevaar appeared before Owin as if he had simply been standing with his eyes closed. Pain faded so quickly it felt as though it never even happened. Owin looked at the map Vondaire had given him, finding the X that marked the portal. There was a small arrow pointing in the direction Owin was now facing.


    He looked forward and to the right where a building was circled on the map. Most of the area made little sense on the map, but the portal area was directly in the center of the city, just like in Oriathria.


    With the map''s help, Owin spotted a small wooden building sandwiched between larger, complex brick buildings. An image of a creature covered most of the wooden building above the doorway with the words ¡°Nimble Hog¡± printed on the creature. Owin assumed it was a hog, though he had never seen one before.


    The portal circle was much bigger than Oriathria with eight portals in the circle. Identical archways led to stairs in the four cardinal directions, each with a guard. These guards weren¡¯t dressed in suits. Instead, they wore tight-fitting clothing under segmented armor.


    It was sunny out, as if the whole night had passed in a second. Owin squinted, checking the sky. The sun rose in the west, as if it was early morning. He looked back at the swirling colors of the portal. Nothing appeared when he used Examine. There would be another time to figure that out.


    Owin checked all of his belongings, making sure nothing had vanished within the portal, then ran through the archway, past the guard, and into the Nimble Hog Hero Company. It was silent inside other than Owin¡¯s steps on the creaking wooden floorboards.


    A staircase led to a second floor with a hallway that overlooked the lobby, which consisted of a single bench and a counter. It took Owin a moment to notice a young woman standing behind the counter. She leaned on it with her head resting on her hand with a book open inches from her face. A light hung from the ceiling above her, humming quietly.


    Citizen


    Potilia Ennia


    Berserker


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Owin cleared his throat, standing a few feet in front of the desk. If he walked right up next to it, he would be way too short for the woman to even notice him.


    Potilia sat upright, nearly tossing her book off the counter in fright. Her blonde hair fell into her face, causing her to flail and brush it aside. By the time she stopped moving, her face was bright red and heavy breaths lifted her shoulders.


    ¡°Is this the Nimble Hog Hero Company?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Uh . . . yes.¡± Potilia leaned on the counter, eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°I need to see Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh . . . no.¡± She leaned farther forward, looking nearly straight down at Owin. ¡°Are you a child?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Potilia hummed and sat back down. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re just ugly?¡±


    Their interaction had lasted seconds and Owin was already terribly annoyed. The way she looked at him spelled out all of her uncertainties. She clearly wasn¡¯t able to hide any emotion.


    ¡°Where is Chorsay?¡±


    ¡°Sanem? Raif? Are one of you back there?¡± she called.


    Heavy footsteps grew close before a door opened right behind Potilia. A woman stepped out with a wide helmet that almost looked more like a hat with a golden crest running down the middle. It was golden and shone even in the dim light. Her black hair stuck out from underneath the helmet in wide curls.


    ¡°Someone bothering you?¡± the woman leaned on the counter beside Potilia. ¡°The fuck is that?¡± She disappeared, and after some brief shuffling, appeared around the counter with a spear. ¡°How is a goblin outside?¡±


    ¡°Use Examine,¡± Owin said.


    Her index immediately flashed in front of her eyes as she glanced over his attributes. ¡°Hm.¡± She lowered her spear and fully looked over Owin. Her eyes snapped to the Winged Sword.


    Owin shifted, pulling the sword to his side. ¡°I need to see Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°That sword . . . Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°A goblin with the Winged Sword.¡± Her jaw clenched before she sighed. ¡°What did you get yourself into now, Art?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°Po, show him to Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Potilia squealed and ran around the counter. ¡°Okay, this way.¡± She ran up the stairs, continually glancing back at the woman in the center of the lobby.


    Owin slowly followed, but not before using Examine on the woman.


    Hero


    Sanem Kusvera


    Knight


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 36


    Strength: 176


    Constitution: 203


    Dexterity: 118


    Intelligence: 168


    Wisdom: 103


    Charisma: 111


    ¡°Artivan¡¯s shield was a gift from you,¡± Owin said as he followed the nervous Potilia up the stairs.


    Potilia squealed again as Owin talked. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Po, calm down,¡± Sanem said. ¡°What do you know of his shield?¡±


    ¡°It saved my life more than once.¡±


    Sanem simply nodded.


    Potilia rapidly knocked on a door at the end of the hall. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Stop knocking and open the damn door,¡± a deep, gruff voice said, slightly muted by the door.


    Potilia opened the door, bowed her head, and scurried past Owin, nearly tripping down the stairs as she hurried.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Sanem asked quietly.


    Owin ignored the others and stepped into the small office. Floor to ceiling bookshelves covered every wall except a small window that was open, letting a slight breeze blow through.


    A huge man sat behind the desk. He was bent down, picking through a pile of books on the floor. ¡°Take a seat,¡± he said without looking. His hand bumped another pile of books, knocking the whole thing over. The entire room was covered in them. With how massive the man was, Owin didn¡¯t understand how he maneuvered at all in such a cramped space. Compared to the man, even the desk looked tiny.


    He wasn¡¯t dressed like any hero Owin had seen. He was wearing some loose clothes with no sign of weapons or armor. There was a chest under the window with books stuffed on top of it that was large enough to hold equipment, but Owin guessed it actually held more books.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± he asked, finally sitting up. He had old, tired eyes that immediately reminded Owin of Artivan, though this man looked significantly older. His hair was as black as the doorways between floors, and his beard was nearly twice the size of Artivan¡¯s.


    If anything, they looked like brothers.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± The man cut off his own sentence. He leaned forward. ¡°A goblin, sitting here in my office. You can talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said. He stepped forward and set the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth on the desk along with the note from Artivan.


    Chorsay stared at the sword for a long, silent moment. He ran his hand along the sheath and sighed before letting his eyes snap back to Owin. ¡°This sword has a long history.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The old man took the note and unfolded it. His eyes moved a few times, back and forth over the short sentence.


    He¡¯s a good one.


    Trust me.


    - Artivan


    ¡°He wanted me to remind you that you owe him one.¡±


    Chorsay let out a breath, almost laughing, as tears welled. He cleared his throat and folded the note again. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, I owe him more than one. Tell me, little goblin¡ª¡±


    Owin flinched at those words. He took an involuntary step away and felt his face twist.


    Chorsay¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. Even after it vanished, he sat quietly, watching. Owin took a deep breath. All he could think about was his last view of Artivan. The huge yellow shield, the blood covering the old knight. There were better memories.


    ¡°I may be a goblin, but that doesn¡¯t make me less of a person.¡±


    Chorsay met Owin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Artivan told me that. He¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m alive.¡±


    The old man held up the folded note. ¡°I would have given my life for this man. Even if I had a hundred lives, I would give them all for Artivan Morro. And if he gave his life for you, Owin, then I will do my best to honor the best man I have ever met.¡± Chorsay let out a long, slow breath as he rested both hands on the winged blade. ¡°Tell me your story. I am sure it won¡¯t be easy, but I do need to know who and what you are. I will admit, I do want to know for selfish reasons as well.¡±


    Owin set the Thunderstrike Maul down and sat himself in a chair. His legs were immediately overwhelmed with the exhaustion of running so far for so long.


    Chorsay eyed the hammer as his index flashed again. ¡°Interesting weapon.¡±


    Owin nodded slowly. He understood why Chorsay needed the story. He wanted to know what happened to Artivan. What led Artivan to sacrifice himself for a goblin? Even Owin couldn¡¯t really understand, no matter how many times he thought about it. Artivan was beloved while nobody even knew Owin. The few that were aware of him wanted nothing more than to slaughter him.


    Chorsay held up a finger before Owin could begin his story. ¡°Potilia, can you bring us some tea? And Sanem, gather everyone in the dining hall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Potilia shouted, far too loud. A door slammed open as she scrambled in a panic again.


    Sanem sighed loudly, barely audible from the floor below. ¡°It will take a few minutes to find everyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Chorsay stood and stretched. ¡°I figured you would rather tell the story once.¡±


    Owin nodded. Having to tell every detail to more people would get annoying. It felt like he had already had the conversation enough times. How many more people would ask what he was?


    ¡°Before I can allow you to go to our dining hall, I¡¯ll need you to become a Hog.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin¡¯s thoughts went blank. He looked up at the giant man. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Artivan¡¯s favor. He would have asked me to protect you, and the only way I can truly do that is for you to join the Nimble Hog Hero Company.¡±


    Invitation from Chorsay Eoghet - Leader of the Nimble Hog Hero Company to join the Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Accept?


    The words appeared just like he had used Examine or when the Sovereign One appeared. He could focus on Yes or No, highlighting the word when his attention was on it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°As the company leader, I can invite anyone who is not affiliated to join. It acts somewhat like a spell. I know, it¡¯s a little wordy. Unfortunately, when you become the leader of something, it puts it on everything. Use Examine on this.¡± Chorsay pulled a knife from his belt. Owin hadn¡¯t even realized the weapon was there.


    Transference Dagger


    Unique Master Magical Item


    Bound to Chorsay Eoghet - Leader of the Nimble Hog Hero Company


    The Transference Dagger is a weapon that cannot directly deal damage. Instead, it transfers something from the wielder to the target, or the other way around. This can be elemental damage, sustained injuries, emotions, thoughts, etc. Anything but material items can be transferred.


    Formed from the beak of a Divine Eagle at the peak of Mount Roemerrak.


    Note: Magical item does not vary by user


    ¡°I can¡¯t escape the title,¡± Chorsay said jokingly when the index faded from Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Everywhere I go.¡±


    The invitation immediately filled Owin¡¯s view again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know me.¡±


    Chorsay held up the note from Artivan. ¡°This tells me everything I need to know. I don¡¯t second guess Artivan. Never have, and I never will.¡±


    ¡°If I want to leave the company¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can separate yourself any time you choose. If you get confused, Potilia can always help you, assuming she isn¡¯t panicking.¡±


    ¡°Why is she like that?¡±


    ¡°She means well. She, uh, has some confidence issues.¡±


    ¡°Your tea is done!¡± Potilia¡¯s shout was so loud it sounded like she was directly next to them.


    Owin flinched and looked around. She was nowhere to be seen.


    Chorsay let out a deep laugh. ¡°When people don¡¯t train for classes, it can be difficult to guess what they¡¯ll be assigned on their fifteenth birthday. For some, it seems random. For others, it fits their personalities perfectly. Potilia is a damned berserker, and she has the lungs to match. Imagine a War Cry from her.¡±


    Owin focused on Yes until the whole thing vanished.


    A new tab has been added to your index.


    Owin opened his index and found the Hero Company tab right at the end. He opened it and only found Chorsay¡¯s name.


    ¡°What¡¯s the tab do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It shows your current job as I¡¯ve written it, including what you have earned. You can look back at any job you¡¯ve done with the company. For militaries, it works mostly the same but has more names in the commanding officers section.¡± Chorsay stepped around his desk and awkwardly moved past Owin, trying not to bump into him. ¡°We better hurry before that tea gets cold. I don¡¯t think either of us want to see Po¡¯s bad side.¡±


    ¡°Why does it say citizen when I use Examine?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the world is a citizen until they step foot in a dungeon, then they are forever marked a hero. You need a special skill to see the attributes of a citizen, so I¡¯m sure it only gave you the bare minimum information. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a higher level than you might think, but her stats aren¡¯t suitable for a berserker. Not anymore, at least.¡±


    Owin followed Chorsay down the stairs, behind the counter, and into a long, but narrow room. A kitchen was off to the side with all kinds of appliances. Potilia stood in the threshold between the dining hall and the kitchen, cradling a teapot in her hands. Five other people, including Sanem, sat at the tables, watching Owin.


    ¡°This is Owin,¡± Chorsay said, gesturing. ¡°He has quite a story, and I thought it would be best for him to tell it one time to all of us. Then we can ask our questions and move on.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already one of us?¡± Sanem asked.


    Chorsay walked over and sat across from Sanem. He barely fit on the bench. Other heroes scooted over to allow room for the huge man. Once he was settled, Chorsay slid Artivan¡¯s note to Sanem. She unfolded it, read it, and handed it back.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Potilia set a few mugs down, pouring tea into all three. Her hands shook, spilling some tea on the tabletop. None of the heroes paid any attention, focusing instead on Owin. Potilia set the pot down and handed a mug to Owin.


    ¡°When you are ready,¡± Chorsay said. He took a mug from Potilia and whispered his thanks.


    She grabbed her own mug and found a spot to sit. Her eyebrows were raised as she stared at Owin, waiting for him to start.


    How odd was it that she was a berserker? Owin thought of Miklos, the bloodthirsty berserker who had pursued Owin over two floors. How was Potilia the same class as that maniac? She smiled, took a drink, flinched, and almost dropped her whole mug.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot, Po,¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Potilia said through her pain. She moved to take another drink, but Sanem placed her hand on Potilia¡¯s forearm.


    ¡°I first became aware when a wizard spilled an intelligence buff on me,¡± Owin began.


    The first line alone got a few looks of confusion from the heroes Owin didn¡¯t recognize. Chorsay nodded for Owin to continue. He took a drink of his tea and seemed to not even notice the intense heat.


    ¡°I fought a few heroes who tried attacking me. I killed them all. Then I went to the next floor.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± someone said.


    Owin stood on his toes to see the person talking behind Sanem. It was an older man with yellow and red hair that hung in tangles. A thick yellow mustache covered his upper lip and his eyes were yellow with vertical pupils.


    Hero


    Myrsvai Ryllsion


    Magus


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 48


    Strength: 104


    Constitution: 249


    Dexterity: 168


    Intelligence: 159


    Wisdom: 306


    Charisma: 103


    Myrsvai raised his one arm, drawing all eyes to him. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the goblin caves? Floor one?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°I assumed you were that alchemist¡¯s goblin at least. The mobs on the first floor are completely mindless.¡±


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Sanem said.


    Myrsvai let his arm drop. ¡°You¡¯re not a familiar? You¡¯re an actual mob?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hero,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Let the boy speak, Myr.¡± Chorsay¡¯s deep, gravelly voice instantly hushed the heroes.


    Owin nervously continued his story, slowing down to tell more information as Myrsvai asked more clarifying questions. The story moved onto Kidibose and the Malignant Spirit, up to the third floor where Nikoletta¡¯s team attacked Owin.


    As soon as Artivan¡¯s name left Owin¡¯s mouth, he saw the entire room shift uncomfortably. Had his story really portrayed how horrifying it had been to have the humans chasing him? Did they understand what Artivan did by placing himself between Nikoletta and Owin?


    ¡°Sounds just like him,¡± Sanem said.


    Chorsay nodded, a grin on the giant man¡¯s face. ¡°Always found himself in difficult spots.¡±


    ¡°Pretty consistently,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°It may have been more of a matter of placing himself in difficult spots, not finding himself there as if by accident.¡±


    Everything was still fresh in his mind, making it easy to recount everything Owin had been through. He shared the events without going into any details of how he felt. That didn¡¯t seem important to the story at the moment. These strangers didn¡¯t need to know how scared he had been when the labyrinth was flooding or when the lich had taken control.


    Owin talked for hours. He covered everything he could think of, especially when it related to Artivan. The room was silent when Owin finished his story, ending with the moment he stepped through the exit door. Only Chorsay looked at Owin while the rest looked at the table or ground, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Owin felt it too. Even saying the words twisted his stomach. He had left Artivan to die.


    A bang shook the walls, quickly followed by a dozen sets of heavy boots. The bell by Potilia¡¯s desk rang a few times impatiently.


    Chorsay stood, stretching out his back. ¡°We¡¯re back here,¡± he said loud enough to be heard in the next room. The old man looked at Owin. ¡°Stay where you are.¡±


    Owin simply stared up at the giant of a man. Veins rippled through Chorsay¡¯s forearm as he clenched his fist. Owin looked around the room. Nobody else moved. Chorsay was ready for a fight, yet nobody else seemed the least bit concerned.


    A man covered in heavy plates of armor threw the door open carelessly, causing it to crash against the back wall. He stepped in, already glaring at the heroes sitting around the tables.


    ¡°Sergeant Kyoya,¡± Chorsay said, voice low.


    The sergeant turned to Chorsay, who towered over him. Kyoya¡¯s eyes immediately darted to Owin. ¡°This mob is a killer, Chorsay. He¡¯s coming with us.¡±


    Chorsay took a step toward the sergeant. Owin knew the only weapon on the giant man was the Transference Dagger, which couldn¡¯t do damage on its own. Although, he obviously didn¡¯t need a weapon to intimidate.


    The sergeant rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. ¡°I¡¯m not asking, Hog.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 3

    ¡°What are Owin¡¯s crimes?¡± Sanem asked. The knight was on her feet with a hand pressing Potilia back onto the bench. The clerk struggled under Sanem¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Killing heroes outside the Great Forest.¡± Sergeant Kyoya didn¡¯t take his eyes from Chorsay as he answered. His neck was craned back to even see the giant¡¯s face.


    ¡°The Great Forest is a long way from here,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Word came from the Izylia Unity Force. All the heroes were killed by that hammer. Crushed. A slaughter. I didn¡¯t come here to negotiate with you career heroes. I¡¯m here to arrest the goblin.¡± The sergeant pulled out a length of chain and waved Owin closer.


    Chorsay held a hand back, signaling Owin to remain still. Of course, Owin had no intention of letting himself be taken by the strangers.


    ¡°Interfering with Security Regime business is its own crime,¡± Kyoya said. He noted Chrosay¡¯s clenched fist. ¡°And striking an officer is punishable by death.¡±


    ¡°What do you think a strike from me would do?¡± Chorsay asked, voice low.


    Kyoya flinched back. ¡°I brought backup. This goblin is dangerous and can¡¯t be loose in our city. It shouldn¡¯t have even escaped the dungeon. Why interfere?¡±


    ¡°Owin is more than a mob,¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°A mob that killed heroes, just like it did inside the Great Forest.¡±


    ¡°Since when is self defense a punishable crime?¡± Myrsvai asked. The man took a moment to stand, using his staff as support. He walked forward, limping slightly with each step. His left foot thumped loudly on the wooden boards.


    The sergeant finally broke his glare with Chorsay to look over Myrsvai. Kyoya took a second, looking at Myrsvai¡¯s missing arm and down at his metal leg. ¡°The infamous Maimed Magus.¡± Kyoya chuckled. ¡°How far you¡¯ve fallen from Magna Regum.¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s eyes flashed red as a grin spread across his scarred face. ¡°I haven¡¯t fallen anywhere, Sergeant. Now, please inform me if killing in self defense is a crime in Stelsodo? Or for that matter, Izylia?¡±


    Kyoya¡¯s expression flattened. ¡°No.¡±


    Myrsvai took another step closer. His prosthetic foot thumped on the ground as he leaned toward Kyoya. ¡°Owin, a hero, was attacked and defended himself. Isn¡¯t that right, Owin?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said, barely a squeak. If a fight broke out, he swore the whole building would explode. Myrsvai alone was stronger than anyone Owin had ever fought, and others in the room were even more powerful than the magus.


    ¡°And why would I believe that? A mob escaped the dungeon. Just because Izylia let him slip past through a portal doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s a hero.¡±


    Chorsay stepped aside and gestured to Owin. ¡°What¡¯s it say?¡±


    Kyoya¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes. He scowled. ¡°Why would you let a goblin join? Are you trying to finally kill the Nimble Hogs, Chorsay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s one of us. He¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°A killer can¡¯t be trusted, and goblins know nothing but killing. Look at him now, holding that monstrous weapon. How can you be comfortable around a creature like that?¡±


    ¡°Every single hero has killed,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Some may have only killed mobs, but most¡ª¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°You know the truth. Greedy, arrogant people die every day in the dungeons to heroes simply protecting themselves. Am I wanted for the people I have killed who tried to rob me? Is a hero using a Power 7 spell wanted for the sacrifice they make? Will you arrest me for killing the man that took my leg? Tell me, Sergeant Kyoya, where is the line?¡±


    Kyoya eyed Chorsay and backed away from Myrsvai. ¡°If he missteps once in Atrevaar, I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be here,¡± Chorsay said.


    Kyoya started to leave but stopped at the door. ¡°If Izylia wants to pursue, I will assist.¡±


    ¡°Get out,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Chorsay crossed his arms and waited for the sergeant to leave the dining hall. Kyoya¡¯s minions followed him out, soon leaving the Nimble Hog offices silent.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Chorsay clapped his hands, creating a boom. ¡°You will soon get to work and pay us back.¡±


    Owin met Myrsvai¡¯s eyes, which faded back to yellow. The magus nodded, then walked out without another word. The others filed out, going back to their respective tasks, until only Chorsay, Sanem, and Potilia remained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± Chorsay asked.


    Sanem sat back down and looked in her tea cup, which was empty. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Po?¡± Chorsay asked.


    Potilia, who was preparing more tea in the kitchen, spun around fast enough to splash water from the kettle. It steamed in the air and luckily only splashed on the ground.


    ¡°No clients for at least the last week. Void Nexus has had a few to the Subterranean. Raif should be back in the next day or two.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chorsay scratched his face. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Everyone was calm again so quickly. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Owin sat across from Sanem as Potilia poured more tea for Sanem. She had found herself a bowl, which she filled with tea.


    Chorsay stayed near the door. ¡°If Izylia wants to pursue the murder charges, we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sanem said. She gently blew on her tea. ¡°Without a witness, it will be by word, and Owin being . . .¡± Sanem looked right into his eyes. ¡°. . . that . . . will help his case. Now, Owin.¡± Sanem leaned on the table. Her dark eyes bore right into his.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Was it self defense?¡±


    Owin nodded once. ¡°I promised Artivan to not let anyone stop me. They wanted to kill me for being a goblin, so I stopped them instead.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°It won¡¯t end there. Void Nexus will try to get revenge. You took out some of their fledglings.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Chorsay said. He lumbered over and sat heavily on the bench beside Sanem.


    Potilia reached over and poured a cup for Chorsay. Her eyes were wide as she watched and listened.


    ¡°Veph won¡¯t bother over a few reckless heroes. If they can¡¯t win a fight they started, she doesn¡¯t want them. That¡¯s bad for business.¡± Chorsay drank the whole steaming cup without flinching again.


    ¡°Be brave. Be quick,¡± Owin whispered.


    Chorsay watched him as he poured himself another cup of tea.


    ¡°It¡¯s something Artivan said to me. I don¡¯t want to cause problems for you. I can find somewhere to hide. Siora will know I¡¯m here.¡±


    Chorsay grinned. ¡°Let her come. Artivan entrusted your care to me, and I will see this through. You¡¯re one of us now, whether you like it or not. That means you¡¯ll need to work. Nobody survives by sitting around, though the way your eyes are darting and that bounce in your leg tells me you don¡¯t plan to stay still for long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s index flashed as he looked over Owin¡¯s attributes again. ¡°Odd, really. I don¡¯t know how to estimate your level.¡±


    ¡°Without potions, I won¡¯t get stronger.¡±


    ¡°No, but you can get better,¡± Sanem said. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve had little time for training.¡±


    ¡°Artivan showed me some things.¡±


    Chorsay folded his hands on the table. They were huge. Big enough to grab Owin¡¯s head in a single one. ¡°When it comes to heroes, people often speak of talent. We don¡¯t believe in that here. Nobody starts as an expert. Everything is learned. Good and bad habits alike. Even those who might seem like prodigies to some are really those who are willing to put in the work and learn. Nobody gets far fighting monsters if they aren¡¯t dedicated. Survivors put in the time to learn.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Chorsay scratched his face. ¡°Everything, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Techniques, mobs, dungeons,¡± Sanem said. ¡°Even the other hero companies. Knowledge is power.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one,¡± Chorsay said quietly.


    Sanem rolled her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t make it up. Knowing what to expect in a dungeon will only ever help you. Same with knowing the hero companies. Void Nexus is only one of the big three, and there are dozens throughout Verdantallis.¡±


    ¡°I was told the Nimble Hogs are the smallest,¡± Owin said.


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°That¡¯s probably true. Most are in it for the money and grow until they¡¯re profitable.¡±


    ¡°Stop telling people we aren¡¯t profitable,¡± Sanem snapped.


    Chorsay shrugged. ¡°Train with Sanem. Tell Po if you need anything.¡±


    Potilia shook her head.


    ¡°Tell Po if you need something we already have. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll want some buffs, but those will have to wait. We¡¯re out and they¡¯re far from cheap. Prove yourself. Show me you can survive, and I¡¯ll personally buy you some potions.¡±


    Owin nodded. Nobody was ever going to hand him things. He had earned all of the buff potions up to now, and he would continue earning them himself. Nothing came for free.


    ¡°Now, you probably need a room. We are running low, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t sleep.¡±


    All three Nimble Hogs turned to stare at Owin. His head was already barely above the table so all they could see were his giant green eyes, pointed ears, and purple hair that was still matted with blood. He looked like a little figurine of some hideous doll.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sleep?¡± Sanem asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. I haven¡¯t yet.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s been several days?¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°Artivan slept. I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What . . .¡± Potilia leaned across the table, eyes narrowed. ¡°What about food?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat, but I can. Or I have.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°This is, uh, not what I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°All living things sleep. Even rats.¡± Potilia¡¯s eyes darted between Owin¡¯s huge ears. ¡°Even rats.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a rat.¡±


    ¡°Clearly.¡±


    ¡°Po, shut up.¡± Sanem sighed. ¡°Look, we know you¡¯re odd. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. The Nimble Hogs are all a little odd. Look at Chorsay.¡±


    Chorsay was staring off into the distance. He grunted, but did nothing else to acknowledge Sanem.


    ¡°What¡¯s odd about him?¡± Owin asked. ¡°He looks human.¡±


    Sanem laughed. ¡°¡®Human¡¯ is a complicated term. Plenty of Shard Carriers don¡¯t look human. But Chorsay? He¡¯s a damn giant.¡±


    Chorsay grunted again.


    ¡°Everyone is tall,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°Well. Okay.¡± Sanem sighed. ¡°I have a tough question for you. I know Chorsay is thinking the same thing.¡±


    Another grunt.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    That question wasn¡¯t new. It was the main thing that had been occupying Owin¡¯s mind for so long. Back on the second floor, he had wanted to help people. Even the mobs. He wanted people to stop feeling scared.


    But mobs were complicated. Some weren¡¯t worth saving. They would respawn the exact same as before. Their fear was fake and brief. They came back to life never knowing the horrors they had experienced half an hour before. Owin had been the same. He didn¡¯t have a single memory of dying or killing before the intelligence buff was spilled on him. None of that had stayed with him.


    On the isolated floors, the mobs acted more independently. Perhaps he would try to save them again, even on a normal floor if there was a clear enemy. But he hadn¡¯t felt guilty over fighting both the hobgoblins and the ogres. It didn¡¯t weigh on his conscience like Artivan did.


    As odd as it was to think about it, there was something different about humans compared to mobs. The weight of actions was more impactful. Things mattered more. Siora and Nikoletta killing Artivan changed all of the Nimble Hogs¡¯ lives. Owin killing the ogres changed nothing. They respawned and continued drinking acid or whatever it was they did.


    ¡°Before I left, Artivan told me it¡¯s about how strong I am here . . .¡± Owin poked a finger against his head. ¡°And here.¡± He poked his chest. ¡°He told me to show the world how strong I am.¡± Owin took a deep breath. The others silently watched. ¡°When Siora ran away in the hobgoblin village, I wanted to chase her down and finish killing her. Artivan wanted mercy. He wanted to let them learn and grow to become better people.¡±


    ¡°How did that make you feel?¡± Sanem asked.


    ¡°Angry. Scared.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I knew they wouldn¡¯t let me go. But it wasn¡¯t just me. She called Artivan a hog like he was disgusting.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s face was stone, but his voice as he spoke was almost a growl. ¡°Void Nexus heroes are vermin. Nothing more. They¡¯re tainted by Veph Veriss and her twisted ideas of what a hero should do. Never listen to a Void Nexus hero.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay¡¯s relationship with Void Nexus is complicated.¡± Sanem waited a moment, watching Chorsay. ¡°So is ours as Nimble Hogs, I suppose.¡±


    Chorsay grunted.


    ¡°When they chased us into the cave, I wanted Artivan to run with me. I reminded him of his plea for mercy.¡±


    ¡°Mercy does nothing to protect our loved ones,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Artivan told me that sometimes we need mercy, but sometimes we need to make people wish they never met us.¡±


    A faint hint of a smile pulled on Sanem¡¯s face. ¡°And right now, Owin, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°To make Siora and Nikoletta regret meeting me.¡±


    Sanem pounded her fists on the table. ¡°Time to train.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin jumped to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m missing most of my mana from specters. Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    Chorsay chuckled softly. ¡°Yes, that is a problem. There¡¯s a mender we know down the road. Sanem, will you?¡±


    She pounded her fists on the table again. ¡°I was just getting excited. We¡¯re training the moment we get back, yeah?¡±


    Owin nodded eagerly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin scratched at his head, focusing on the mana bar in the bottom of his vision. ¡°Is it really that easy to get it back?¡±


    ¡°A high level mender can heal any damage, including apparition,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Menders are one of the most sought after classes for that reason.¡±


    ¡°If Artivan didn¡¯t have apparition damage . . .¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°There¡¯s always going to be thoughts like that, Owin. Even now, in my old age, I think back to decisions I made when I was fifteen, some when I was in my twenties, and plenty in my sixties. Even some recent choices.¡± He sighed. ¡°Nobody ever lives without regrets. Go get healed and work off your thoughts. Some exercise will do you good.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 4

    Hero


    Sanem Kusvera


    Knight


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 36


    Strength: 176


    Constitution: 203


    Dexterity: 118


    Intelligence: 168


    Wisdom: 103


    Charisma: 111


    Her main attributes weren¡¯t far from Artivan¡¯s. Her strength and constitution were actually lower than Artivan''s despite Sanem being a higher level. The big difference was her dexterity, wisdom, and charisma. Sanem was well balanced, but still had the stats of a knight. A strong knight.


    Owin opened his index and flipped to his Attributes tab.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 10


    Higher strength would only help so much. Owin still hoped he was faster, though his racial feat was only going to carry him so far. He desperately needed some dexterity buffs.


    The wind whistled above the small courtyard hidden behind the Nimble Hog¡¯s headquarters. It was hidden from the street outside and surrounded by skyscrapers on all sides. Owin adjusted his stance on the rough cement. There wasn¡¯t a single blade of grass in view. No flowers. No trees. The sky was bright above them without a cloud in the sky.


    Sanem stood about a dozen feet from Owin. She held an old wooden kite shield with a few dents around the edge. ¡°This is our arena.¡±


    Owin looked around. The scuffed metal walls on all sides reached about ten feet up before it opened back up to cement and bricks of the surrounding buildings. The backside of the Nimble Hogs¡¯ building had some additional shielding, but also additional damage. Some parts of the metal plating were warped from heat and punctured from some sharp weapon.


    The sunlight, no matter how dim it was in the small courtyard, shone on her wide brimmed helmet. Luckily, the metal walls were too scratched and beaten for the sun to reflect off them at all.


    ¡°Is it really an arena?¡±


    Sanem surveyed the beaten walls and cracked cement ground. ¡°Well . . . It¡¯s stronger than it looks.¡± She pointed at a series of cracks near Owin¡¯s feet. ¡°Those are from Chorsay.¡± Her index flashed as she looked over Owin¡¯s attributes again. ¡°And while you¡¯re stronger than me, you¡¯re nowhere near that giant.¡±


    Owin lifted the Thunderstrike Maul, causing the head to faintly glow. He used his other hand to point at Sanem¡¯s spear. It was made of a wooden shaft with twisting designs, and topped with a simple metal tip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break your weapon.¡±


    Sanem tapped the spear tip on the cement twice. ¡°The chances of a journeyman weapon breaking an artisan one are incredibly slim.¡± She twisted the spear, flipping it around as she crouched into a stance with her shield raised.


    ¡°How do we fight without killing each other?¡±


    ¡°Sparring is a skill. The feel of a killing blow is something one learns from experience, not from a lecture. I¡¯m sure you know the feeling, but how do you turn it off? That¡¯s what you¡¯ll need to learn. I¡¯m durable. I can take a few severe hits before I even become slightly concerned.¡±


    A knight was a durable class. That much had been obvious from Owin¡¯s experience fighting alongside Artivan. His spells and abilities directly supported his ability to take damage. Was Sanem the same way?


    She flashed white.


    ¡°Ironclad Stance,¡± Owin said.


    Sanem grinned. ¡°I see you picked up some things. Luckily, I¡¯m a lot different than Artivan.¡±


    Owin pushed off with all his strength, sending him straight across the gap. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed like a star above his head as he swung down. He had moved like lightning and just like that, the fight was done.


    Sanem didn¡¯t move fast enough to even look up to see the attack.


    A solid object crashed into Owin, immediately throwing him to the side. He landed and skid across the cement.


    Sanem hadn¡¯t even lifted her chin to watch as she smashed her kite shield into Owin. She stood in the exact same spot and positioned her shield to be ready for the next attack. ¡°Fast, but not fast enough.¡±


    Owin gasped as he stood up. Burns from sliding over the rough surface marred his arms. The damage was minimal, barely touching his health bar, but the pain was real. Sanem repositioned until they faced each other again. She stared at him, just over the top of the shield. Her eyes were barely visible beneath the helmet. A small jolt of blue left her fingers and snaked into the spear¡¯s shaft before fading away.


    But was it? He had never seen that with Artivan. It was into the spear, which likely meant it was something offensive. He could move in from her right side, keeping away from the shield and out of the spear¡¯s range of motion. If he dashed fast enough, he could get her off balance, especially while her weight was increased.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Sanem said.


    Owin took off, staying lower to the ground this time. He practically dragged the metal hammer over the ground. Sanem took one heavy step and barely missed Owin with a sweep of her shield. He skidded and swung, letting his momentum carry the glowing hammer forward.


    Right as the Thunderstrike Maul appeared to hit, Sanem flashed blue. Her shield appeared right where the hammer should have hit. Before Owin could react, in less than a blink, the shaft of Sanem¡¯s spear smacked Owin in the ear. His body flopped to the ground, where he lay motionless.


    The attack hurt a lot worse than the shield bash, but it had obviously been a merciful strike. She had only used the shaft, after all, when she could have skewered him. Owin rolled over, looking at the bright sky.


    ¡°Are you alive?¡± Sanem asked.


    ¡°I think.¡±


    She reached down, grabbed his arm, and hauled him to his feet. Despite the help, Owin remained somewhat limp as his mind replayed the last exchange. It had been so fast. He didn¡¯t understand what happened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that was maybe mean.¡±


    Owin brushed off some dust from his clothes, then spun the hammer idly, letting it shine as Sanem laughed quietly to herself.


    ¡°Mystic Counter is my favorite. It¡¯s not one Artivan had picked, for whatever reason. I always called him a moron for skipping that one. It¡¯s Power 2, but still the one I use the most.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Owin rubbed his ear.


    ¡°The spell gives me a free counter attack. Just one. It uses a lot of mana, but come on. It¡¯s pretty great.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for not killing me.¡±


    Sanem tapped her spear tip on the ground again. ¡°Instincts. I¡¯m sure yours are better than they were when you started. That was a good move. You made me open myself to an attack. If I hadn¡¯t had the counter active, I would have held back, but on others, that would¡¯ve been all you needed.¡±


    ¡°I used to only jump at my enemies. Artivan told me to stop doing that.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t maneuver in the air. Well, not unless you get wings someday.¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t understand that last part. He hefted the hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. ¡°I barely have spells, but I can last longer in a fight. You are faster than I was expecting.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Sanem walked backward until she was about a dozen feet away again. ¡°You really trusted Artivan, huh?¡±


    ¡°Completely.¡±


    ¡°I have three people like that in my life. You¡¯ve met two of them.¡± Sanem exhaled loudly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine not seeing Artivan again.¡±


    Owin diverted his eyes, staring at the cracks in the ground. ¡°Chorsay and Artivan?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Chorsay might be a bit odd, but he¡¯s got one of the best hearts. Wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly, but he would punch a dragon. The old man will fight for any of his people with everything he has.¡±


    ¡°Who is the third?¡±


    ¡°Raif Kusvera. My husband. He¡¯s the only Nimble Hog on a mission right now.¡±


    ¡°Is he nice?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Sanem smiled. ¡°Interesting question to ask. Raif is nice. He¡¯s more brash than the other men I know, but I like it. He likes people to know when he¡¯s entered a room.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±


    ¡°No. But it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± Sanem tapped her spear on the ground. ¡°Are you ready for a third bout? Try to land a hit this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Owin adjusted his grip on the Thunderstrike Maul.


    She spun her spear and crouched behind her shield, leaving her eyes barely visible once again. She reacted quickly, but what would she do without being able to see Owin? Something like an umbra or assassin¡¯s ability to turn invisible would be great, though as a wizard all Owin had were his three Power 1 spells. At least now with all of his mana back he could put his spells to use.


    But one of the spells could obscure vision. At least for a bit.


    Owin used Smoke Cloud, immediately filling the middle of the arena with a dense cloud of dark smoke. Stopping Sanem¡¯s vision was only part of the plan. The Thunderstrike Maul had an obvious weakness. The glow of its charge could be seen through just about anything, especially as it neared full charge. But Owin¡¯s strength didn¡¯t rely on the weapon. He was more than strong enough even before he had found it.


    He threw the Thunderstrike Maul into the air as if he had jumped again. It immediately started glowing as it moved. At the same time, Owin dashed forward, launching himself along the ground. He broke through the cloud, spotting Sanem with her shield raised and spear ready for a counter. Her eyes darted down to see Owin as he grabbed her leg, keeping his momentum.


    Owin hit the cement and skidded as Sanem¡¯s leg flew out from under her, causing her to crash loudly onto the ground. He let her leg go and stalked back over, dispersing the cloud of smoke.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Sanem pushed herself into a sitting position. ¡°Crafty. I see you have knives in your belt. How many weapons do you know how to use?¡±


    ¡°Knives, hammer, and greatswords.¡±


    Sanem tilted her head at the last one. ¡°Isn¡¯t a greatsword a little big for you?¡±


    ¡°I made it work.¡±


    ¡°Where is that now?¡±


    Owin shrugged. He had discarded it at some point back in the Great Forest, but he was sure it had disappeared by now.


    ¡°In a real fight, instead of tripping me, what would you have done?¡±


    Owin drew Naxile¡¯s curved knife and gestured to the back of his ankle.


    ¡°Well.¡± Sanem pressed her lips together. She stood and adjusted the shield on her arm. ¡°It would be efficient, though brutal. I¡¯m not faulting you for that. Brutality has its place. Sometimes it''s necessary. In a fight against another hero, it¡¯s you or them. You know that better than most.¡±


    Owin nodded. There wasn¡¯t a moment where he wasn¡¯t thinking about Siora or Nikoletta. Owin had already killed more heroes than he suspected most people did. And even Artivan had sliced one of Siora¡¯s men right in half with the Winged Sword. If he didn¡¯t hold back in a fight, neither would Owin.


    ¡°I would guess people will underestimate you because of your level. Most won¡¯t read attributes. They don¡¯t care. They¡¯ll see level 1 and think you¡¯re easy prey. Use that to your advantage. When it comes to survival, there is no need to be honorable.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes we need mercy,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And sometimes we need people to wish they never met us. Old Artivan knew people well. He had a long life outside of being a hero. He had a hard life of failure and pain. And still, he was the most kind and merciful man I¡¯ve ever met.¡± Sanem kneeled down and met Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°If Artivan told you to make sure they wish they never met you, he meant it. He wanted you to survive. This isn¡¯t going to end. People will always hate you for who you are. For what you are. You will scare most people even if you¡¯re kind.¡±


    Sanem looked at the sky. She pulled her helmet off and let it clatter on the cement ground. ¡°So, don¡¯t be. Don¡¯t be kind. Be strong. Find your friends. Find your people. I hope the Nimble Hogs can be everything Artivan promised, but we won¡¯t be able to keep you safe. Not always.¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Get stronger. Get smarter. Make people scared. An honorable hero who doesn¡¯t hurt other heroes is a great story, but it¡¯s not reality. There are no laws in the dungeons. There¡¯s only life and death. No amount of honor will help if you have a sword through your heart. I can¡¯t speak for what Artivan truly meant or what he was thinking, but I know him well enough. He saw how others treated you. Not everyone can be an Artivan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kind,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Sanem smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m not Artivan. I¡¯m impatient. I get angry. I¡¯m selfish. You know, people have flaws. Especially me. I¡¯m good at what I do, but it took me years of growth and years of experience to become proud of who I am. Artivan never shifted. He was a good person from the day he was born. That I can guarantee. Me and Raif . . . we¡¯ve had a lot of growing to do together. All the Nimble Hogs have gone through something. Those aren¡¯t my stories to share, but . . .¡± Sanem took a deep breath. ¡°Look, life is complicated.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Sanem fully sat down and let her shield and spear fall to the cement. ¡°I keep thinking of you as a child. You¡¯ve already been through a lot.¡±


    Owin shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯m not helpless.¡±


    Sanem gently punched him in the arm. ¡°I know that. You just made me fall on my face.¡±


    ¡°You keep telling me to get stronger. But how? I can¡¯t gain experience to level up.¡±


    ¡°Your best option will be back in the dungeon. Make some money. Do some quests. Find some buffs. If you don¡¯t want to dive back in to hunt for loot, you can take a job for Chorsay. Escort someone through a few floors. It pays well and it¡¯s usually not too dangerous. If you¡¯re with other people, the chances of Void Nexus trying to fight drops significantly. They don¡¯t want witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what if they just kill the witnesses?¡±


    Sanem sighed. ¡°Yeah, okay. Maybe I can go with you for one mission.¡±


    The sun had started its descent beyond the horizon, leaving the sky just a little darker. Owin watched, waiting for some clouds. He had seen so many in the fake skies of the dungeon, but since he had emerged, the sky had been mostly empty.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late.¡± Sanem stifled a yawn. ¡°What are you planning to do through the night? I can¡¯t imagine not sleeping.¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t thought about it. What could he do?


    ¡°Want to borrow a book?¡±


    Owin stared blankly at Sanem. She shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°You can¡¯t read, can you?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    Sanem put her helmet back on and stood. She unconsciously spun her spear and tapped the tip on the ground. ¡°Miya is usually awake through the night. She could teach you a few things.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You saw her earlier. You, uh, you¡¯ll like her.¡±


    Owin grabbed the hammer and moved toward the door. Sanem¡¯s spear appeared in front of him, blocking his way.


    ¡°We still have some sunlight. Thought I¡¯d give you a chance to at least tie. No spells. Just skill.¡±


    Owin immediately pivoted and walked back to the cracks he had stood on before. ¡°No tricks?¡±


    ¡°Not like before. Only straight combat.¡± Sanem lifted her shield until it blocked most of her face. Her stance brought her much lower to the ground with the spear ready to jab at anyone approaching.


    The Thunderstrike Maul was one or two movements from full charge. Would it count as a trick to hit Sanem with its full power? He hadn¡¯t figured out what was special about her spear or shield yet, but their abilities could also be some type of trick.


    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked.


    Owin gripped the hammer with both hands and planted his feet. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sanem lurched forward, stabbing with her spear. The weapon shifted in her hand, sliding out until she caught the shaft near the end. It whistled past Owin¡¯s head as he leaned to the side. She was too far away for him to counter, giving her enough time to retract the spear and prepare as Owin dashed.


    He swung the Thunderstrike Maul, letting it charge, in an attempt to swipe Sanem¡¯s weapon away. She effortlessly moved it aside. Owin¡¯s swing went wide, spinning him around as the heavy hammer finished charging. It glowed like the sun.


    Owin planted his foot and lent his strength to the swing. He had gotten barely close enough to force Sanem to move her shield into the hammer¡¯s path.


    The flat metal face of the Thunderstrike Maul collided with the shield boss on Sanem¡¯s kite shield. Power exploded from the hammer in a flash, blinding Owin.


    He quickly blinked away the light and steadied himself. Sanem sat on the ground about five feet away. Her shield looked undamaged, but her helmet had been launched from her head. It rolled on the cement nearby like a top, slowly wobbling to a stop.


    ¡°A journeyman weapon can do that?¡± She placed her helmet back on and hopped right to her feet. The spear effortlessly spun in her hand as she readied herself again.


    ¡°What rarity is your shield?¡± Owin asked. The kite shield didn¡¯t have a single sign of damage on its face. Even the striped paint on the wooden surface seemed untouched.


    Sanem¡¯s eyebrows raised mockingly. ¡°Adept.¡±


    Owin opened his index and flipped through the tabs. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Above artisan, below master.¡±


    Owin nodded, pretending he understood. He dashed forward. Sanem stabbed at his feet, forcing Owin to leap. He swung the hammer overhead, planning to bring it down right on top of Sanem¡¯s helmet.


    Instead, he found her shield perfectly placed as if she had expected him to jump in that exact arc. Owin pulled his feet up and crashed into the shield. Sanem¡¯s strength shrugged him off and pushed Owin to the side where he should have landed.


    His feet hit the concrete and slipped right out from under him. The point of the kite shield slammed down as Owin rolled to the side. A rumble shook the cement on impact, though no cracks had formed like Sanem said.


    Chorsay¡¯s strength was far beyond what Owin could understand.


    He dropped the hammer and drew both knives, dashing behind Sanem before she could recover from her missed strike. Her spear swung out, forcing Owin to duck just below the shaft.


    He stabbed at Sanem¡¯s waist, planning to drive the knife through her armor with his full strength. The tip scratched the metal just as the spear swung back the other way, catching Owin in the back of the head. It flattened him onto the cement where the knives both fell from his hand and bounced on the hard ground.


    Sanem immediately grabbed Owin and lifted him up. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Owin nodded. His head throbbed but there wasn¡¯t anything serious. She could have actually stabbed him, but she had chosen to only batter him each time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight a spear like that.¡±


    Sanem spun it in her hand again, letting it smack against the ground to stop. ¡°It¡¯s more of a staff. At least it is when I use it.¡±


    The sunlight had continued to fade. Owin collected his knives and watched for some clouds that still had yet to appear.


    Sanem tossed open the door. Light spilled out from humming bulbs. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to meet Miya.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 5

    The Nimble Hogs had more rooms than Owin had originally thought. There was a hallway behind Chorsay¡¯s office with more private quarters, including Artivan¡¯s old room. Sanem had shown Owin where it was, saying it was his to use as he saw fit, even if he didn¡¯t need to sleep.


    For now, Owin kept everything with him. It felt odd to leave something in a room. What if he needed it?


    Sanem led him back down to the main lobby. Potilia sat on a stool, leaning on the counter, with a book open almost right in front of her face. She was so absorbed in the book that she hadn¡¯t even realized they stood right before her.


    ¡°Po,¡± Sanem said calmly.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Po shrieked and accidentally launched her book off the counter. Owin reached to catch it, but fumbled and dropped it right at his feet. Potilia leaned over. ¡°I don¡¯t know what page I was on.¡±


    ¡°What are you reading?¡± Sanem asked. She picked up the book and set it on the desk.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Potilia wrapped her arms around the book and pulled it back.


    Sanem rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay. Is Miya downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Why would I know?¡±


    ¡°Po.¡±


    Potilia gestured to a door hidden to the side behind the counter. ¡°Go check. Where else would she be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the worst. Come on, Owin.¡± Sanem led the way behind the counter, through the door, and down a dark staircase. It wasn¡¯t as dark as the doorways between floors, but the combination of stairs and darkness was too similar.


    ¡°Miya,¡± Sanem shouted.


    ¡°Huh? Who is it?¡± The voice that responded was a little raspy.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Our alchemist. A citizen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending Owin to you,¡± Sanem shouted. ¡°Good luck,¡± she whispered before going back up the stairs and closing the door.


    ¡°Good luck?¡± Owin whispered. He tried peering down the stairs but it was too dark. He inched down, causing the stairs to creak with each small step.


    ¡°Are you the ugly one?¡± the raspy voice shouted.


    ¡°Why does everyone keep calling me ugly?¡±


    Owin stepped onto the basement floor, surprised to find it covered in such a thick layer of dust. A harsh light shone through a doorway just beyond, too bright to make out anything specific.


    A silhouette appeared in the center. ¡°You are the ugly one.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    The light dimmed just as another bulb above Owin¡¯s head flicked on.


    A woman stood in the doorway with long, tangled hair. Thick goggles covered her eyes and a purple mask with a thick coating of dust hid the rest of her face. She wore colorful, mismatched clothes with a dark, stained lab coat over it all. Stained fingertips peeked out from her fingerless gloves, gripping onto shining bottles that looked like they held liquid fire.


    Citizen


    Miya Fururo


    Alchemist


    Nimble Hogs Hero Company


    Owin had seen her sitting near Myrsvai while he was telling his story, but she hadn¡¯t been wearing the goggles or mask. Her pink tie and green shoes were the same as she had been wearing before. They were hard to miss.


    ¡°How are you level 1?¡± Miya asked. Her voice was hardly muffled by the mask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She lifted her goggles and let them rest on her forehead. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡±


    ¡°Ingredients.¡±


    Miya wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Miya flipped the glowing bottle in her hand and caught it without watching. Owin flinched as the bright liquid inside bubbled with the sudden movement. ¡°Do you know anything?¡±


    ¡°Not a lot,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Self awareness is important.¡± Miya flipped the bottle again. ¡°Sometimes.¡± She lowered her goggles and strode right back through the doorway, leaving Owin standing near the stairs.


    Confusion wasn¡¯t new to him, though for a short time he had felt like things were starting to make sense. That lasted maybe an hour.


    The only other alchemist he had met was Naxile, and she had tried to murder him. While it didn¡¯t appear that Miya planned to murder him, he didn¡¯t want to put it past her.


    The light inside the next room was still harsh, but it had dimmed enough for Owin to see a counter with a variety of papers, scrolls, and books scattered across the top. He leaned to the side, seeing Miya with a butcher¡¯s knife and a cutting board on the same counter. It looked like she was about to start chopping at the scrolls.


    ¡°Are you coming?¡± Miya shouted.


    ¡°Was I supposed to?¡±


    ¡°Why else are you down here?¡±


    Owin slowly approached the doorway and stood at the threshold. Miya chopped down on what looked like a fish with arms and legs. Its head popped off and fell to the ground. She looked back with a bit of fish blood on her goggles. It dripped onto her mask and rolled right off.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Miya glanced back at the headless fish thing. She held the knife up, letting fish blood drip onto her gloves. ¡°Chopping.¡±


    ¡°I know, but why?¡± Owin inched forward. The room was split into four quadrants. Miya was on the close right with a stove, various cooking equipment, and the counter covered in papers.


    Boxes were stacked to his left beside a table that reminded Owin of Naxile. Glass devices were spread haphazardly over the top of the great stone table. Random bags filled the space below the table as if Miya had shoved bag after bag into what little space there was underneath.


    Miya set the headless fish creature down and walked around the counter to a brick kiln. Bright firelight shone off her goggles as she pulled the metal grate open. She grabbed tongs and carefully pulled a crucible from inside.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Smelting.¡± Miya hurried around the counter back to the stove where she set the crucible.


    Owin inched closer, trying to see what was inside. Something bubbled and popped from inside the crucible, sending a flash of green liquid into the air. Miya picked up the dead fish creature and tossed its whole corpse into the crucible. The smell of cooking fish immediately filled the room.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°The herengo? It¡¯s a fish person.¡± She peered inside the crucible. ¡°I¡¯d show you, but it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Was it a mob?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Fish people don¡¯t exist outside.¡± Miya used a metal rod to stir the contents of the crucible. ¡°I suppose goblins don¡¯t either.¡± She shrugged, grabbed the crucible with tongs, and carried it across the room to the cluttered metal table.


    ¡°What are you making?¡±


    ¡°You ask a lot of questions. If I have the recipe right, I think this is a potion of water breathing.¡± With precise movements, Miya tilted the crucible, pouring its molten contents into a metal tube. It filtered through, rapidly cooling as it passed through a series of glass pipes. It finally reached the end where a solid drop of metal splashed into a small container of water.


    The water lit up in a rainbow before dimming to teal. The metal drop was nowhere to be seen inside. Miya picked up the container and swirled it.


    ¡°Looks like I nailed it.¡± Her index flashed over her goggles. ¡°Only journeyman quality.¡± She poured it into a potion bottle and placed the cork. ¡°Want it?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Miya walked over, crouched, grabbed Owin¡¯s bag, and placed the potion inside. While she was there, she tried peeking inside the bag, but Owin pulled it back.


    ¡°You know, most Nimble Hogs bring ingredients down here. I buy them and use them. That¡¯s one of the ways our group actually makes money. Do you think I found the herengo on my own?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re a citizen.¡±


    ¡°Right. I have no interest in the dungeons. But I am good at this.¡± She reached back into the bag and pulled out the potion of waterbreathing. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°I saw it the first time.¡±


    Miya stood up and held her hand out. ¡°So, what did you find?¡±


    Owin walked over to the stone table. It was barely taller than him, so he grabbed a nearby crate and jumped on top. He looked inside his bag. There was still some loose specter slime, though most of it had been placed in bottles. He pulled all of those out, setting them down one at a time. Next were the rat tails from the labyrinth. He hadn¡¯t grabbed much of anything else. The ocular heart he had found would have been a useful ingredient if he hadn¡¯t eaten it right away.


    The last thing he pulled out was the Bone of the Withered Shade.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Miya immediately grabbed the bone and brought it close to her eyes. She turned it over as her index flashed in front of the goggles. ¡°I can¡¯t get any information on it.¡±


    ¡°It gave me a world quest.¡±


    Miya lifted her goggles. ¡°A what?¡± She took one more look at the bone before handing it back. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an ingredient.¡±


    ¡°It said I can summon the Withered Shade if I find more pieces.¡± Owin stuffed the bone back in his bag.


    ¡°Fascinating. Keep me updated. If I hear anything with the same name, I¡¯ll pick it up and show you.¡± She jogged over to a table in the far left corner. It only had two old chairs left, as the other two were placed in other random places around the room. Miya took one of the chairs and brought it to the alchemist table and took a seat.


    Owin had a feeling the chair would now remain there forever, just as the others never seemed to return to the table they had originated from.


    Miya pushed some of her devices aside and looked over the jars of specter slime. She kept her goggles on her forehead as her index stayed flashing in front of her eyes. The rat tails were partially dried and wrinkled. Some were still spotted with dried blood.


    ¡°Nothing incredible, but I can give you three gold for the tails and thirty for the slime.¡±


    ¡°That seems good.¡±


    Miya reached into a pocket of her lab coat and started pulling out individual coins. She counted each one, setting them on the tabletop right in front of Owin. After what felt like hours, she stopped counting and pushed all the ingredients off the table into an empty crate on the side.


    Owin pushed the stack of gold into his bag. ¡°I forgot I had these.¡± He grabbed the random gems he had acquired. Miya picked one up and set two more gold.


    ¡°For each?¡±


    She grabbed a few more pieces of gold. ¡°They¡¯re pretty common, but they are great enhancers.¡± She shoved the gems off into the same crate as the other ingredients.


    ¡°Can you make health or buff potions?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but . . .¡± Miya looked over her shoulder at the opposite corner. Just past the kiln were some planters with mushrooms growing out the top. ¡°Those need another week before they¡¯re done. Buffs are expensive and difficult. I¡¯ve only figured out apprentice level ones so far and I don¡¯t have the items needed. Health potions are simpler, but still expensive to make. I can sell you some for twenty gold each.¡±


    Owin looked inside his bag. He had just gotten thirty three gold, which wouldn¡¯t even buy two health potions. And whatever he paid now would cut down on his money to use the portals in the future.


    ¡°Is everything expensive?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Life will cut your throat and drain it for the gold.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get things for being a Nimble Hog?¡±


    Miya¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°Twenty is a discount.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Owin counted twenty gold and gave it right back to Miya. She dropped them into her coat pocket, then stood and disappeared through the doorway beside the alchemy worktable. Her footsteps quickly retreated, vanishing altogether.


    Owin pulled one of the Bones of the Withered Shade out of his bag. It felt dusty. Any other pieces would likely be in other secrets, but how easy would those be to find? Owin hadn¡¯t done a thing to find the two secrets he had been part of. Artivan had already known about them and led Owin to both.


    The only thing Owin had done was accidentally fall down the stairs into the lich¡¯s chamber. He couldn¡¯t go back to the Great Forest without risking the wrath of Ruvaine, so if Owin was going to conquer a dungeon, it would need to be one of the others. But which one would be the best?


    Finding secrets as he climbed was going to lead him to more powerful weapons or enhancements, which is what he really needed. No amount of training was going to carry him to the top, no matter what Sanem said. He needed buffs, armor, and new weapons.


    Miya returned with a health potion that she handed to Owin. ¡°We¡¯re running low. I blame Lera.¡± She sat down heavily in the chair. ¡°You looked deep in thought.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the secrets in the dungeons?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the dungeons. But instead of thinking, want to light something on fire?¡± Her eyebrows raised again.


    Owin put the bone and the potion into his bag. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun?¡±


    What was fun about lighting things on fire? Was fire fun? Owin sat a little more upright, which Miya took as a clear ¡°Yes.¡± She scurried away, grabbed a few random items and a metal pot. She crashed back into the chair and dumped everything on the table.


    ¡°This is the best.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Owin tried to stand on his toes to see into the pot.


    Miya ran to the counter, grabbed one of her chairs, and ran back. She gestured to the other chair for Owin, which was a little taller than the box he had been standing on. He stepped up and easily looked into the empty pot.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t burned things before?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my story?¡± Owin asked. He swore she had been in the dining hall when he told the whole story.


    ¡°I assumed you left out a few key details. Like your arson streak.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Miya placed a couple pieces of what looked like angular blocks of metal into the pot. ¡°We¡¯re not going to worry about definitions right now. My past with the Stelsodo Security Regime isn¡¯t important.¡±


    Owin picked up a piece of metal and used Examine.


    Tinder Ore


    ¡°I don¡¯t recommend holding that,¡± Miya said.


    Owin quickly dropped it back into the pot. It sparked as it landed, causing the other blocks to spark in succession. After a few seconds, everything calmed back down.


    ¡°Tinder ore is highly flammable.¡± Miya picked a block up and twisted it in her fingers. ¡°You could probably guess that from the name.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She tossed it up, causing it to spark in the air before she caught it. ¡°This is just our fuel. What do you want to burn?¡±


    ¡°What are my options?¡±


    ¡°I have some mob corpses. Those¡ª¡± Miya scratched her head. ¡°Is that insensitive?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a mob. Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°So . . . not insensitive?¡±


    ¡°My feelings aren¡¯t hurt,¡± Owin said.


    Miya gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Or we can find some useless plants to burn. Not all plants are worth growing, you know? We can also burn books. Books burn well. Don¡¯t tell Chorsay I said that. His heart is already massive. We don¡¯t need to push it any farther.¡±


    She was so excited. Owin couldn''t even imagine what was so fun about burning any of those things. ¡°I¡¯ll let you choose.¡±


    Miya scrambled away again.


    Owin grabbed another piece of tinder ore. ¡°Can I keep one of these?¡±


    Miya stuck her head in from the next room. ¡°Tinder ore? Sure. Don¡¯t light yourself on fire.¡± She disappeared again.


    Owin grabbed an empty bottle and carefully put the little block of metal inside. It sparked as it hit the glass, then calmed down once it settled on the bottom. ¡°Where is it from?¡±


    ¡°The Subterranean Dungeon. It¡¯s common and it lasts a long time. You can buy a bag for a gold if you want, but it¡¯s dangerous to carry. Plenty of heroes have lit themselves on fire trying to make an easy payday.¡± Miya reappeared with a dried corpse of something small and a bright yellow flower. She grabbed a scroll from the counter and set it all next to the pot on the alchemy table.


    ¡°So, mobs can¡¯t leave the dungeons, but mob corpses can?¡± Owin asked. He had harvested items from mobs like the rat tails and the ocular heart, but he hadn¡¯t heard of anyone taking a full corpse out.


    ¡°Yes and no. They have to be preserved in some way. It¡¯s not common for the bigger mobs. Carrying those around just isn¡¯t realistic. But small things like this?¡± She picked the snake-like thing up again. ¡°Easy to toss it in a bag like you did with your ingredients.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Owin used Examine as soon as Miya set it down.


    Dried Corpse


    That taught him nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scaltari newt.¡± Miya cleared her throat. ¡°A little fucked up, if you ask me. But as we know, they¡¯re not actually intelligent, so . . .¡± She shrugged and dropped the dried corpse back on the table. ¡°It¡¯s better to not think about it. Those are used in shield potions. Literally no other use for them.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we make one of those instead of burning it?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I don¡¯t have the other ingredients. And this is more fun. What good is a shield?¡±


    ¡°Shields saved me a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She picked up the dried corpse again. ¡°We¡¯re still burning it.¡±


    Owin picked up the flower. ¡°What about this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a daffodil. No alchemical use. They grow in the small gardens around the portals outside.¡± She leaned close. ¡°I picked it without permission.¡±


    ¡°You stole a flower?¡±


    ¡°When you phrase it that way, it makes me seem like the bad person. Do you want to burn things or not?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you¡¯re saying this is so fun.¡±


    ¡°See this?¡± She grabbed the scroll and unfurled it. ¡°This is a tax record. Do you know what taxes are?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, no need to know.¡± Miya placed the scroll into the pot. She grabbed a small metal rod nearby and jabbed at a piece of tinder ore. The pieces bounced off each other and all sparked, quickly lighting the paper on fire. Yellow flames burned brightly, consuming the scroll as they climbed and grew brighter.


    Owin watched with wide eyes. He could feel the heat on his face, and just as soon as it had started, the flames died, leaving only a pile of ash on the pieces of tinder ore.


    ¡°Thoughts?¡± Miya asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Miya nodded excitedly. She grabbed the flower and placed the end of the stem between some pieces. ¡°Would you be interested?¡±


    Owin took the metal rod and jabbed at a piece of tinder ore. Sparks exploded through the pot, causing the end of the stem to catch fire. It sent a thick stream of smoke as the flames grew hotter, slowly crawling up. Above, the petals wilted in the head, curling until the flames consumed them.


    Owin watched silently. Miya placed the dried corpse inside next and gestured for Owin to strike the ore. The corpse burned green in a huge flame that filled the inside of the pot. Even the tinder ore caught fire, causing the whole pot to burn for minutes.


    Miya nudged Owin a few times, but both watched without words, letting the colorful flames dance before them. Over time, the flames faded and the body collapsed into ash. The tinder ore was untouched at the bottom of the pot.


    ¡°Was I right?¡± Miya asked.


    ¡°You were right,¡± Owin said. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll burn the whole fucking building if I get the chance.¡± Miya scurried away again.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t do that!¡±


    Miya didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t burn the building,¡± Owin said.


    Miya reappeared in the doorway. ¡°Not today. But if I get bored tomorrow . . . who will stop me?¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 6

    Owin sat at the counter, flipping through Potilia¡¯s book until the sun finally rose. He couldn¡¯t read, of course, but the book had a variety of maps and pictures he spent some time looking through. Pictures of mobs and rough sketches of a few floors of dungeons covered entire pages. Owin only figured out the maps after seeing a partial drawing of the cultist village on the second floor of the Great Dungeon. He recognized Nosolus¡¯s cathedral immediately.


    Shortly after the morning¡¯s light peeked through the curtains, Potilia stumbled down the stairs and froze upon seeing Owin.


    ¡°Did you move my bookmark?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    She sprinted across the room and crashed against the counter. Owin lifted his hands away from the book as she flung it open and checked for a long piece of string in the middle of a page.


    ¡°It¡¯s still here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bookmark?¡±


    Potilia slammed the book shut. ¡°What were you reading? Were you reading about¡ª¡± She opened it again, glanced at a page, and slammed it back shut. ¡°Hobgoblins?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin hopped off the stool. ¡°I can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Potilia slowly slid the book farther from Owin.


    ¡°There were pictures.¡±


    Potilia nodded slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say it¡¯s sad . . .¡± Her index appeared as she looked over Owin¡¯s attributes. ¡°With intelligence that high, you could easily learn.¡± She squinted. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you learned?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to not be killed. Remember the story I told?¡±


    ¡°Eh. Some of it. I wasn¡¯t always listening.¡± Potilia walked around the counter and sat on the stool. ¡°Why not have Miya teach you? Didn¡¯t you spend the evening with her?¡±


    Images of fire flashed through Owin¡¯s memories. Based on what he saw the previous night, Miya wouldn¡¯t have books to teach with for long. Not if she had a chance to burn them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would be a good teacher.¡±


    Potilia shrugged. ¡°Want some coffee? I usually make some in the morning before Chorsay is awake.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    Potilia squinted again. ¡°Do you know anything?¡±


    ¡°I wish you listened to the story when I told it.¡± Owin watched as Potilia flipped the book back to her bookmark. She leaned on her elbows and stared at the page as if the words immediately gripped her entire being.


    Owin stood on his toes, trying to see what was on her bookmarked page. The counter was far above. He could jump, but he would likely crash into Potilia and possibly even knock her off the stool. Jumping was one of his greatest strengths, but Owin wasn¡¯t going to lie to himself and say landing was one of his talents.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Owin said.


    Potilia glanced up, barely turning her head. ¡°What do¡ª¡±


    The front door flew open, throwing the wooden door into the wall. The deadbolt hit the ground and slid to a stop at Owin¡¯s feet. He grabbed the metal piece and tried using Examine on whatever stood in the dust.


    At first it picked up nothing, then a figure appeared, quickly followed by a string of notifications.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Potilia said.


    Hero


    Akimori Kyoya


    Hunter


    Stelsodo Security Regime


    Level: 78


    Strength: 343


    Constitution: 367


    Dexterity: 502


    Intelligence: 299


    Wisdom: 285


    Charisma: 273


    Owin took a step back. The Thunderstrike Maul was on the other side of Potilia¡¯s stool, behind the desk. His knives were in his belt, but with a dexterity of over 500, there wasn¡¯t a chance Owin would be fast enough to get close to Kyoya.


    A bounty has been placed on you from the Izylia Unity Force.


    You are wanted.


    The notification hung in his vision like the information about the secret bosses back in the dungeon. Kyoya stepped into the lobby with his weapons sheathed. A squad of soldiers waited outside, with only a few key figures following close behind Kyoya.


    One looked familiar, though he was wearing segmented maroon armor instead of a suit.


    Hero


    Vondaire Faikel


    Umbra


    Izylia Unity Force


    The other wore maroon armor identical to Vondaire¡¯s, but with a crest on the helmet. He was incredibly thin, having gaunt cheeks that had blistered burns on the little skin shown. Thick leather gloves covered his hands.


    Citizen


    Taralim Norkreena


    Entertainer


    Izylia Unity Force


    Taralim¡¯s eyes were yellow and felt as if they glowed like a full moon. He had knives sheathed on each hip and a bandolier of throwing knives strapped across his chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s him?¡± Taralim asked, his voice hoarse. His index flashed in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, obviously,¡± Kyoya said. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be difficult, will it, Owin?¡±


    Heavy, steady footsteps sounded above. The intruders froze, watching as the footsteps neared like a coming storm.


    ¡°Difficult?¡± Chorsay gripped the railing above. Wood splintered. ¡°You break down my door and you have the audacity to ask if Owin will make it difficult?¡± Chorsay appeared calm as he walked down the stairs, but each step caused the entire building to rumble.


    ¡°Stay out of this, Chorsay,¡± Kyoya said. ¡°I told you I would be back if Izylia insisted.¡±


    ¡°And we insist,¡± Taralim said.


    Chorsay¡¯s index quickly flashed. The air rumbled as he took the last step down into the lobby, stopping directly between Owin and Kyoya. He had no weapons, but his fists were squeezed tight with veins rising on his exposed forearms. It couldn¡¯t be more obvious that Chorsay had just woken up. Not that it mattered. All the intruders refused to take their eyes off him.


    ¡°Have the dignity to reveal yourself.¡± Chorsay¡¯s voice was low. He sounded nothing like before.


    Taralim crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.


    Cocky. He reminded Owin of Siora. The bastard thought he was untouchable, even as the rest of the soldiers cowed before Chorsay. Kyoya flinched as Chorsay adjusted his sleeves.


    ¡°A goblin cannot exist outside the dungeons. Ruvaine has made a mistake. That mistake will be corrected.¡± Taralim pushed Kyoya aside. The sergeant nearly fell off his feet from even the slightest touch.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Potilia grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul, grunting a little as she lifted it and calmly passed it to Owin. He didn¡¯t want to take his eyes off the encounter before him, but the fact that she was able to lift it at all was incredible. What was her strength?


    Taralim strode forward until he was only a pace in front of Chorsay. The entertainer looked tiny in comparison.


    ¡°I sense it,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Change your description all you want. You can¡¯t trick me.¡±


    A shockwave exploded, throwing Owin off his feet. Potilia, Kyoya, and nearly everyone else in the room flew away from the center, landing hard on the wooden floorboards. Owin jumped right back to his feet, seeing only Vondaire on the other side still standing calmly.


    Chorsay had shifted his stance and punched. He still stood, mid-strike, with his fist pressing against the tip of Taralim¡¯s knife. The Izylia Unity Force officer had produced the knife so quickly, only Chorsay had reacted. Neither pushed farther, as if they had matched blades.


    A silver gem hung in the air over Chorsay¡¯s right shoulder. An identical gem hovered in the air behind Taralim. Power radiated again, sending another shockwave out, though much weaker than the first.


    ¡°A Shard Carrier,¡± Potilia whispered.


    Chorsay¡¯s hand snapped up and grabbed the knife blade. He twisted his wrist and snapped the metal, tossing it aside.


    Taralim relaxed. The shard lowered to his shoulder and disappeared. ¡°So old, and only a single shard.¡±


    While Taralim had relaxed, Chorsay¡¯s fists remained. He looked as though he might rip the man¡¯s head straight from his shoulders. ¡°Only fools think age will slow me down. Get out.¡± The shard stayed hovering over Chorsay¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Examine your goblin. There¡¯s a bounty of a hundred thousand dungeon gold for the murder of heroes outside Oriathria. He will be executed. Now.¡± Taralim gestured to Owin and waited.


    Chorsay didn¡¯t bother turning around. ¡°He¡¯s not my goblin. Owin isn¡¯t going anywhere. Kyoya, escort him back to Oriathria before I throw him through the portal myself.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Kyoya looked outside at the gathered crowd. Some locals had formed behind the soldiers. They had pulled a lot of attention, even early in the morning.


    ¡°The Nimble Hog Hero Company would be so easy to dismantle.¡± Taralim paced. He pulled a throwing knife from his bandolier and spun it around his finger. ¡°A whole company branded as criminals. It hasn¡¯t happened in ages. What a legacy.¡±


    ¡°This is unjust,¡± Myrsvai said. The magus stood on the balcony above the counter. Owin glanced up, seeing Sanem, Miya, and a few others he didn¡¯t personally know.


    ¡°Is it unjust to execute a criminal? To stop a murderer? What kind of philosophy does your crew have?¡± Taralim smirked, revealing unusually sharp teeth. His blistered cheeks turned more red as they pushed against his helmet.


    ¡°It¡¯s unjust to place a bounty on a hero for something that isn¡¯t a crime.¡± Myrsvai limped toward the stairs. His prosthetic foot stomped on each step all the way down. Taralim watched with a sly side eye, not moving as the magus slowly made his way down.


    Taralim¡¯s index flashed. ¡°And, Myrsvai, when did murder stop being a crime? You seem so well educated. Certainly you would know.¡±


    A figure appeared directly beside Owin. He flinched and started to swing the hammer, but a single finger held the weapon still.


    ¡°Be calm,¡± Vondaire whispered.


    Taralim raised an eyebrow at Vondaire.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to kill me,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°He wants to scare you.¡±


    ¡°Self defense has never been a crime in Verdantallis. If Owin was a human, you wouldn¡¯t bat an eye.¡± Myrsvai stood confidently beside Chorsay, who had yet to relax.


    Taralim leaned to the side, peeking around Chorsay¡¯s huge frame. ¡°Vondaire, may I ask why you are talking to the criminal?¡±


    ¡°I am ensuring he won¡¯t attempt to flee.¡± Vondaire removed his finger from the Thunderstrike Maul. He picked the stool off the floor from where it had fallen and took a seat.


    ¡°Certainly.¡± Taralim placed the throwing knife back in the bandolier. ¡°Chorsay Eoghet, I was told you were smarter. Sergeant Kyoya swore by it. Now, we are standing here, ready to exchange blows over a meaningless creature.¡±


    ¡°Owin is the first of his kind. How could he be meaningless?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°A magus without even so much as a shard, let alone an arm, has no business speaking to me. Begone.¡±


    Mysrvai glanced at Chorsay, who nodded. The magus turned his back and walked slowly back to Owin and Potilia. ¡°Are you both okay?¡±


    Potilia nodded. Owin looked at Vondaire, who gave a subtle nod as well.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± Myrsvai asked quietly.


    ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Is it time for Suta?¡± Potilia asked.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Myrsvai shook his head. ¡°Not in such a tense situation.¡±


    ¡°What will it be?¡± Taralim asked. ¡°Join the goblin as a criminal or surrender him to face the judgment he deserves?¡±


    ¡°Kyoya.¡± Chorsay glanced at the sergeant, who had kept his distance since the brief clash. ¡°The bounty is with Izylia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then escort me to the council in Oriathria.¡± Chorsay stuck out his hands, still clenched into fists. ¡°I surrender as the leader of the hero company harboring a criminal.¡±


    Taralim smirked. A soldier nearby held out cuffs that Taralim snatched and placed on Chorsay¡¯s wrists. ¡°This is better, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be on our way,¡± Kyoya said as he shooed the soldiers out the front door.


    Chorsay followed Taralim silently, not even bothering to give Owin or any other Nimble Hog a look.


    First Artivan had sacrificed himself to save Owin, and now Chorsay let himself be captured for Owin¡¯s sake. Why?


    What did he do to deserve any of this?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry over,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Potilia said, flinching. ¡°I thought you left.¡±


    The Izylia Unity Force soldier had remained on the stool. Owin couldn¡¯t quite understand how he had forgotten he was there so quickly. Myrsvai was the only one that didn¡¯t seem surprised by Vondaire¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be following your leader?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Vondaire pointed at the magus. ¡°Correction: Supervisor.¡±


    ¡°The only reason for an umbra to hide their attributes is that they are weaker than they appear,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Or the opposite may be true.¡± Vondaire picked up Potilia¡¯s book, opened to her bookmark, shrugged, and closed it again.


    The other Nimble Hogs came downstairs. They glanced at Owin, though nobody said anything.


    Sanem was the last down the stairs, moving slowly as she watched the broken front door. Owin still held the broken deadbolt that should have held the door shut. It was clear that true power couldn¡¯t be stopped by normal means. Taralim, whoever he was, wasn¡¯t afraid of anything. He wanted to toy with Chorsay, even after Chorsay showed his strength.


    Those with true power had true freedom.


    Upon seeing Vondaire, Sanem immediately stuck her spear out, stopping the blade inches from his neck. ¡°Who let this snake stay?¡± Her index flashed before her eyes. ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Owin said.


    All eyes turned to him. Vondaire calmly pushed Sanem¡¯s spear aside with a single finger.


    ¡°Why did you warn me?¡± Owin asked.


    Vondaire raised his eyebrows as Sanem swung her spear back into position. ¡°If you insist.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Soldiers have a unique ability that I have always found fascinating. Many classes have some sort of ability, whether active or passive, to sense other heroes. Sometimes it is just threats or living creatures. It varies. Soldiers have the specific ability to hear just about any possible noise. Now, how does this help a soldier? They can hear an invisible umbra or a camouflaged assassin without difficulty. Or, more helpfully in this scenario, they can hear a warning.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Sanem asked. Her spear had yet to waver. With one little thrust, she could put it through Vondaire¡¯s neck.


    The umbra didn¡¯t seem concerned in the slightest. Owin didn¡¯t believe it was even possible. Sanem was strong, but Vondaire was something else entirely.


    ¡°Chorsay Eoghet is not a stupid man. Learning that Taralim was only trying to intimidate gave Chorsay the upper hand. Now the council in Izylia will determine if Owin is truly wanted or not based on facts presented by Chorsay and Taralim. The Security Regime knows the bodies were found just outside the forest, far from the city. I saw them myself. Fighting within the cities is strictly prohibited, as you all know. But we should make sure our short friend is aware of the laws as well.¡±


    Owin looked around, realizing everyone was looking at him again. ¡°Is Chorsay going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not arrested. Taralim wanted a show, and Chorsay gave him one. As soon as they¡¯re in Oriathria, he should be released from his shackles, though the council¡¯s fear of you, goblin, may change how they react. Based on what I saw, Chorsay is more than capable of ripping himself free.¡±


    Sanem withdrew her spear. ¡°Why are you trying to help us?¡±


    ¡°As I told Owin when we first met, I am simply doing a job that I am required to do. In the next couple months, I will be released to do as I wish once again.¡±


    ¡°Are you a criminal?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Everyone in the room shifted. Owin watched Vondaire¡¯s eyebrows raise. The man took very few things seriously.


    ¡°Me?¡± Vondaire placed a hand on his chest. ¡°Of course not. What kind of horrible conclusion is that? I was in need of money, and the Unity Force pays absurdly well. A contract for two years is all that is required to bring anyone out of financial distress.¡±


    ¡°They had you collecting gold for the portals,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I may have been known to be somewhat . . . insubordinate.¡±


    ¡°What is Taralim going to think about this?¡± Sanem asked. ¡°He¡¯ll notice you didn¡¯t follow.¡±


    ¡°He heard me when I warned Owin. It¡¯s all a game to Shard Carriers. But, you are correct. I should return before I am punished.¡± Vondaire stood and brushed off the top of the stool.


    ¡°There are better ways to make money,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°Like what, Miss Fururo?¡±


    Miya flinched at the mention of her last name. Owin hadn¡¯t seen an index in Vondaire¡¯s eyes again. How did he know so much about everyone?


    ¡°Look where you are.¡±


    ¡°Careers heroes make a passable living. Is that what you¡¯re going to do with your life, Owin? The one you have fought so hard for?¡± Vondaire crouched and met Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is a mediocre life what you had hoped for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect the shards.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Vondaire smiled. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°True power has true freedom. With power, I can help those who helped me, and I can crush those who attacked me.¡±


    Vondaire¡¯s smile vanished. He poked Owin in the forehead with a single finger. ¡°Then you have a lot of power to gain. Visit me again when you have your first shard.¡±


    Vondaire vanished in a puff of smoke. Just like that, he was gone. Unfortunately for the rest of the lobby, there were traces of the intruders all over. The entire front door was bust with dust and broken pieces of wood scattered around the room. The floorboards underneath where Chorsay had been standing were warped just from his single punch.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sanem said. She sighed. ¡°We knew something like this would happen. Chorsay was ready for it. He had mentioned a similar situation yesterday. It just happened sooner than we hoped.¡±


    A knock grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. Sanem shifted her shield and spear, ready for a fight as they all turned to the broken front door.


    A short man with dark, curly hair and a thick mustache stood in the doorway. He scratched his cheek as he looked over the mess. ¡°Are you, uh, redesigning?¡±


    ¡°Ernie?¡± Sanem asked. She relaxed, letting the butt of her spear fall to the ground. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to hire Artivan.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 7

    Ernie hesitantly stepped through the broken doorway. The short man looked all over, surveying the damage. Owin immediately noticed that all the Nimble Hogs were calm. Not a single one seemed worried about the sudden appearance of this short man.


    Hero


    Ernworth Eckelson


    Alchemist


    Level: 50


    Strength: 80


    Constitution: 279


    Dexterity: 278


    Intelligence: 293


    Wisdom: 107


    Charisma: 96


    ¡°I thought Chorsay was against remodeling.¡± Ernie picked up a piece of wood and held it close to his face. ¡°Should¡¯ve hired an expert.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good time for your jokes, Ernie.¡± Sanem leaned her head, looking outside. ¡°Where¡¯s Kat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A woman stuck her head in the doorway. Black hair hung loose and messy. ¡°Ernie wanted to make an entrance.¡±


    Ernie cleared his throat. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± He turned back and shushed her. He tossed the piece of wood aside and strode through the rest of the room. ¡°Is the big man here?¡±


    ¡°No. But . . .¡± Sanem squinted as she looked at Owin. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ernie leaned to the side, looking around Sanem. When he spotted Owin, his eyebrows immediately raised. ¡°Who is that?¡± His index appeared and hovered just in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Well, Ern,¡± Katalin said as she strode inside. ¡°That¡¯s a damn goblin.¡±


    Ernie held up a finger. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a hero.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Katalin¡¯s index appeared as she also looked over Owin¡¯s information. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard this a lot,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a whole thing,¡± Sanem said. ¡°The Izylia Unity Force arrested Chorsay for harboring a wanted criminal.¡± She nodded toward Owin. ¡°For self defense.¡±


    Ernie narrowed his eyes. ¡°And how can I be of any assistance?¡±


    ¡°Cix, can you grab the item from Chorsay¡¯s office?¡± Sanem asked.


    A woman in a purple cloak with her hood up vanished in a puff of smoke just like Vondaire had not long before. Owin flinched as she vanished, not realizing the woman had been an umbra. He hadn¡¯t gotten to know her yet.


    Owin watched both newcomers as they confidently stood inside the Nimble Hogs¡¯ headquarters. Clearly, the other Hogs already knew Ernie and Kat, whoever they were. Owin used Examine on the woman.


    Hero


    Katalin Miksa


    Alchemist


    Level: 53


    Strength: 94


    Constitution: 287


    Dexterity: 301


    Intelligence: 305


    Wisdom: 114


    Charisma: 101


    She was even stronger than Ernie. Both were short and thin enough to not look immediately intimidating, especially compared to someone like Chorsay or Artivan. Katalin looked entirely relaxed. A thick fur shawl hung from her shoulders, covering a jerkin of padded armor. ¡°We saw a crowd leaving,¡± Katalin said as she poked the tip of her boot against the broken door frame. ¡°Looked like Izylian soldiers.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Sanem said. ¡°They took Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°They did what?¡± Katalin leaned against the door frame. ¡°Why would anyone want to arrest that giant?¡±


    The woman in purple appeared in the middle of the room, right before Ernie, holding the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth.


    Ernie took a step away. ¡°That¡¯s . . . That¡¯s Artivan¡¯s?¡±


    The woman nodded and vanished in another puff of smoke.


    ¡°He died protecting Owin in the Great Forest.¡± Sanem sighed. ¡°Or, we assume he did. Owin didn¡¯t actually see the end.¡±


    ¡°The old man can take care of himself. Who was after the little guy?¡±


    Owin scowled. ¡°Little guy¡± was not the way he wanted to be known. Ernie wasn¡¯t all that much taller than Owin, especially compared to people like Artivan and Chorsay.


    ¡°Void Nexus,¡± Sanem said.


    Ernie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°How long ago was this?¡±


    ¡°A couple days,¡± Owin said.


    Sanem nodded. ¡°No word from Artivan, but a friend of Owin¡¯s with the Unity Force confirmed seeing the Void Nexus hero outside Oriathria. Chorsay has already decided¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Give it another week. If the old man isn¡¯t back, then you can tell me. For now, we don¡¯t have a lot of time. Althowin¡¯s deadline is coming up quickly. We were hoping to hire Artivan, but, uh, we can take someone else.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hire anybody with Chorsay gone,¡± Potilia said. She climbed onto her stool, grabbed a ledger from underneath the counter, and dropped it heavily on top. ¡°You could technically pay for someone, but Chorsay can¡¯t authorize the deal or assign the official job without being here.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°That¡¯s where my idea comes in,¡± Sanem said. ¡°The Unity Force is bringing Chorsay to speak with the council regarding Owin.¡±


    ¡°How did they manage to take him?¡± Katalin asked. She had pulled a metal tube from her bag and was tossing it idly in the air. Everyone but Owin visibly flinched with each toss.


    ¡°A Shard Carrier named Taralim,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Exactly. An assassin,¡± Sanem said. ¡°He might¡¯ve had a fusion too. I couldn¡¯t tell.¡±


    Owin kept a straight face. He had been trying to figure out how Taralim had managed to get a shard without ever going inside a dungeon. Obviously he had conquered one of the seven, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been a Carrier, but his description said citizen. It was all confusing. What was he trying to hide?


    ¡°Just one shard? He couldn¡¯t be fused,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Put the pipe away,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin rolled her eyes and stuffed it back inside her bag. ¡°How can we help with a Shard Carrier?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Taralim I¡¯m worried about right now. You two, with Althowin¡¯s influence, might sway the Izylian council to let Chorsay go sooner. Owin has a bounty for murders that were undeniably self defense.¡±


    ¡°Self defense with a hammer like that must¡¯ve been quite a show. Is that a real weapon?¡± Ernie asked. ¡°Goblins usually only have knives or small swords.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Owin. I don¡¯t think you can even lift that hammer, Ern.¡± Sanem nodded toward Potilia. ¡°Sort it with Po, and we¡¯ll be off to talk to the council.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I can¡¯t run around using Althowin¡¯s name to get people out of trouble.¡±


    Katalin chuckled. ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing it,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you a discount,¡± Potilia said.


    Ernie scratched at his mustache and slowly closed the distance to the counter. ¡°Are you authorized to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Potilia said confidently.


    Ernie turned around to face Katalin. Potilia¡¯s eyes immediately widened as her cheeks turned red. She was holding her breath and gripping the ledger far too tightly.


    ¡°Fine. We agree,¡± Ernie said, turning back around.


    Potilia let out her breath, blowing it all right into Ernie¡¯s face. The short man frowned as a few bits of spit splattered on his forehead.


    ¡°I was lying,¡± Potilia said, far too loud.


    ¡°Chorsay will agree,¡± Sanem said. ¡°Ignore Po. Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re covering our portal fees?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t care. We need to get to Oriathria as fast as we can. We don¡¯t want to miss the hearing.¡± Sanem adjusted her shield straps and strode right past Ernie to the broken door. ¡°Come on.¡±


    Ernie sighed and followed behind. ¡°The discount better be significant.¡±


    ¡°Working with us is already a discount,¡± Sanem said as she disappeared outside.


    Katalin waited for Ernie to pass, then followed the others out, leaving the Nimble Hogs sitting in silence.


    ¡°Nothing more for us to do,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°We can at least fix the door while they¡¯re gone,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin held out the deadbolt, which the magus carefully grabbed.


    He turned it over, examining it with his yellow eyes. ¡°Does anyone know how to fix a door?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Miya snatched it out of Myrsvai¡¯s hand. ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming?¡± Sanem asked. She stood in the doorway as a silhouette. ¡°I already paid for your portal.¡±


    Owin looked back and forth. The other Nimble Hogs were all already occupied doing other things. Potilia was hunched over the ledger with a pen moving furiously, Myrsvai and Miya were arguing about something with doors and who should have the deadbolt, and the other two women Owin didn¡¯t know yet had gone back up the stairs.


    ¡°Owin, let¡¯s go,¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°How many Owins are there?¡± Sanem waved him forward. ¡°Myr, we could use another bodyguard if you can spare him.¡±


    Myrsvai stopped mid sentence. Miya took the opportunity to snatch the deadbolt back again. She sprinted into the room beyond the stairs and slammed the door.


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°Can you keep him in check?¡±


    ¡°You know I can.¡±


    Myrsvai lifted his staff and closed his eyes. Yellow flames appeared in a circle around his feet. No heat came off the flames as they danced and grew, releasing yellow smoke in a pattern around Myrsvai. He hit the butt of his staff against the ground, causing the flames to flash and vanish. Just in front of Owin, identical flames appeared with a hunched silhouette in the middle.


    Those flames vanished just as quickly, fully revealing an orange, red, and yellow bug-headed figure. Blue crystals sprouted from the top of his head, followed by small frills that almost looked like ears.


    ¡°Suta,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Protect Owin.¡±


    The bug-headed creature turned its beady yellow eyes to Owin. ¡°No.¡±


    Myrsvai sighed.


    Master Familiar


    Suta


    Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion


    Level 48


    Suta lifted cloth wrapped hands and squared up with Owin. He wore loose cloth all over, looking much different than his magus master.


    ¡°Suta,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The familiar turned his head and continued inching toward Owin with his hands up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Owin isn¡¯t a mob. You need to protect him.¡±


    Suta looked back at Owin. His yellow eyes flashed as he dashed forward. The air shifted as the familiar punched with incredible strength. Owin leaned aside, just barely dodging the blow. Suta immediately followed it with another jab that Owin blocked with the edge of the Thunderstrike Maul. He slid back a few inches from the blow.


    Suta let his arms fall to his sides. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°The damn thing is going to kill someone,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s fine. He¡¯s just rowdy,¡± Sanem said. ¡°Suta, are you ready to go?¡±


    The familiar adjusted his plain white clothes. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t moved. His jaw was dropped as everyone returned to what they were doing before as if nothing had happened. Suta walked right out of the building, already in a conversation with Sanem.


    Only Myrsvai approached. He slowly crouched, using his staff as support. ¡°Sorry. Suta isn¡¯t a typical familiar.¡±


    ¡°I noticed. He tried killing me.¡±


    ¡°He wanted to test you. He likes to fight hand to hand, which . . .¡± Myrsvai sighed. ¡°He¡¯s an abyssal magus like me. He has every spell I do.¡±


    ¡°Those were strong punches.¡± Owin wasn¡¯t sure what would have happened if Suta had caught him in the face with one of the jabs. The little demonic familiar was scarier than the Malignant Spirit.


    ¡°You and Suta have some things in common. You are a wizard, after all, Owin.¡±


    Owin grunted. ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t. Are you sure Suta isn¡¯t going to murder me?¡±


    ¡°He will fight anything he can, but if he knows you¡¯re a friendly, he¡¯ll be fine. Sanem can manage him.¡± Myrsvai stood up, relying on the staff. ¡°Go get Chorsay. We¡¯ll fix this place.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin slowly walked away, glancing at Potilia, Miya, and Myrsvai, who all got right to work. These people were still strangers, though none had treated him with hostility. They might not be Artivan, but they were kind, and that¡¯s all that mattered. For now.


    Sanem, Ernie, Katalin, and Suta had walked away from the Nimble Hogs, past the guards, and waited near a giant portal. Sanem waved to get Owin¡¯s attention. The Stelsodo Security Regime guard at the portal gate eyed Owin warily, but allowed him to pass without a word.


    ¡°So, are you coming with us to the Ocean, Sanem?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Raif to get back. I¡¯m not leaving for a few weeks at least.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got days,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I will do it,¡± Suta said.


    Sanem patted the familiar on the head. ¡°You would fight every mob in the dungeon. That¡¯s not what they need. We¡¯ll let Chorsay work it out with you.¡±


    Suta turned as Owin approached. The portals hummed all around the platform. ¡°Goblin is here.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°You already know how these work?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°I took one from Oriathria,¡± Owin said. It hadn¡¯t been a pleasurable experience, but Owin was willing to suffer a little shock and pain to help Chorsay.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. Every minute we waste here is a minute into tomorrow that Chorsay is being questioned.¡± Sanem took a calming breath, then stepped through. Ernie grinned, faced Katalin, and stepped through backward. She rolled her eyes and followed right after, leaving Suta and Owin.


    ¡°Pain is sign of growth,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Pain.¡± Suta disappeared into the portal.


    Owin looked at the destroyed front of the Nimble Hogs'' building. It was his fault the Unity Force had broken in and caused so much damage.


    Chorsay promised to help him get stronger.


    It was time to save Chorsay. The portal ate the world around Owin, tearing at his skin as he was launched into the void.

 Book 2 - Chapter 8

    Vondaire¡¯s smug face appeared right in front of Owin as he materialized in Oriathria. He yelped and swung the Thunderstrike Maul, entirely out of panic. Vondaire used a single finger to block the swing.


    ¡°The council has already gathered for the emergency meeting,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the council meet?¡± Sanem asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your escort.¡± Vondaire stood fully upright and adjusted his collar. He was already out of his segmented military armor and was back in his pristine black suit with spotless white gloves.


    ¡°What¡¯s your motivation?¡± Sanem asked.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck is this?¡± Katalin asked.


    People moved about the portal circle, many traveling to Atrevaar, but people also used other portals. It was much busier than the first time Owin had passed through.


    Vondaire bowed deeply. ¡°Vondaire Faikel, an illustrious gentleman to whom you have had the pleasure of meeting.¡± He offered his hand, which Katalin backed away from.


    ¡°Get on with it, you pig,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Ironic for someone hiring the Nimble Hogs to call another a pig.¡± Vondaire gestured to the nearest gate. Other guards dressed like Vondaire collected portal fees. The one at the nearest gate raised an eyebrow as Vondaire led the group with flair. His walk was exaggerated and he tilted his head and acted as if he lifted a hat to the guard.


    Suta lifted his hands and muttered something Owin couldn¡¯t hear as his beady eyes snapped to the guard. Sanem immediately stepped in, blocking the abyssal familiar¡¯s view of the innocent guard. Suta immediately calmed down and continued walking as if he hadn¡¯t been about to punch the guard in the crotch.


    Owin had yet to see much of any city. Basically all he had seen of Oriathria was his original sprint through the city, and the Nimble Hogs were so close to the portals that he hadn¡¯t needed to explore much in Atrevaar. Being able to slow down gave him the opportunity to look out at the huge cement buildings and the streetcar tracks that ran down the center of just about every street.


    He caught occasional glances of people inside, sitting and talking, drinking, working, or just about anything else. From Owin¡¯s perspective, almost every building looked identical in the immediate area around the portals. Each was a towering structure, a perfect square, with gray cement walls and massive windows.


    Vondaire led confidently, walking with jaunty strides. Citizens immediately moved aside upon spotting the man. Owin assumed they recognized the suit, though they may have just been uncertain of the overly happy man strutting toward them.


    They quickly passed through the city center to a ring of buildings that were squatter and sported more unique designs. Small parks and old trees covered the lawns of the buildings, hosting happy people lying in the sun or sitting under the shade of the great canopies.


    Suta raised his fists at every living thing they passed. Sanem groaned and walked directly beside the familiar, always working to block his view from even squirrels running up the trees. Suta jabbed harmlessly into the air, bouncing on his clawed feet, which only received another groan from Sanem.


    ¡°When was the last time we were in Oriathria?¡± Ernie asked. The short man looked off the sidewalk, taking in the sights. He toyed with the bottles on his belt, frequently removing corks and placing them in again without even watching.


    ¡°Althowin needed some ogre¡¯s acid a year ago.¡± Katalin kept her hands in her pockets and had her eyes constantly locked on Vondaire¡¯s back. She hadn¡¯t looked around once, like Oriathria had nothing exciting to offer.


    ¡°Ogre¡¯s acid is difficult to obtain,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°What would a military man know about it?¡± Ernie said, immediately defensive.


    Vondaire turned, one eyebrow raised. ¡°My apologies, apprentice. I forgot how familiar your kind are with the first four levels of the seven dungeons.¡±


    ¡°We could climb if we wanted,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Certainly.¡± Vondaire turned back forward. ¡°Do you see that spiral?¡± He slowed his stride and gestured with his entire hand.


    Ahead, the street narrowed, ending in a streetcar stop before forming into one wide walkway. Small statues of people in heroic poses lined the walkway, spaced out by decorated flower beds of blossoming plants that Owin couldn¡¯t ever hope to identify. Some were blue, others were yellow, and others were some other combinations of colors.


    ¡°The capitol of Oriathria, the Seed.¡±


    The Seed was shaped like a raindrop and made of spiral roots, growing smaller until they met at the top at a fine point. Despite its odd appearance, the building was massive.


    ¡°Is it an actual seed?¡± Owin asked.


    Even Suta looked at Owin like he was a moron.


    ¡°No,¡± Sanem said. ¡°It¡¯s just a fancy building.¡±


    Vondaire stopped near the streetcar stop and leaned against the small shelter. ¡°Have any of you met the council of Izylia before?¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t even know there was a council of Izylia. Or even what a council was. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We know you haven¡¯t,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°I was primarily asking those that may have had the opportunity, not you or the demon.¡±


    ¡°Not a demon,¡± Suta said, raising his hands as if to fight Vondaire.


    ¡°Abyssal familiar. Demon. The difference is minimal. Sanem? Alchemists?¡± Vondaire raised an eyebrow and waited.


    ¡°Why would I have met the council?¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°No. Get on with it,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We have a deadline, and we would love to keep it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, your mistress is a strict one, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Ernie opened his mouth to protest, but Vondaire immediately vanished and reappeared with his elbow on the alchemist¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°When we go in,¡± Vondaire started before Ernie could interrupt. ¡°We will walk straight through the main hallway. I will ensure no guards stop you. Through the main door you will find the twenty council members. None of them matter. Not at the moment. Elected officials rarely have anything interesting to add up front. They are easily swayed by money, which we are aware the Nimble Hogs don¡¯t have, and the alchemists are not willing to spend their fortune, otherwise they would be with Void Nexus, Magna Regum, or the Three Heads. What else might easily sway a common person?¡± Vondaire made a show of glancing between the three humans. He seemed to purposely avoid questioning Owin or Suta, though Owin wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Anger,¡± Owin said.


    Vondaire grinned and pointed at him. ¡°Correct, goblin. And how, may I ask, do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Experience. Humans have tried to kill me forever. Even before I was awake.¡±


    Sanem frowned, Ernie and Katalin avoided looking at him, Suta raised his fists at a bird that flew overhead, and Vondaire¡¯s grin grew wider.


    ¡°Then, Owin, how might anger help us free Chorsay?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Sanem said. ¡°You don¡¯t know Chorsay. You don¡¯t know Owin.¡±


    Vondaire pulled his arm away from Ernie and bowed again. ¡°As I said before, I am Vondaire Faikel, and I take an interest in things that may benefit me. Originally I thought Owin was a threat, but now¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± Owin pushed past Suta and stood right in front of Vondaire.


    The umbra raised an eyebrow and practically had to place his chin against his chest to even look at Owin¡¯s face. ¡°Not enough? Am I expected to share every detail of my personal life with some lowly career heroes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met two humans that didn¡¯t try to kill me. You and Artivan.¡±


    Sanem pointed to herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were ready to kill me until you saw the sword.¡± Owin narrowed his eyes and stared straight up at Vondaire¡¯s black and yellow eyes. ¡°Everyone keeps telling me how amazing Artivan was. He saved my life. He taught me how to show mercy. He also taught me how to kill. How to create fear. You probably don¡¯t even know who he was, but you should¡¯ve.¡± Owin reached forward and poked Vondaire¡¯s stomach. ¡°Why did you see a goblin and not try to kill it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never killed a fellow hero,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Umbras are the most murderous lot.¡±


    ¡°Quite the assumption for an alchemist. Shall we acknowledge the tropes of the alchemists? The cowards? The snobs?¡± Vondaire gestured to Ernie and Katalin.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Katalin said.


    Suta nodded and chittered.


    ¡°How can freeing Chorsay benefit you in any way?¡± Sanem asked. ¡°I¡¯m not one to deny help, but Owin is right. Why are you really doing this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met Taralim, my supervisor. I¡¯ve now had the pleasure of meeting Chorsay. What do those two have in common?¡±


    ¡°Enough with the questions. You¡¯re wasting our time,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Katalin whispered.


    ¡°Perhaps you should listen to your woma¡ª¡±


    Ernie¡¯s fist smashed against Vondaire¡¯s cheek hard enough to stagger the umbra. Vondaire spat blood onto the sidewalk and wiped his glove over his mouth. Somehow, no blood stained the white glove.


    Ernie pulled a shining bottle from his belt and held it in front of Vondaire¡¯s face. ¡°Talk about Katalin again and I¡¯ll shove this down your fucking throat.¡±


    Katalin had also managed to produce a metal pipe from her bag without Owin even noticing her reaching back. She looked significantly more calm than Ernie, though her fingers twitched against the metal surface of the bomb.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Owin said. He pushed Ernie back with surprising ease. ¡°Stop.¡±


    Ernie clutched the shining bottle and took a step back. ¡°Answer the questions.¡±


    ¡°I will pass on the opportunity. Thank you for the offer.¡± Vondaire tapped a finger against the corner of his mouth, cleaning up the last of the blood. ¡°Perhaps those of you in need should learn to take help when it¡¯s offered.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Trust is not needed in such a charitable case. This hearing is going on at the moment. I will leave you here, as you seem to be certain I will cause more harm than help. I do hope you succeed.¡± Vondaire bowed. Smoke consumed him as he vanished.


    Suta jabbed through the smoke until Sanem shoved the familiar aside.


    ¡°That was weird,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but he¡¯s right. We need to hurry. If they come to a conclusion before we get inside, this was all meaningless.¡± Sanem set off down the path with haste. Owin walked right beside her, ignoring the looks of the Izylia Unity Force soldiers stationed outside.


    They clearly didn¡¯t want Owin there, but they made no move to stop them. The soldiers remained at their posts, hands on their weapons and eyes on Owin.


    Sanem pushed through the front doors, into a tiled lobby that was bustling with energy. People argued at counters, walked awkwardly fast to the stairs, or waited eagerly outside the main doors. Owin didn¡¯t understand anything that was happening, but Sanem placed her hand on his head and helped guide him straight through the lobby and to the stained glass double doors that led to the council chamber.


    ¡°Let me in first,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sanem slowed down, pulled Owin out of the way.


    Owin let himself be dragged to the side. He didn¡¯t know what was really happening. If he threw that door open, what would he say? How many people would try to stab him or shoot some spell at his face? Probably most.


    ¡°Yes. I have an idea.¡± He stopped right before the door, letting Katalin step beside him. ¡°You know what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Usually. She won¡¯t be happy.¡±


    ¡°The mushrooms will make her happy enough.¡±


    Katalin slowly nodded. ¡°I suppose. Let¡¯s get it over with.¡±


    Ernie pushed the door open, revealing a massive chamber filled with an audience. Chorsay sat alone at a small table directly in the center, surrounded by a half circle table filled with council members.


    Chorsay¡¯s gravelly voice boomed from within, echoing throughout the entire chamber and spilling into the lobby now that the door was open. ¡°. . . and if he had walked into Oriathria without needing to defend himself, would he be a criminal because of who he is?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± a council member said. ¡°He¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you think,¡± another interrupted. ¡°Are we expected to let anything into our cities? If an ogre escaped the Great Forest, are we meant to hire the monster for the Unity Force?¡±


    A few council members laughed at the idea.


    ¡°No,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°He¡¯d join the Nimble Hogs.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± someone said.


    Ernie strolled right through the threshold, but was stopped by a stiff arm blocking his path.


    ¡°You¡¯re not welcome,¡± Taralim said. His yellow eyes bore a hole through Ernie¡¯s head.


    ¡°Get out of my fucking way.¡± Ernie shoved the soldier¡¯s arm aside.


    Taralim grabbed Ernie¡¯s shirt and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. ¡°Scum should be on the streets.¡±


    Ernie spat a gob onto Taralim¡¯s helmet. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know who my master is.¡±


    ¡°Taralim,¡± a council member said, their voice echoing even more than Chorsay¡¯s.


    Owin leaned to the side, looking past Taralim and Ernie. The entire chamber was watching the guard as he slowly turned to face the council.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to set him down. I believe I recognize that man.¡±


    Taralim slowly lowered Ernie to the ground and resumed his position by the door as if he didn¡¯t have spit running down the outside of his helmet.


    Ernie allowed Katalin to step through so they could walk side by side down the aisle, between the rows of people eagerly watching the newcomers. Sanem put her hand on Owin¡¯s head and used the other to grab the back of Suta¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Let them handle this,¡± she said.


    ¡°Master Ernworth Eckelson. Correct?¡± the council member asked.


    Ernie and Katalin stopped at Chorsay¡¯s table, flanking him on opposite sides. Chorsay didn¡¯t look at them. Owin wanted to run forward. He wanted to let people see him, to know he wasn¡¯t going to murder them all, even if he sometimes wanted to. But Sanem was right. Ernie and Katalin wanted to handle it, and Chorsay could manage on his own.


    ¡°Just Ernie. I¡¯m no master. But you are familiar with mine. Althowin Alegarra sent us to Atrevaar to hire the Nimble Hog known as Owin the goblin. When we got there, the leader of the Nimble Hogs was nowhere to be seen. Instead, we found a wrecked storefront.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t work,¡± Taralim said, just loud enough for Owin to hear. Even Sanem didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Sanem looked down at Owin before realizing Taralim was looking at them. ¡°Piss off.¡±


    ¡°How does Master Alegarra know about the goblin?¡± a council member asked.


    ¡°News travels fast,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Althowin doesn¡¯t really take no for an answer, and we are on a deadline. So, if you all don¡¯t mind us hurdling this bureaucratic bullshit, we would love to finish our deal with Chorsay and get on our way.¡±


    ¡°Crimes don¡¯t disappear just because Althowin wants to meet a goblin.¡±


    Ernie clapped loudly. ¡°And which one of you wants to tell her she can¡¯t have her way?¡±


    ¡°Council,¡± Taralim said, striding forward. ¡°Althowin Alegarra, even if she is a legend, is not above the law. The goblin and Chorsay are criminals. You sent me to retrieve the goblin, who is now standing right outside.¡±


    Everyone shifted to face Owin. Sanem awkwardly waved. Suta lifted his fists, but was shoved aside by Sanem¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Why did I bring you?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him,¡± Suta chittered.


    ¡°Come up here,¡± Chorsay said.


    Owin froze. The council chamber held more people than Owin had ever seen. There were so many people, and every single one of them stared right at his purple hair.


    ¡°Give me the hammer,¡± Sanem said.


    Owin lifted it up. Sanem took it, grunting as she adjusted to the weight.


    Chorsay stood, causing his chains to rattle, and faced Owin. His smile was warm as he nodded. Sanem gently shoved Owin forward. He took a deep breath as he started to move, keeping his eyes on the tiled floor.


    ¡°Why does Althowin want to meet the goblin? Certainly she has seen plenty of goblins in her climbs,¡± a council member said.


    ¡°And yet, she has never met one outside the dungeon walls. Same as any of you,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Actually, most of you have never met a goblin,¡± Katalin said. ¡°So, feast your eyes. This is what we face inside the dungeons, and why people like me and Ernie need escorts. We rely on the hero companies, and by taking their leaders for bullshit hearings, you are making our lives more difficult.¡±


    Taralim stopped at the edge of the audience. Owin didn¡¯t bother glancing up as he passed. Within seconds of nearing the table, Chorsay¡¯s massive hands wrapped around Owin and lifted him up. Owin tensed as Chorsay placed him on the table, facing the council members. They looked varying versions of old. Few, if any, were younger than Artivan had been.


    ¡°May I approach?¡± Taralim asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Chorsay said. He clenched his fists, causing the shackles to pop open like they weren¡¯t even locked. The chains fell to the ground and clattered on the tile. ¡°We¡¯re here because of him. I won¡¯t file a grievance for the damage Taralim caused to my headquarters, even if he overstepped his bounds. What I will do is show you that this goblin is no different than a young man. Owin?¡±


    Owin pressed his lips together and looked at Chorsay. He squeezed his hands together. Without the weight of the Thunderstrike Maul, he felt light and uneasy. That weight had become part of him, always making him stand a little off balance. Now without it, he might float away.


    ¡°When you gained awareness in the dungeon, what was your first thought?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°I was scared,¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°Louder,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I was scared,¡± Owin repeated.


    ¡°And when you left the forest just outside Oriathria, what was going through your mind?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°I had to find the Nimble Hogs.¡±


    The council members whispered to each other.


    ¡°Why find us?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Owin shook his head.


    Chorsay¡¯s massive hand appeared on his shoulder, adding a little weight to his right side. ¡°Tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡°I was told the Nimble Hogs were the only people who would help me. He said they would be my friends, like he was.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°The knight, Artivan Morro,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°He was a great man from Kriergow who gave his life to save Owin from other heroes who wanted to kill him in the Great Forest. Now, council, Owin may be different, but as we have stated, he was defending himself and has been doing so from the moment he awoke. I don¡¯t know about you all, but one of the last things I want to do is piss off Althowin Alegarra. If Ernie and Kat come asking for a hero, I give them a hero every time. Can we be on our way?¡±


    ¡°We cannot allow Althowin to dictate how we handle things in Oriathria,¡± a council member said.


    ¡°And who is going to stop her if she¡¯s angry with you?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Zezog,¡± someone said.


    Katalin burst out in laughter, awkwardly silencing the room. ¡°When was the last time someone saw Zezog?¡± She barely contained her laughter. ¡°What a weird thing to threaten us with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking this to the other councils,¡± someone said.


    ¡°The crime or Owin¡¯s existence?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°His existence. You know what this is about.¡±


    ¡°Then let us all stop acting.¡± Chorsay picked Owin up again and set him on the ground. ¡°Drop the bounty. If you come for Owin, you¡¯ll be the criminals and we won¡¯t hesitate to defend one of our own.¡±


    ¡°A crime,¡± Taralim said. ¡°A Shard Carrier cannot threaten the Unity Force.¡±


    Chorsay turned with clenched fists. ¡°Step foot near a Nimble Hog, and I¡¯ll rip that helmet off and hold that pale face of yours under the sun.¡±


    Taralim scowled. He didn¡¯t like that threat. Everything about his demeanor had shifted in a moment. Owin suddenly found the man significantly less intimidating, even if Taralim could still rip Owin in half without effort.


    A bounty has been removed.


    You are no longer wanted by the Izylia Unity Force.


    ¡°The bounty is gone,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Good.¡± Chorsay guided Owin past Taralim and into the aisle of silent spectators. ¡°Don¡¯t slow down.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over,¡± a council member said.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Next time, place the bounty on me.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 9

    ¡°Who is Althowin Alegarra?¡± Owin asked. Chorsay gave the portal guard a handful of coins, allowing their entire small party to pass. Sanem had to shove Suta as the familiar readied to fight the guard.


    ¡°Kat? Ernie?¡± Chorsay said as he waved them onto the platform.


    ¡°She¡¯s our master,¡± Ernie said. ¡°One of the only known 7 Shard Heroes.¡±


    ¡°Seven shards?¡± Owin asked quietly. A Shard Carrier was someone who conquered the dungeons, which meant . . . ¡°All the dungeons?¡±


    Ernie nodded. ¡°All seven.¡±


    ¡°Good work, Sanem,¡± Chorsay said, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this was more of a partnership of convenience than a true plan?¡±


    ¡°It was Sanem¡¯s idea. Part of what we said is true,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We came to hire Artivan.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Katalin said, gently touching Chorsay¡¯s arm.


    Chorsay nodded. ¡°Then do me a favor and hire Owin to escort you.¡±


    Ernie grunted. ¡°I respect you, but he¡¯s level one, Chorsay.¡± Ernie¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°That strength is absurd for his level, but as an escort?¡±


    ¡°He fights like a level 30,¡± Sanem said. ¡°He tossed me on my ass.¡±


    Owin stood awkwardly in the center of everyone. Other people moved around them, passing through portals, ignoring the odd group standing in the center of the platform.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I get to choose?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°You need this and they need an escort. It works for both of you,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Why do I need it? I just escaped a dungeon.¡±


    Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°You need to find things to make you stronger. Your attributes are too low to survive this world.¡±


    ¡°How do you get stronger?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Buff potions,¡± Owin said. ¡°They¡¯re permanent for me.¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Katalin pulled her backpack off, dug through it, and produced a golden potion in a round bottle. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    Owin held the bottle in front of him and used Examine.


    Master Charisma Buff


    +50 Charisma


    Duration: 15 Hours


    The duration quickly became fuzzy and vanished. Owin didn¡¯t hesitate. He popped the cork and poured the golden liquid into his mouth.


    Never before had he tasted something so sweet.


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 30


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 10


    Charisma: 60


    ¡°Look at that,¡± Katalin said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even show it as a buff.¡±


    ¡°What does charisma do?¡±


    ¡°At 60? Not much.¡± Katalin took the empty bottle back and tossed it in her bag. ¡°I probably should¡¯ve given you something smaller.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were saving that,¡± Ernie said. His own index flashed before his eyes as he looked at Owin¡¯s stats. ¡°Do they ever go down?¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t yet. The duration disappears when I Examine the buffs.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we do need to introduce you to Althowin.¡±


    Katalin shrugged. ¡°Might be unique, but it¡¯s not enough to waste her time.¡±


    ¡°You want someone reliable,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°That¡¯s why you came for Artivan.¡±


    ¡°Reliable, not unique. He stands out in the worst possible way,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin loudly set the Thunderstrike Maul on the ground. ¡°You all keep talking like I¡¯m not right here.¡±


    Chorsay really had to crane his neck to look at Owin. ¡°It will do you good to get out of the city for a while. Ernie and Kat know their way around the dungeons and will help find ingredients for Miya to make you some buffs. We all win in this.¡±


    ¡°How do we win?¡± Ernie asked.


    Chorsay whispered something to Sanem.


    She gently tapped Owin on the head. ¡°Good luck out there. I¡¯ll be eager to hear how it goes when you get back to Atrevaar.¡±


    Suta approached Owin and stood far too close. His mandibles wiggled right in front of Owin¡¯s nose. Suta raised one fist. ¡°Crush your enemies.¡±


    Owin bumped his fist against Suta¡¯s. ¡°I will.¡±


    Sanem smiled before guiding Suta to the Atrevaar portal. The familiar jabbed into the air a few times before Sanem shoved him unceremoniously through the portal.


    ¡°No charge.¡± Chorsay stuck out his hand.


    Ernie sighed and watched Katalin, who idly tossed the iron pipe in her hand again. ¡°The Nimble Hogs are cheap anyway. That savings¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will escort you twice for free,¡± Owin blurted. Chorsay was right. His attributes were too low. There were ten floors in each dungeon, and he was struggling all the way through the four he had gone through. What hope did he have of collecting even one shard if he couldn¡¯t get past the fifth floor?


    ¡°Twice? What makes you think we would want your help twice?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Actually, that saves us a ton of money,¡± Katalin said. She stared at the sky as she continued tossing the pipe. ¡°A ton.¡±


    ¡°Do you agree to this?¡± Ernie asked.


    Chorsay crossed his arms. ¡°Owin is his own man.¡±


    Owin grinned. He wasn¡¯t really excited to enter a dungeon again, but the first few floors would be simple enough now. With his current strength, Owin would be able to go back through the cultist and satyr villages without too much danger. The real risk came from other heroes. As long as he paid attention and fought with some intelligence, he would be fine. Artivan had taught him enough. He could do it. He would do it.


    Ernie grabbed Chorsay¡¯s hand and shook. An index appeared in front of Ernie¡¯s eyes right as Owin¡¯s opened on its own to the Hero Company tab.


    Escort Ernworth Eckelson through the end of floor 4 of the Ocean Dungeon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t swim,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Ernie closed his index. ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°The Ocean Dungeon . . .¡±


    ¡°Is not what you think it is.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t swim in the water,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Listen to Ern and Kat. Alchemists struggle with fights, but even they can handle the first floors.¡±


    ¡°Three and four get questionable,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I hope this is a good idea, Chorsay.¡± Ernie shook his head. ¡°This is going to get us scolded.¡±


    ¡°He can fight and he wants to get stronger. Right, Owin?¡±


    Owin nodded. He needed to get significantly stronger if he was going to collect all seven shards. At this point, Owin had no real idea how far he could go in a dungeon. Without Artivan, would Owin have been able to continue in the Great Forest? If he hadn¡¯t been pursued, maybe he would have found out. Now could be his chance to really test his strength.


    Ernie watched Owin with an eyebrow raised. ¡°So could the Golden Bull we hired before this, and he got himself killed in a cetanthro swarm. Heroes who want the shards always fight more than they have to. They¡¯re experience gluttons.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get experience.¡±


    Katalin snorted. ¡°Deficient doesn¡¯t cut it. You¡¯re a fucking mess.¡±


    ¡°You agreed. The contract is locked.¡± Chorsay bent down with effort. He didn¡¯t make it quite as low as Owin. ¡°Artivan didn¡¯t send you to us to hide inside a building. I¡¯ll help you get strong.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°When you leave the Ocean, come straight back to Atrevaar.¡± Chorsay stood with a grunt. ¡°Make sure Owin gets back to the portal.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Stop worrying so much, old man. Anyone stupid enough to mess with him will be messing with us,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my concern.¡± Chorsay clapped his massive hands together. ¡°Be off. Be safe.¡± He lifted a hand and smiled softly as he walked to the portal back to Atrevaar and vanished.


    ¡°How did we end up like this?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Stop complaining,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Katalin caught the pipe and lowered her brow. ¡°The goblin is getting snippy already.¡±


    ¡°I made it through four floors of a dungeon while heroes were trying to kill me. Escorting you will be easy.¡± He picked up the heavy hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to you complain anymore. Everyone keeps talking like I¡¯m not right here. I¡¯m here and I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Katalin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sold.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ernie sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t been to Minolitana Prima.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, from this shit hole, we¡¯ll need to take a portal to Vraxridge in Brukiya before we can even get to Graisetus.¡± Ernie looked around at the portal for a second before pointing to one on the far side. ¡°Vraxridge.¡± He walked over with his hands in his pockets. ¡°See you in a few hours.¡±


    Katalin rolled her eyes as she stepped through right after Ernie. Owin didn¡¯t hesitate to jump in after them.


    Vraxridge was a blur as Owin appeared and was immediately guided through another portal by Ernie. He didn¡¯t even get a chance to see the buildings before darkness enveloped him again. Pain filled his body, but in what felt like a second, he reappeared and stumbled in front of a portal on another platform that looked nearly identical to the rest, though this one only had three portals on it, including the one Owin had emerged from.


    ¡°Apologies for the rush. I didn¡¯t want to pay another fee,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin shook out his limbs. Time had certainly passed with the sky now dark. It felt like seconds in each portal despite time passing so significantly. It was dark through Minolitana Prima with only dim street lights illuminating anything. Before Owin could even try to examine his surroundings, he caught a strong whiff of something off. He hadn¡¯t thought anything specific about the smells of Oriathria or Atrevaar, but this was . . .


    ¡°It smells like the sea. Like fish,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Stop sniffing the air. It looks weird.¡±


    Ernie nodded his agreement.


    ¡°We should make it to the ferry in time,¡± Katalin said as she stared at the moon. ¡°Assuming we hurry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at that,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Ernie adjusted the straps of his backpack. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll leave the sightseeing for another day.¡±


    Katalin rolled her eyes again and gently shoved Ernie. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ernie led the way past the portal guard and down into the road. In the dim light of street lamps, Owin couldn¡¯t see everything perfectly, but Minolitana Prima looked entirely unlike Oriathria. The streets were made of bricks and the buildings were low, not towering like mountains into the sky. He didn¡¯t have a chance to see much else as Ernie led him around a domed building and down a massive staircase. While it was narrow enough to only fit two or three people abreast, the stairs ran down an entire rocky hillside. Ernie and Katalin grasped tightly to the railing while running. Owin took every step, moving his feet as quickly as possible. His low dexterity score was never more present in his mind. If he tripped and fell . . . he would be falling for a long time.


    A horn rumbled in the air, coming from far below.


    ¡°Ten minute warning,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it.¡± Katalin rushed past Ernie.


    The bay slowly came into view as the staircase rounded the hillside. The ferry floated beside a busy dock. Fog clung to the water, obscuring the standing lights so the dock hung in a dim twilight.


    Ernie reached into his pocket and pulled out coins as they hit the end of the stairs. Katalin was already ahead, down a small path, talking to someone in a uniform. She passed a handful of coins and gestured back to Owin and Ernie.


    ¡°Keep your head down,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°My hair and ears don¡¯t really go down.¡±


    ¡°That damn hammer draws plenty of eyes too.¡± Ernie took off his backpack, dug through a few pockets, and finally pulled out a cloak. ¡°This is going to be way too big for you.¡±


    Owin set the hammer down and grabbed Naxile¡¯s knife.


    Ernie handed the cloak over. ¡°If it saves us some headaches, it¡¯s worth the price.¡±


    Owin immediately tore into the cloak with the knife, cutting off a significant portion of the bottom. He took off his shoulder bag and put the cloak on, letting the massive hood hang over his head. He could feel his ears bend, though they mostly stayed pointing out, giving the cloak¡¯s hood an odd shape. He had cut it mostly to the right length, though the end was jagged and wavy so his bare, green feet were sometimes visible.


    ¡°It¡¯s better,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Hurry it up!¡± Katalin waved them on.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t talk to anyone. Let me handle it.¡±


    That was fine with Owin. Talking to humans only ever got him in trouble. Being able to blend in, even just a little bit, was going to help. Ernie was right. The Thunderstrike Maul drew a lot of unwanted attention. It would never fit inside a bag, so the only real way to carry it was to rest it on his shoulder or drag it behind, both of which did nothing to curb the attention.


    ¡°Departure is in a minute,¡± the gate guard said.


    ¡°We¡¯re hurrying,¡± Ernie said over his shoulder as they passed onto the dock.


    People of all kinds stood on the dock. Some looked like normal citizens, but others were clearly heroes. A number of the heroes were on the ground. One was missing a leg, leaving a pool of blood on the dock. He wailed and reached for the empty space where his leg had once been. Another had burns on his neck, all the way up to his eyes. A gash had taken a chunk of his nose and left his eye socket empty, dripping blood over the burns on his cheek. They were both alive, but they would never be the same. Owin touched his own face, feeling the burn scars from the lich¡¯s gray mist.


    Some dead heroes were covered in sheets, left to collect sea water and blood.


    Many more heroes were on the ferry, though they were all in pristine condition. A few warily watched the dying humans. Most were chatting and laughing with others.


    Ernie pushed through a group until they reached the edge of the ferry. Katalin was already aboard, sitting on the edge away from the crowd. They made it on just as another horn bellowed into the night.


    ¡°Where does this go?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°To the dungeon entrance,¡± Ernie said quietly.


    He sat on the deck beside Katalin, who didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned about falling off as the ferry lurched into motion. The ferry¡¯s wooden deck was stained with blood. Fresh puddles moved with the motion of the boat.


    ¡°Those heroes had to ride the ferry back?¡± Owin asked quietly. Owin sat beside Ernie and pulled the cloak¡¯s hood down as far as he could.


    There were at least twenty heroes aboard the ferry. None had paid attention to Owin or the alchemists. They all seemed focused on themselves or their small parties. It seemed appropriate, knowing that they were about to go risk their lives. Overconfidence could be deadly in a dungeon. Owin had killed several heroes who thought he was easy prey.


    And he would do it again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a half hour before anything exciting happens,¡± Ernie said.


    A nearby hero wearing golden armor pulled out a bottle and popped a cork loudly, causing the liquid to foam out the top. ¡°A toast for those about to become true heroes!¡±


    Other heroes nearby cheered. The hero took a drink from the bottle and passed it around.


    ¡°Who would¡¯ve guessed a Golden Bull would be so obnoxious,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie chuckled.


    Owin didn¡¯t get it.


    The Golden Bull¡¯s armor was shining, even in the moonlight. He wore striped red leather underneath the armor that was the same color as the bright mustache on his upper lip. Despite the shining armor and red hair, the main thing Owin noticed was the massive, oversized sword that was slung over the hero¡¯s back. It was even bigger than the abyssal greatsword Owin had used back in the Great Forest.


    ¡°Maybe I was wrong. A ferry full of career heroes is unique,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°If that Bull is going for a shard, the rest might be as well,¡± Katalin scanned the heroes. Her index flashed a few times. ¡°A few unaffiliated heroes.¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus, Golden Bulls, and Three Headed,¡± Ernie said as his own index vanished. ¡°Two of the big three at once is rare.¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°You know them?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Void Nexus heroes chased me and killed Artivan.¡±


    Katalin swung her feet around and leaned on her knees. ¡°Tell us what happened to Artivan. I want the story.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°What about the Void Nexus over there?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t bother us. They¡¯re too haughty, and they don¡¯t know who we are,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize a single hero,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Which is good. Brings less attention. Now, let¡¯s hear that story.¡±


    Owin started the story from the beginning. Again.


    Ernie had been right about the time. Owin finished his condensed story right as the ferry blew its horn again. Owin jumped to his feet and looked around.


    There wasn¡¯t anything there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Katalin said. She reached into her pocket and casually stalked over to the other heroes. Before long, everyone was laughing as she handed gold to some and a few bottles to others. She arrived back just as the ferry bumped into something, causing the entire boat to stop.


    ¡°What were you doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Making sure we can go in first.¡±


    The other heroes parted, allowing them to exit first. Right off the ferry was a long sandbar. About halfway down, a massive black doorway stood menacingly, leading to nothing. Just beyond, at the end of the sandbar, was a smaller door.


    ¡°Big hammer for a kid,¡± someone said as Owin passed.


    He didn¡¯t look up, keeping his eyes focused on Ernie¡¯s heels as they climbed off the ferry. The sand shifted under his feet, making the short trek to the doorway more difficult than he would¡¯ve guessed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the Great Forest,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The black doorway leading into the Ocean Dungeon felt like it was pulling him in. If he stared into it, he might simply fall forward and vanish inside.


    ¡°Are you three going to be safe? You could always pay us for some help,¡± a hero called.


    Ernie waved him off. ¡°Just stay close and avoid fighting. It¡¯s easiest that way. We want to move through quickly. You¡¯re here to help us escape if something goes wrong and to clear the bosses.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re bringing a child in?¡± the same hero asked. His steps in the sand crunched. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s an insane weapon for someone so small. Are you trying to get a shard, darling?¡±


    ¡°Back away,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°You see, I¡¯m a career hero. I know the dungeon well. You paid to go first, but if you need an escort¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°A child shouldn¡¯t be entering any dungeons. Are they fifteen and that small?¡±


    The hero grabbed Owin¡¯s hood and yanked it off. Owin immediately felt his ears pop out all the way and his hair, despite having been flattened, stood right back up. He turned a glare to the hero behind him.


    Hero


    Akos Szabora


    Hunter


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 49


    Strength: 173


    Constitution: 160


    Dexterity: 308


    Intelligence: 157


    Wisdom: 145


    Charisma: 164


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Katalin hissed. She stepped right in front of Owin. ¡°What are you doing? Just touching people? What kind of ass hole are you?¡±


    Akos was tall and thin with black clothes. Bits of metal armor shone in the moonlight, but it was all mismatched and left most of his body exposed. Patchy stubble covered his face, growing around some deep scars on his jaw. His hand inched toward the knife on his hip.


    ¡°Is that a goblin?¡± Akos asked.


    Other heroes watched from a distance. The Golden Bull hero from before drank the last of the bottle and tossed it onto the sandbar. A few other Void Nexus heroes stuck close to Akos¡¯s flanks.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t involve you,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°A goblin in our world? It fucking matters.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Owin said.


    Akos sneered. ¡°It talks.¡±


    ¡°I do more than talk.¡± Owin grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul with both hands. ¡°Go ask Siora.¡±


    Akos¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°The soldier? What¡¯s she . . .¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Her team was slaughtered by a . . .¡± His index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°Nimble Hog.¡±


    ¡°This is great,¡± Katalin said. ¡°We¡¯re all familiar with each other. Now we can all be on our own fucking way.¡±


    Akos drew his knife and shifted his stance.


    Katalin immediately produced the iron pipe and held it in front of her. ¡°I can survive an explosion this close, ass hole. You can¡¯t. Back off.¡±


    Akos eyed the pipe in her hand and used Examine on Katalin as well. He sheathed his knife and put his hands up, taking a long step backward. ¡°No reason to use any bombs.¡±


    ¡°We hired the Hog for a job,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any personal grudges. Leave us alone to do our job, and you can go about the dungeon freely.¡±


    Akos gestured to the door. ¡°You paid to go first.¡±


    Katalin reached back to push Owin toward the door, but with their height difference, she placed her palm right over Owin¡¯s face and shoved. He stumbled and fell onto the sand, causing the Void Nexus heroes to laugh.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Ernie said, grabbing Owin¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Void Nexus killed Artivan,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°Those heroes in the Great Forest killed him. Not the whole company. We¡¯ll gain nothing by fighting these people.¡±


    Owin glared at Akos, who grinned, as Ernie pushed him toward the doorway. Katalin kept her position, pipe bomb in hand, until the dark doorway ate everything. Owin felt himself get pulled away from the outside world and into the void.

 Book 2 - Chapter 10

    Entering Ocean Dungeon


    First Floor


    There was water everywhere. Owin pressed his lips together and squinted. He used his free hand to cover his mouth as he quickly looked around. Colorful tree-like structures grew all over, covering rocks like small mountains.


    Ernie squeezed Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Breathe, you moron.¡± His voice was distant as he spoke through the water.


    Owin looked at the alchemist through squinted eyes. Ernie dramatically took a long breath in and let it out, causing bubbles to rise to the surface. It looked like they had dove right off the sand bar, like the surface was so close.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep moving until you start breathing,¡± Ernie said. He shook Owin. ¡°Don¡¯t make us regret hiring you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d really call it hiring if it¡¯s all free,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin took a quick gulp of air, and . . . found he could breathe perfectly fine. It felt like he was under water again, like in the labyrinth. It even tasted like he was under water. He tasted the salt and the fishy smell that had hung around the sandbar. But none of that stopped him from breathing in or out.


    ¡°You calm now?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Ernie narrowed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no swimming required. Okay? We¡¯re still moving through water, so pay attention to how things work. We can¡¯t use most of our bombs down here because they¡¯ll kill everything, including you and probably us.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t use Discharge, right?¡± Owin asked.


    Katalin snorted. ¡°Fuck no. Do you have anything else that does electrical damage?¡±


    ¡°A Bolt wand.¡±


    ¡°Keep that away. It won¡¯t do well down here. You¡¯d fry yourself with Discharge and the wand won¡¯t do much of anything in the open water.¡± Katalin kept her pipe bomb in her hand as she dug through her bag and produced a knife with a serrated edge.


    Ernie kept his hands free and waited patiently until Katalin was ready.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lead, so I will just stay close to attack,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the idea. This floor should be easy, but remember that we¡¯re only a half hour ahead of the Void Nexus hero, assuming he actually waits.¡± Ernie set off. His sandaled feet kicked up sand, muddying the water near the door.


    Owin followed close, watching closely as each step of their small party stirred the water. Fish swam above, darting through the open water to different pieces of coral. There were so many colors and so much movement with fish swimming and seaweed waving in the water that Owin didn¡¯t know where to look. He wanted to take in all the colors and new sights, but he also didn¡¯t want something to jump out and stab Ernie in the face.


    Of all the humans Owin had met that didn¡¯t try to kill him, Ernie was at the bottom of the list. Katalin was only a step higher. The two alchemists were odd and rude, but to their credit, neither had tried to murder Owin upon first meeting him. That alone made them better than most humans, though they were far from friends.


    Still, Owin didn¡¯t want to see Ernie injured. Owin needed to prove himself as a valuable member of the Nimble Hogs by escorting the alchemists. It¡¯s what Artivan wanted, and Chorsay promised to help Owin grow stronger. He needed more buff potions if he was going to make Nikoletta and Siora regret meeting him.


    Blue mushrooms pulsed with light, sticking out from the bottom of a spiky orange sea anemone. Katalin plucked a mushroom and tossed it. Blue light shimmered over its surface as it glided slowly through the water, landing right in Owin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a blue mushroom,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin held it in front of his face. Blue circles of different shades ringed the top, forming a pattern. ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s a blue mushroom.¡± Katalin lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Not everything can be used in alchemy. You know that, right?¡±


    Owin dropped the mushroom, which floated slowly through the water. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ernie swatted at some fish that swam overhead. They scattered, disappearing into the coral all around. ¡°The first mobs will be right up here. Be ready.¡±


    Owin hurried to get ahead of Ernie. ¡°What am I looking for?¡±


    ¡°For now, green eels.¡±


    They rounded a moss-covered rock. Another path split off, snaking through the reef. Owin waited, hovering in the middle, until Ernie shoved him to the left.


    ¡°There are so many ways to go,¡± Owin said. ¡°This is way bigger than the goblin caves.¡±


    ¡°People say the caves are the easiest floor because of how short it is. Someday, you can explore on your own. There are chests guarded by big mobs on every floor of the Ocean. We don¡¯t have time for that today,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to see that damn spider,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie grunted.


    Owin swept his gaze back and forth, still unsure of what to look for. On the rock to his right was a thin, spiked anemone, and on the left was coral with what looked like massive flower petals, sticking out far enough to cover the whole passage in shadows.


    ¡°On your left,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin looked left, following Ernie¡¯s finger to a small space between a rock and a gray clump of coral. Two blue eyes shone in the shadowed recess.


    ¡°Is that a mob?¡±


    ¡°Yes, moron. That¡¯s why I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t let it bite you or it¡¯ll rip a chunk out of whatever it catches.¡± Ernie crossed his arms. ¡°It will shoot out of its hiding spot if we keep walking, so go ahead.¡±


    Katalin leaned her elbow on Ernie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Waiting on you.¡±


    Owin inched forward, Thunderstrike Maul in his hands, with his eyes fully locked on the two little dots in the shadow. He couldn¡¯t even Examine the mob while it was hidden. Luckily, this was only the first floor. Whatever it was would be easy for Owin to kill.


    If it was Artivan with him, the old knight would have been the one to approach first, to trigger the trap. Artivan had been Owin¡¯s escort through the first four floors of the Great Forest. Now, it was Owin as the escort. It still didn¡¯t feel real.


    As he took another step, it was as if he had stepped on some secret switch. The mob shot out of its hiding spot with jaws wide enough to swallow Owin¡¯s head whole.


    Ocean Mob


    Gnarled Moray


    Level 6


    The green eel was twisted like a bundle of roots. Small teeth lined its whole maw as it darted through the water.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Owin immediately swung the Thunderstrike Maul, ready to smash the eel¡¯s head in, but the hammer moved slowly through the water even as Owin used his strength to force it onward. The eel crashed into Owin, biting down on his upper arm with needle-like teeth. His feet slipped out from under him as the collision tossed Owin back against a rock.


    Blood blossomed from the wound, leaking from the eel¡¯s mouth. Owin dropped the Thunderstrike Maul as his hand went numb. The gnarled moray bit down harder, digging its teeth into Owin¡¯s bone. Before it could rip his flesh free, Owin reached over, grabbed the eel¡¯s head, and squeezed.


    Bones cracked, then collapsed under his grip.


    0 Experience


    The twisted tail of the eel went limp and floated upward. Its teeth were dug deep into Owin¡¯s arm, causing the whole corpse to pull up on his wounded arm as it bobbed in the water. It took a minute for him to peel its mouth open enough to remove it without tearing more skin. He tasted his own blood as it continued leaking into the surrounding water.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bode well,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Not smooth,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin shook out his arm. His health had barely ticked down with the injury, though the blood wasn¡¯t letting up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The hammer isn¡¯t going to work down here. Can you carry it?¡± He held it out to Katalin.


    ¡°Me? No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than Ernie.¡±


    Katalin sighed and took the hammer.


    She immediately dropped it. ¡°Shit, that is heavy. You¡¯re carrying that around all the time?¡±


    Owin nodded and drew both knives. His old jagged stone knife from before he awoke was strong enough for the early floors, but neither of the knives had any magical properties. He needed to keep an eye out for something better that wasn¡¯t the lich bone knife. The lich bone was weak to luminous and could be destroyed easily. It was good to have a variety of weapons for a variety of enemies. He just needed to figure out how to carry them all.


    ¡°I can¡¯t carry that.¡±


    Ernie grabbed the metal shaft and tried to lift it. The hammer wobbled. ¡°Oh. Nope.¡±


    Owin put Naxile¡¯s knife back in his belt and grabbed the hammer. ¡°I¡¯ll just drop it for fights.¡±


    ¡°Not efficient, but our only option,¡± Ernie said.


    The alchemists awkwardly waited until Owin started again. They didn¡¯t warn of any more mobs, so Owin continued on a little slower than before, keeping his eyes on the hidden spots between rocks and coral.


    ¡°I have the mobs memorized on this floor,¡± Ernie said. ¡°You can stop being so paranoid.¡±


    Ernie and Katalin had spread out, standing farther to the sides behind Owin to avoid the trail of blood he was leaving in the water. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the red trail.


    ¡°I thought there would be a lot,¡± Owin said. They had been walking for a while and had only come across a single mob. That seemed too easy.


    ¡°Remember this is the first floor. Not a whole lot here. There are some traps like that one, the spider guarding the chest, and a snail that we¡¯ll avoid. This floor kills people by confusing them with the maze of coral and the hidden eels. It¡¯s not like the goblins. Honestly, I think the Ocean has the least amount of mobs per floor.¡±


    ¡°Why do people say the Great Forest is the easiest then?¡± Owin knew from experience that was a lie. He had killed a number of heroes just from the moment he awoke, and at that point he was still just as strong as any other goblin on the floor.


    ¡°Short first level and you can get through the second without any fighting if you choose. Both factions can give quests and let you pass,¡± Katalin said. ¡°No other dungeon has a floor you can just walk through without any fighting.¡±


    ¡°Some can be close if things go perfectly, but not like the second floor of the Great Forest,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin led them around another massive rock spotted with coral and bits of moss. It was obvious how people got lost. Everything looked so colorful and so chaotic that it all somehow looked the same. Without Ernie telling him where to turn, Owin would have probably walked in a circle a few times. That is, unless he saw his own trail of blood.


    ¡°Where is the secret on this floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The what?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°The secret?¡± Owin repeated, sounding less certain. ¡°I thought every floor of the dungeons had a secret.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. The guarded chests?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°I think the secret would be more hidden than that.  How easy is it to find the chests?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not difficult,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about secrets,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a thing?¡±


    ¡±Yes.¡±


    The narrow passages of coral faded to a small field of sand. Fish of all kinds swam through, some calmly together as schools, others darting to catch a meal. On the left was a tall pile of coral, rocks, and mushrooms, and beyond that was the shimmering boundary wall. Straight ahead, through the field, was a three way split. The left had a blue glow like the mushrooms, the center was narrow like a passage through a canyon, and the right looked far away where it curved past a piece of orange coral.


    Ernie pointed to coral that reminded Owin of orange and black flowers. ¡°There¡¯s another gnarled moray hidden right around that piece. Take that out so it doesn¡¯t try to eat us with our backs turned, then we¡¯ll follow the right.¡± He pointed at the far path.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that faster?¡± Owin asked, using the hammer to point down the narrow center path.


    ¡°Faster doesn¡¯t mean smarter.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it does. The Void Nexus heroes will be starting the floor soon, right?¡± Owin wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much time had passed since they were on the beach outside the dungeon, but it had to be close to thirty minutes. A little level 6 eel wasn¡¯t going to slow Akos down if he wanted to hunt down Owin, just like Siora had tried to do.


    ¡°He¡¯ll clear the floor, including the chest guardian. We have time. The center path has a snail that I¡¯d rather avoid,¡± Ernie said, gesturing to Owin¡¯s bleeding arm. ¡°We don¡¯t need a repeat.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a repeat.¡± Owin dropped the Thunderstrike Maul into the sand and walked forward with both knives in his hands. He watched for blue eyes in the mass of coral and rocks. It only took a moment to spot it. He shuffled to the side, facing the gnarled moray until it shot from its hiding spot. Owin ducked and cleaved the eel¡¯s stomach open from jaw to tail with his jagged stone knife. He put the knife back in his belt and snagged the eel¡¯s corpse, which he promptly walked back and handed to Ernie.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± Owin said.


    Ernie looked at the dead eel in his hands. ¡°Yeah, I see that. I never doubted you.¡±


    Owin raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°What do you want me to say? This thing is a simple mob. Prove yourself against real monsters.¡± Ernie tossed the eel to the side. It floated in place, leaking blood into the water.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight the snail.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. One sting from it will paralyze you. Then Kat or I will have to blow you up. The far route has one more gnarled moray, which you can obviously handle. If you want to conquer the dungeon someday, you can go fight the damn snail on your own. Now, let¡¯s get moving so we don¡¯t need to talk to the Void Nexus ass hole again.¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t love the idea of avoiding a mob just because it could paralyze him. Artivan wasn¡¯t scared to fight a lich even knowing it could use mind control. Still, Owin was meant to be helping Ernie, not arguing with him. He grabbed his hammer and led the way through the open area, past all the mindless fish.


    Despite his mishap against the first eel, the Ocean dungeon was proving easier than the Great Forest. It was obviously because of his increased attributes, but it was still relieving to confirm that he had gotten stronger.


    Before leaving the Great Forest, Owin was certain he needed to be at least as strong as Artivan. Physically, Owin was stronger, but Artivan had the talent, knowledge, and other abilities to make up for that physical power.


    Without the ability to level up to get new spells, Owin only had his strength to improve, and he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how big of a gap there was between himself and Chorsay Eoghet. Artivan had talked about the old man frequently, but it wasn¡¯t until the face off against Taralim that Owin witnessed true strength. When the Shard flared, Chorsay¡¯s strength was enough to stop a blade with his bare fist.


    If Owin conquered a dungeon, no Void Nexus hero would stand in his way.


    Katalin lagged behind to pick some random plants off the rocks. She even picked up a small shelled creature, which she put into her bag without killing. Ernie didn¡¯t acknowledge any of it while he stayed right at Owin¡¯s side and pointed at another gnarled moray hiding spot.


    ¡°Do you know all the mobs in the dungeon?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. Just this floor. The second floor is a lot more confusing, and the third is complicated to explain, but you¡¯ll see soon enough. Kill that so we can move on.¡±


    Owin dropped the hammer again and baited the eel out, easily killing it with his knives. He let the body drift away as he recovered the hammer and led Ernie and Katalin around a tall, sharp rock lined with golden ore.


    ¡°And there it is,¡± Ernie said. He placed his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder and pointed into the distance. It was a little hazy and difficult to see so far underwater. After a second of focusing, Owin noticed the exit door right beside a staircase down.


    In front of the door was a figure, nothing more than a silhouette at the moment.


    ¡°Ah, shit. Is that Amkati?¡± Katalin asked.


    Ernie put his hand over his eyes as if shielding them from the sun. ¡°I think so. Why would he be at the stairs?¡±


    ¡°Who is Amkati?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a girhuma who wanders the floor. If you don¡¯t give him a fish, he tries to kill you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a girhuma?¡±


    ¡°A water elf? No? I guess you¡¯re going to find out. He¡¯s not moving.¡± Ernie whispered something to Katalin, who shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s stronger than anything else on this floor. Careful in this fight. We usually avoid him easily or snatch a fish in the open area back there.¡±


    The open area with all the fish was at least ten minutes back, which would bring them too close to Akos or any other heroes entering the dungeon. Would a wandering mob on the first floor really be a concern?


    ¡°I can handle it.¡±


    ¡°I like the confidence,¡± Katalin said. ¡°He usually has a good drop, so kill him and take it.¡± Katalin grinned and adjusted her headband. A few black strands of hair came loose and floated in the water.


    ¡°He¡¯s basically a boss. Two things you can expect on every floor of the Ocean. Chest guardians and wandering bosses.¡± Ernie slapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Owin dropped his hammer once again and pulled out his knives. He had taken on the Malignant Spirit, the Doomed Harbinger, and a whole party of heroes before.


    He could take on a first floor boss.

 Book 2 - Chapter 11

    Ocean Mob


    Amkati


    Girhuma Fisher


    Level 15


    Owin slowly stalked forward. He had already passed the central passage that held the snail Ernie was worried about. With a quick glance, he didn¡¯t spot any snail, but most of his attention was elsewhere.


    The girhuma boss kicked some sand as he stood near the stairs to the next floor. He was taller than Ernie and Katalin, but shorter than most of the humans Owin had met. He hadn¡¯t seen a girhuma before.


    They were ugly.


    Amkati had thin pointed ears that stayed much closer to the head than Owin¡¯s long ears. He had curly hair that didn¡¯t drift far in the water and huge gills on his wide neck. His eyes were overly massive for his face and blinked with two different eyelids that closed in different directions. His skin was somewhere between blue and green and dotted with tiny yellow speckles.


    Amkati held a fishing pole and waved it idly, letting the hook swing in the water. His massive blue eyes watched Owin approach.


    Owin looked back at Ernie and Katalin. Ernie nodded. Katalin leaned on the Thunderstrike Maul¡¯s handle and fiddled with a pipe bomb again.


    ¡°Fish?¡± Amkati asked.


    Owin turned around. The girhuma had closed about half the distance in an instant. He held the fishing pole with both hands.


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said.


    Amkati¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Fish?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any fish.¡±


    Amkati kicked up a huge cloud of sand as he dashed. Owin¡¯s breath caught at the sudden, incredibly quick charge. He ducked, barely dodging the girhuma¡¯s webbed foot. Owin turned, ready to leap and stab, as the fishing pole¡¯s hook caught his ear.


    It pierced the skin without issue and pulled Owin off the ground. Amkati spun in the air and yanked the fishing pole. Owin felt water rush around him as he was launched straight at Amkati¡¯s fist.


    Owin¡¯s cheek cracked as the fist smashed into him, launching his limp body right back into the sand. Hitting the sand felt no different than hitting a stone wall. Bubbles escaped Owin¡¯s lips, followed by a mist of blood into the water.


    He rolled to the side, but Amkati pushed off the water using his finned feet and caught Owin with a follow up punch to the forehead. This time, Owin¡¯s feet came up while his head went into the sand. A clawed, finned hand grabbed his foot and threw him straight into the air.


    Owin took a deep breath as the coral reef spun all around him. He slowed high above the coral reef. Owin grinned. There was no risk of dying from falling. Amkati was already swimming toward Owin, who slowly drifted back toward the ground.


    While he wouldn¡¯t admit it to Ernie, Owin had been too confident while approaching Amkati. The wandering bosses of the Ocean Dungeon were obviously stronger than Owin had expected. Luckily, Owin wasn¡¯t so weak as to be intimidated by an ugly fish man.


    Smoke Cloud burst from Owin¡¯s hand. The dark smoke immediately spread out just like it did normally, not inhibited by the water. Owin couldn¡¯t swim, but no heroes could within the Ocean Dungeon. Being in the water still had its advantages. He maneuvered the best he could out of the way, pushing himself to the side.


    If he could dodge and force Amkati up, he could find a way to get a clean hit on the fish man. At level 15, Amkati would likely die from one or two solid hits. Owin had killed stronger mobs in single hits before.


    Owin shoved his hands out, pushing himself back a little more just as Amkati flew upward through the smoke, moving the water with enough force that it cleared the view. The fishing hook flashed as it passed right by Owin¡¯s face. Amkati spun himself around. His blue eyes locked onto Owin.


    Amkati could swim and turn so quickly that he easily had the advantage in the air. . . or water. But overconfidence got people killed. Owin had started too confident and took a strong hit to the face.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Artivan never went into a fight with confidence that he would win. He went in with a plan on how to do his best and who to eliminate first. He avoided fights he thought would be too dangerous and fought defensively.


    Owin couldn¡¯t adopt all of those things. He had no shield or abilities that helped with defense, but he was quick and agile. Artivan had encouraged him to use those things to his advantage, but some of it was only starting to make sense to Owin.


    He shoved his stone knife into his belt and adjusted his grip on Naxile¡¯s curved knife. Amkati kept doing the same thing. It was predictable and exploitable.


    Amkati kicked, launching himself like an arrow straight at Owin. The girhuma slipped quickly through the water. Owin swung with the knife and caught Amkati¡¯s arm, easily ripping through his skin.


    Owin quickly spun back around and reached for the fishing line. His fingertips brushed against it for the briefest moment before his low dexterity caused him to fumble and let go. The hook swung down and stabbed into the back of his hand, latching itself between the bones. Owin squeezed his hand shut, wincing at the pain and prepared himself for the pull.


    Amkati hit the sand below, turned, and yanked the fishing pole down. Owin squeezed onto the hook and line, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t be ripped out, and let himself be pulled toward the sand.


    Nothing was going as planned, but that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t work. Owin watched Amkati square up and prepare for another devastating punch. Owin dropped the knife and squeezed his hand into a fist.


    Uncertainty flickered in Amkati¡¯s eyes as he planted his feet and punched up, ready to catch Owin in the jaw. At the same time, Owin yanked his left hand up, pulling on the hook and fishing pole, while he threw his speed and strength into a punch.


    His fist collided with Amkati¡¯s for a blink before everything was red.


    Owin crashed into the sand, taking a few small points of damage. He squeezed his eyes shut, blindly dug the hook out of his hand, and rolled away. Thick blood coated his face, only slowly washing off with each movement. Owin shook his head violently, throwing blood all through the water.


    Amkati remained standing, staggering, with a cloud of blood where his arm had once been. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape.


    Owin dashed across the sand, jumped, and kicked the girhuma directly on his nose. Bones snapped as Amkati went limp and sank to the sand.


    ¡°Well, alright.¡± Ernie held out Naxile¡¯s knife. ¡°Consider me impressed.¡±


    ¡°That was chaotic,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin grabbed the knife and stuck it back in his belt. ¡°That wasn¡¯t exactly what I tried to do.¡±


    ¡°Need a health potion?¡± Katalin asked.


    Owin shook his head, stopping her before she reached into her bag. His hand bled a little, and the bite on his arm still leaked into the water. Bleeding ticked down his health slowly, but not enough for him to really care.


    ¡°Have you ever considered wearing actual armor?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found any to wear.¡±


    Katalin nodded at the corpse of Amkati. ¡°He normally has some good loot. Go check.¡±


    Amkati floated just off the sand. Most of the water around him was filled with blood, making the whole area taste like metal. Owin pushed the corpse away with his foot, causing a brown piece of cloth to fall out and slowly sink to the sand.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of cloth,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin¡¯s index covered her eyes as she approached. ¡°Eh, check again.¡±


    Owin snatched the strip of cloth from the sand and held it in an area of clean water.


    Band of Power 1


    Apprentice Magical Item


    While inside the dungeons of Verdantallis, the Band of Power 1 grants its hero with one extra use of a Power 1 spell once per floor. When wearing the Band of Power 1, the first spell at Power 1 used by the hero on each floor will not consume mana.


    Note: Magical item effects vary by user


    ¡°That isn¡¯t as good as I was hoping,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Here.¡± Katalin took the band and tied it around Owin¡¯s forehead, placing it just above his ears.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t armor, but extra spells have to be good for a wizard,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wizards don¡¯t punch mob¡¯s arms off,¡± Katalin interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a good wizard,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°We noticed.¡± Katalin walked toward the stairs. ¡°Time to hop down?¡±


    Owin immediately ran over to grab his hammer. He hefted it off the sand and stopped at the space leading to the snail¡¯s canyon. ¡°Does the snail have good loot?¡±


    ¡°Not worth it,¡± Ernie said. ¡°At this point, Akos and the heroes will be passing through. Seeing Amkati¡¯s corpse might slow them to wait for a respawn, but I¡¯d rather not wait around to find out. Remember, we¡¯re here only for the gilled mushrooms on the fourth floor. Anything you want to explore, you can do it on your own in the future.¡±


    A huge mound moved between moss-covered rocks. Owin watched the mob from a distance. It was slow, but Ernie wouldn¡¯t warn against it if he wasn¡¯t actually concerned. He had let the gnarled moray leap at Owin and he was happy enough to watch the fight against Amkati.


    ¡°The snail is that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Katalin waited at the top of the small staircase. It had two turns as it led into a pit. Somehow, the sand didn¡¯t spill inside. Owin hurried over in time to see Katalin disappear into the hazy black doorway at the bottom.


    Ernie went slowly down as he waved Owin on. ¡°Don¡¯t lag behind.¡± He disappeared as soon as his foot touched the doorway.


    After seeing Siora when he waited to pass to the fourth floor back in the Great Forest, Owin had no intention of falling behind. If other heroes were going to attack him, he wanted the alchemists to back him up. Owin hopped down, not even using the stairs, and immediately passed through the door.

 Book 2 - Chapter 12

    Ocean Dungeon


    Second Floor


    Owin emerged in a dense forest of seaweed. For a moment, he forgot he was even under the water. The seaweed was thin at the bottom and blossomed to thicker and thicker yellow-green leaves nearer the top. The surface of the ocean looked close like they hadn¡¯t actually gone any deeper despite having gone down a set of stairs.


    Other plants and stones covered every bit of the ground, making walking more difficult than it had been on the first floor. Sun beams passed through small openings in the seaweed like little spotlights throughout the forest.


    ¡°Now, this is where I have no idea about the mobs,¡± Ernie said.


    Without the shimmering boundary wall to his left, Owin would have no idea where to even start heading. The boundary wall extended around the stairs and off to the side. They could probably try to follow the boundary wall, but Ernie didn¡¯t seem to like the idea.


    ¡°There¡¯s a girhuma village somewhere nearby. Our best option is to pass through. The area outside the village has a few crab mobs that can be tough to fight.¡± Ernie¡¯s index was in front of his eyes.


    Owin opened his own, changing to the map tab. It didn¡¯t help. It looked like a forest.


    ¡°What about the Baby Head?¡± Katalin asked.


    Ernie set off into the forest with his index still open. ¡°I think Owin can handle Baby Head. It¡¯s difficult to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Owin said. He grabbed onto the tall pieces of seaweed to propel himself. ¡°Baby Head?¡±


    Ernie¡¯s index finally dropped. ¡°It¡¯s not the mob¡¯s official name. I don¡¯t remember what it is. It¡¯s the chest guardian on this floor. It¡¯s directly beside the stairs, so the guardian usually tries to attack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a horror,¡± Katalin said. She picked a few leaves off the seaweed and stuffed them into her pockets. ¡°Have you heard of the prazene?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ernie, are there any prazene in the Great Forest?¡±


    Ernie opened his map again and turned around a clump of seaweed. ¡°Probably. Not that I''ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Last time we were here, the hero with us almost screamed upon seeing Baby Head.¡± Katalin chuckled. ¡°He acted so tough until Baby Head crawled at him.¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t imagine what a creature called Baby Head would even look like. All three of them pulled themselves, using the seaweed to move, rather than walk over the rough, uneven ground.


    ¡°Is Baby Head scarier than a lich?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. I assume not. I¡¯ve never seen a lich.¡± Ernie looked back. ¡°Have you?¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°Two of them.¡±


    ¡°With Artivan?¡±


    Owin nodded again.


    ¡°Wow. You beat them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin rubbed his fingertips over his burned face. ¡°That¡¯s what these scars are from. A lich¡¯s gray mist, whatever it¡¯s called.¡±


    ¡°Respect,¡± Katalin said.


    Colorful fish darted through the seaweed, disappearing just as fast as they had appeared. Ernie checked his map again, turning them slightly. Before long, the seaweed thinned out, revealing the small village. Six little hovels made of stone formed an oval. The seaweed was dense in every direction surrounding the village, with only a few tall pieces in the center. A girhuma that looked similar to Amkati leaned against the wall of the farthest hovel with a glowing light above his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a quest,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Right. We don¡¯t have time for it,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°What is the quest?¡±


    ¡°Not a single idea.¡± Ernie pointed past the far girhuma. ¡°If we go straight in that direction, we should hit the stairs or the far boundary within twenty or thirty minutes. It¡¯ll be easy to get to the stairs from the boundary.¡±


    Owin looked around the village. He spotted some other girhuma through the windows of the hovel and one deeper into the seaweed off to the side, picking some type of stringy plant from the ground.


    ¡°Are there any mobs to fight on this floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Other than Baby Head?¡± Katalin asked, mostly sarcastic. She made a weird shape with her hands. ¡°There are these crabs.¡± She wobbled her hands, using her fingers to imitate the legs. ¡°Might be good for your hammer if you can manage to swing it fast enough in the water.¡±


    ¡°Everything wanders on this floor, so there is a chance we don¡¯t run into any mobs,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Third and fourth floor are where you¡¯ll really be working.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m not working right now?¡±


    Ernie and Katalin both stopped. Owin was getting used to people looking at him like he was an idiot. Ernie¡¯s face contorted in thought.


    Katalin raised her eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re still working. It was a saying. Or . . . something. You can¡¯t really be doing anything but working while we¡¯re inside the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I was confused,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ernie started into the village. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Can I see what the quest is? I don¡¯t have to actually complete it to move on, right?¡± Owin asked. He planned to go back through the dungeon at some point, so any knowledge he could gain now would be something he didn¡¯t need to learn the next time around.


    Most career heroes seemed to have gone through the first few floors so many times they had just about everything memorized. It seemed like Artivan knew where every blade of grass was in the Great Forest.


    When Owin was ready to get his first Shard, he wanted to stride confidently into the Ocean Dungeon, knowing exactly where to find Amkati, how to handle Baby Head, and any other hints he could learn. He still continued thinking about the snail they had skipped on the first floor.


    ¡°Fine, but do it quickly.¡±


    Owin moved as fast as he could toward the village. No matter how fast he tried to move, it still felt sluggish. Walking through water would always feel unnatural. If he thought too much about how deep underwater he was, Owin figured he would have a full panic attack. It was better not to think about it, and to just accept the Ocean Dungeon as the weird place it was.


    The first hovel at the edge of the village was slightly smaller than the rest. Weighted strings hung in the doorway, rather than a door, which Owin imagined would be difficult to use under water.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Owin stopped mid step and slowly looked to his right. A girhuma leaned on an open windowsill. Their smile was uncomfortably wide as they watched Owin.


    ¡°Walking?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Owin checked for Ernie and Katalin. They had taken a wider path, circling the outside of the village. He barely spotted them as they moved through the dense seaweed.


    ¡°To get to the other side.¡±


    The girhuma tapped its fingers on the windowsill. ¡°Are you a cetanthro?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what that is.¡±


    Its massive eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡°Liar.¡±


    Owin took a step away without breaking eye contact. If Amkati was strong, the girhuma of the second floor had to be stronger. Fighting a whole village wasn¡¯t going to accomplish anything. Nothing great, at least. Ernie would complain and Katalin would probably have some sort of comment to make.


    The girhuma burst out of the string-covered door, sending a stream of bubbles toward the surface. It pointed a stubby finger at Owin. ¡°I found the cetanthro trying to spy on us!¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ocean Mob


    Girhuma Hunter


    Level 8


    Owin tilted his head. Only level 8?


    The girhuma reached back into the hovel and grabbed a bow and quiver. It nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring back.


    Owin stared straight at the mob. How would an arrow possibly work underwater? Perhaps if they were significantly stronger, they could shoot it fast enough to do some damage. But at level 8?


    The arrowhead floated slightly off the girhuma¡¯s finger.


    Owin stuck out his arms. ¡°Stop me from spying.¡±


    A grin spread over the girhuma¡¯s wide face before it finally let the arrow fly . . . a few inches. The water quickly grabbed the arrow, causing it to float harmlessly in the water.


    ¡°A fish witch!¡±


    Owin walked forward, looked up at the girhuma, and stabbed it in the heart with his stone knife. Blood spilled into the water as the girhuma immediately dropped to its knees, gasping in air through its gills.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin said. He pushed the dead mob aside and walked into its house. It was decorated with a wooden table, chair, and a knit rug that all somehow stayed on the ground without any disturbance from the water. There was little else in the hovel. Owin opened a few boxes and drawers that all managed to be empty.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± He walked around the floating cloud of blood that hovered in the water. One final look at the dead girhuma did nothing to answer the question. It had been a sudden and very confusing accusation.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Ernie asked, shouting from outside the village.


    Owin crouched slightly to look at Ernie underneath the hazy blood. ¡°He called me a cetanthro and attacked me.¡±


    Katalin chuckled as she led the way over, pressing herself against the next hovel to avoid the spreading blood. ¡°Did the bastard try to shoot an arrow?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work. What¡¯s a cetanthro?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie crouched beside the body and shook it. Nothing fell out. ¡°A fish person. More fishy than this. They¡¯re the sworn enemies of the girhuma.¡±


    ¡°You look more like a water elf than a fish man,¡± Katalin said. She poked the tip of Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Cetanthro don¡¯t have ears or hair.¡±


    ¡°He called me a spy.¡± Owin shrugged. He adjusted the Thunderstrike Maul and took off toward the quest. Ernie and Katalin fell in behind him, apparently not too bothered about the dead mob. Owin had expected a lecture, or something more.


    Owin focused on the glowing sphere above the far girhuma. As he neared, he used Examine and was immediately greeted by the huge, bold words.


    New Quest


    Imposter of the Sea


    Reward: A deal from Arimeda


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    ¡°What¡¯s the quest?¡± Katalin asked.


    Owin opened his index and opened the Quest tab. He read it over twice. ¡°It says there is an imposter inside the village and the girhuma are in danger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± the quest giving girhuma suddenly said. It moved as if it had suddenly come alive. ¡°Something has been haunting us!¡±


    ¡°Haunting? That¡¯s a specter thing, not a cetanthro,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fish! I know it!¡±


    ¡°It might just be racist, actually,¡± Katalin said.


    The water elf shook its head. ¡°It¡¯s an algae sucker. I know it!¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Looks like I was right.¡±


    Owin walked past the girhuma, apparently short enough that it didn¡¯t even notice. The commotion had brought the other girhuma within the village to their windows. There had been at least one outside the village that Owin had seen on his way in, but from the look of it, that had been a perfectly normal girhuma.


    Overall, the quest seemed a lot easier than the Great Forest¡¯s on the second floor. Resurrecting the Malignant Spirit, even partially, was far more dangerous than a fish person hiding in a village of water elves. Unless the cetanthro were actually from the Abyss . . .


    ¡°Are cetanthro demons?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± screamed the girhuma.


    ¡°No,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Literally just fish people mobs.¡±


    Owin made eye contact with a girhuma in the window directly beside him. Owin scowled. Between Naxile, the satyrs, and the actual demon, the Great Forest¡¯s second floor was incredibly dangerous and terrifying.


    Was the Ocean just a joke? Was the Great Forest actually more difficult despite what Owin kept hearing?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin asked.


    The ¡°girhuma¡± in the window was obviously wearing a mask that was meant to look like a water elf. It had hair made of seaweed and pointed ears made from rocks. The eyes didn¡¯t line up correctly at all, showing the creature¡¯s real fish eyes through the side of the mask near the ears. The mask¡¯s fake eyes were dull and lifeless. And smeared.


    ¡°My job,¡± the imposter said.


    ¡°He¡¯s right here,¡± Owin said, pointing.


    ¡°What?¡± The water elf spun around fast enough to throw a small current at Ernie. The alchemist didn¡¯t move at all. He looked utterly bored.


    Before Owin could react, the imposter dove away, dashing through the hovel and out the opposite window. Owin dropped his hammer and grabbed the windowsill. He pulled himself up, pushed off with his feet, accidentally breaking part of the windowsill off. Water rushed past as he flew through the hovel and out the opposite window.


    ¡°I thought you were just checking the quest!¡± Ernie¡¯s voice was faint through the water.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the imposter would be right next to me!¡± Owin was certain his voice didn¡¯t carry. It didn¡¯t matter. The alchemists weren¡¯t going to go anywhere without him.


    Weighted strings in the door of the next hovel wobbled. Owin dove right through, drawing both knives.


    A normal girhuma sat at a table in the center of the room. It sipped from a mug, which struck Owin as odd. How did liquid stay in the mug? Was there anything other than sea water in the mug?


    ¡°You¡¯re trespassing,¡± the girhuma said.


    ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s the imposter?¡±


    The girhuma raised what passed as its eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± It sipped from the mug.


    ¡°Owin, let¡¯s go,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°You find the imposter?¡± Katalin asked. She somewhat roughly shoved Owin aside as she stepped into the hovel. ¡°That looks like a normal water elf.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± It sipped from the mug again.


    ¡°Wait, Ernie, you need to see this.¡±


    Owin walked in, searching behind a bookshelf, which was empty. There wasn¡¯t even a single book, which probably made sense underwater. But why would the girhuma have a bookshelf if it didn¡¯t own any books?


    ¡°What am I looking at?¡± Ernie entered the hovel as little as possible to see the girhuma sitting at the table. ¡°Why does it have a mug?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Hilarious!¡± Katalin slapped the bookshelf in her laughing fit.


    Owin took the opportunity to continue searching, rounding the back end of the hovel. He gave Katalin one quick glance. Her smile was huge as she laughed, which was a new sight to Owin.


    ¡°I now have three trespassers. Am I expected to just let any algae eating scum in off the road?¡± the girhuma asked.


    ¡°What road do you think we came from? Tell me where there is a single damn road in this dungeon,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin laughed again. She slapped Ernie¡¯s shoulder, which earned her a sharp grunt. ¡°There is a road through the wreckage,¡± she said, fighting the laughter.


    ¡°I would hardly consider that a road,¡± Ernie said.


    The girhuma loudly sipped its mug, which earned a bigger fit of laughter. Ernie awkwardly jogged away from Katalin, causing her to slap the bookshelf again instead.


    ¡°Can we get moving?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°I was just going to check the quest, but the imposter was right there.¡± Owin lifted a bag, which kept going up when he let it go, only stopping when it bumped into the ceiling. ¡°He was right here. I didn¡¯t see him leave this hovel.¡±


    ¡°Nothing here,¡± the girhuma said.


    ¡°I do have to say this is the most suspicious shit I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Ernie bent down, checking under the table. ¡°Looks normal over here.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Katalin said. She walked up and loudly slapped the table. ¡°Is that a fucking fireplace?¡±


    ¡°Have neither of you been inside the houses before?¡± Owin asked as he picked up a few more bags.


    ¡°No reason to. The only helpful thing on this floor are crab shells and horror blood from Baby Head, neither of which are in the village. Althowin liked to tell us how to avoid wasting time.¡± Ernie gestured to the girhuma. ¡°Like with quests.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Owin jumped onto the table, accidentally cracking a ceramic plate. ¡°Is there anything in the fireplace?¡±


    Katalin covered her stomach with her hand. ¡°There¡¯s a chunk of seaweed stem.¡± She broke into another fit.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ernie knocked on a box. ¡°This is hollow.¡± A whole stack of boxes covered the area beside the fireplace. Ernie ran his finger along the ground, over a small line. ¡°There¡¯s a hatch here. I think you might be right, Owin. The imposter slipped under here.¡±


    There had been many times that Owin was thankful for his Goblin Cunning racial feature. Heightened agility was helpful when moving around, even if his balance wasn¡¯t always great. What was even more helpful was the reaction time that came with it.


    The girhuma sitting at the table had a knife in his hand, stabbing at Owin. He only saw the glint of the knife out of the corner of his eye.


    Owin¡¯s foot shot up, catching the water elf in the jaw. His head snapped back with an audible crack.


    0 Experience


    ¡°Oh, what the fuck!¡± Katalin burst out in laughter even louder. ¡°You broke his neck!¡±


    ¡°What level was he?¡± Owin hopped off the table. It was a little horrifying to see a mob die so horribly, so quickly. He knew he was strong, but that was a little too easy of a kill. The other girhuma had only been level 8, which still felt too low compared to the Great Forest.


    Ernie mixed up each box and tossed them to the side, letting them slowly drift to the ground. It only took a moment to reveal the hidden hatch. ¡°Could the imposter have gotten in here, moved the boxes, and gotten down here that quickly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Owin pulled the hatch open. A long ladder led below, disappearing into a dark pit that reminded him of the black doorways between floors. ¡°I wonder if this is the secret for the second floor.¡±


    ¡°Do secrets usually hide the quest objective?¡± Ernie peered inside. ¡°Looks deep.¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve seen. The first secret I went into was a labyrinth that had my hammer.¡± Owin stopped and tried to look out a window. ¡°The mobs won¡¯t steal my hammer, right?¡±


    ¡°Not if they see what happens when you kick one of them!¡±


    ¡°Ignore her.¡± Ernie smiled softly. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually seen her like this in a while. What about the other secrets?¡±


    ¡°The fourth floor was the castle, and that had a weird bone in it, but nothing to do with the quest. We had already finished the quest by then.¡±


    As far as Owin knew, there hadn¡¯t been a quest on the first floor, and the second floor¡¯s quest obviously hadn¡¯t brought him near the secret or he may have actually found it.


    ¡°What do you think, Kat?¡±


    Katalin took a deep breath and calmed herself, if only slightly. ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡±


    ¡°Do we have time to jump down?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever. What¡¯s the worst Althowin could do? Flay us and use our skin as a rug?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Ernie nodded vigorously. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Go get your hammer. I want to see what other bullshit is down there. I¡¯m having fun.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 13

    ¡°Bullshit was right,¡± Ernie said.


    What had first looked like an ordinary cellar from above turned out to be a domed ruin of . . . something. Owin scouted the wall, running his free hand along the old, overgrown bricks. Something slimy coated the mortar and peeled off with even the gentlest touch.


    ¡°This is significantly less funny,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°There will be a secret door or something. I¡¯ve seen a thing like this before. One brick pushed inward when stepped on and a trap shot fire at me.¡± Owin stopped his pacing, positioning himself opposite of the ladder, and pressed on a brick.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°That makes sense for a trap, but not a secret door,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I would think it would be hidden better than that. Usually a secret door will have some thought put into them to keep out whoever the door is hidden from. What use is a hidden door that can be found with such normal means?¡±


    A brick gave under the pressure of Owin¡¯s fingers. It grinded against the others, causing the whole dome to shake as a section of the wall rattled and shifted up, disappearing into the upper dome.


    ¡°Okay. Lesson learned,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Beyond was a dim hallway, only lit by glowing green fungus growing through the sand along the bottom of the brick walls. Katalin rushed past Owin and fell to her knees, plucking a mushroom from the floor. It stirred sand into the air, obscuring the rest of the hallway.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ernie asked.


    The mushroom lost some of its glow when it was plucked. Katalin smiled with it near her face, casting the soft green glow over her eyes. ¡°Mycena Glorophosa.¡±


    ¡°Green Death?¡± Ernie asked.


    Owin took a step away from the hallway of glowing mushrooms.


    ¡°It might not be on our list, but Althowin would be grateful.¡± Katalin placed the mushroom into her bag and went about harvesting the rest.


    ¡°Why is it called Green Death?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a primary ingredient in a potent poison that assassins favor. It acts a lot like umbra toxin. Eating it by itself wouldn¡¯t kill you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes it would,¡± Katalin said loudly. Her voice echoed through the small hallway. ¡°Please don¡¯t eat the mushrooms.¡±


    Ernie shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t be right about everything.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you an alchemist?¡± Owin tried to look past Katalin to see what was at the other end of the hallway, but it was too dark to see anything, especially as the light faded as the mushrooms were picked. The sand slowly settled, finally revealing a small light like a pinprick on the opposite end.


    ¡°We have specialties. Besides, what do you know? You¡¯re a wizard who can¡¯t even use magic.¡±


    Owin grabbed the Bolt wand from his belt.


    Ernie pointed. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little curious?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. You¡¯ll shock yourself, and I have no interest in carrying you around. You¡¯re working for us, remember?¡±


    Owin grinned and put the wand away. ¡°I would use more spells if I had them. Bolt is useless down here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you credit. Your use of Smoke Cloud against Amkati was clever.¡±


    The last glowing mushroom disappeared inside the hall, snuffing out the last of the lights.


    ¡°Kat?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°This bag really does hide my shit, huh? Are you two coming or are you going to sit there and argue about magic?¡±


    Ernie gestured into the hall. ¡°Escort leads the way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Owin slipped Naxile¡¯s knife from his belt and held it in a reverse grip. Without being able to see an enemy coming, he would need to react quickly. Last time he had tried fighting in close quarters with the hammer, it had gone poorly. Next time, he would leave the Thunderstrike Maul back in Artivan¡¯s room.


    Katalin patted his head as he passed, taking the opportunity to lead. The little pinprick of light remained small as the hallway also narrowed. Before long, Owin¡¯s hair brushed the top, and after a few more steps, his ears scraped along the walls.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be the end,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin shoved his hand against the hole, causing a door to swing open. Blinding light in the next room forced him to cover his eyes as he rushed through. Ernie and Katalin stumbled in after, both holding their own versions of bombs.


    Owin opened his eyes, still squinting, and took in the city before him. ¡°Is this still the second floor?¡±


    ¡°We never got a notification we moved floors,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°This has been here the whole time?¡± Katalin shielded her eyes and scanned the horizon.


    A city of gold lay before them under a giant dome made from the same bricks as the last room. The buildings were thin and open, like clusters of columns stacked together, rising to a narrow point just under the top of the dome.


    Everything was golden.


    A narrow bridge led from the small doorway across a moat to the edge of the city, and right at the end of the bridge stood the girhuma in a mask. Or the cetanthro in a mask. Owin still wasn¡¯t sure what he had been chasing.


    ¡°Is that what you saw?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The creature ripped off the mask, revealing a stumpy fish face with wide eyes that almost popped out of its head. Gills opened wide on its neck and a dorsal fin stood tall on its head, no longer compressed by the mask.


    ¡°Fools,¡± the fish said. ¡°You have chased me to our holy city, Ligala Lepis.¡±


    ¡°The fish have a holy city?¡± Katalin asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You have walked into your doom!¡± The fish laughed, which was one of the most disgusting noises Owin had ever heard. ¡°Our lord will rip you to shreds!¡±


    ¡°To shreds?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°To shreds,¡± the fish repeated.


    Owin dropped the hammer and pushed off the sand at his feet. He flew straight over the short bridge and caught the fish on the face. Its slimy skin threatened to slip out from under his fingers, but he gripped tightly.


    ¡°Bolt.¡±


    The fish¡¯s eyes bulged as electricity ran through its head, frying the small brain inside. The cetanthro¡¯s eyes popped, causing a stream of bubbles to rush from the skull. Owin drifted through the water, landing gently on the sand.


    Mana Refreshed


    Band of Power 1 - 0/1 Charges Remaining


    ¡°That was brutal,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I like him.¡±


    ¡°Risky, but impressive,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I guess Bolt works if you¡¯re touching them. I¡¯ve never seen it used that way.¡±


    Quest Updated


    Imposter of the Sea


    Legend of Ligala Lepis


    Reward: A deal from Arimeda


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    ¡°Did you get the quest update?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ernie¡¯s index was in front of his eyes. ¡°It wants us to uncover the secrets of Ligala Lepis. It mentions the city¡¯s lord . . . I have no idea who it is. The journal doesn¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°The quest on the second floor of the Great Forest had a Lord of the Abyss,¡± Owin said. ¡°It was a demon. Eating its flesh gave me more strength.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Katalin scratched her head. She put the pipe bomb in her pocket, picked up the Thunderstrike Maul with effort, and hauled it across the bridge where she dropped it at Owin¡¯s feet. ¡°Anyone ever tell you not to just eat things?¡±


    ¡°Artivan told me to stop after I ate an ocular heart.¡±


    Katalin chuckled. ¡°Who sees a glass orb and decides to eat it?¡±


    ¡°I see where you¡¯re going with that, but this place isn¡¯t demonic at all,¡± Ernie said.


    Nosolus had a grand cathedral with undead all over. His whole cult was a demonic group focused on the abyss. It felt different than the gleaming golden city that towered above them.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the opposite of the abyss?¡±


    ¡°Elysium.¡± Ernie sighed. ¡°If a cathkabel is up there, we don¡¯t want to fight it. We don¡¯t even have anything abyssal to use.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve kept Suta with us,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That little bastard would¡¯ve punched the Void Nexus hero in the crotch before we even made it to the dungeon. Look, the reward is a deal from a merchant. No deal is going to make this diversion worth it. The amount of time it¡¯ll take to climb the city, fight the boss, and make it back down will put us so far behind that Althowin might appear in the dungeon just to rip our heads from our bodies.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little curious?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned to ignore my curiosity. Nothing good is going to come out of fighting a cathkabel. Althowin has been telling us for years to focus on one thing at a time, and my focus is getting our job done. What¡¯s your focus, Kat?¡±


    She stared at the very top of the golden city. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a cathkabel.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what a cathkabel is,¡± Owin said.


    Ernie sighed. ¡°I¡¯m losing this one, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only on the second floor. The boss can¡¯t be stronger than the Malignant Spirit, right?¡± Owin tried to imagine what a cathkabel looked like. A demon had horns, fangs, and wings. But he also saw several types of demons, even including the weird bug-like form of Suta. So, what would the opposite look like?


    ¡°I bet we can make it to the top and back in an hour,¡± Katalin said.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Owin set the Thunderstrike Maul right beside the bridge. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°What happened to you being the smart one, Kat?¡± Ernie asked.


    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m having fun.¡±


    Ernie gestured toward the golden city. ¡°Following you, Owin.¡±


    Owin set off at a quick pace, just fast enough to make Ernie and Katalin put some effort into staying up. Their dexterity scores were plenty high to keep up with Owin, but without the heavy hammer, he felt like he could move so quickly through the water.


    Beyond the bridge, the ground became perfectly organized quartz tiles with a gold inlay. The city was formed entirely of columns and arches made from what appeared to be pure gold. The entryway to Ligala Lepis was formed out of a series of random archways, not forming any specific building.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t even look like a city,¡± Owin said. ¡°Where are the doors?¡±


    ¡°A city doesn¡¯t have to have doors.¡± Ernie ran his hand through his curly hair. It moved so little in the water compared to Katalin¡¯s whose hair floated behind her all the time.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure all cities have doors.¡± Owin checked around each column, expecting to see some fish person, but the entryway was clear. ¡°Does anyone live here?¡±


    ¡°What would live in a cathkabel holy city?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Actually, it said it¡¯s a cetanthro holy city.¡± Ernie¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes again. ¡°So, I would assume some fish live here.¡±


    They passed through the entryway and into the middle of the city. A checkerboard floor of gold and white acted as the central hall with a golden staircase leading up to the next floor and four doorways leading to the other districts of Ligala Lepis.


    Owin pointed to the stairs. ¡°Up?¡±


    ¡°I know you both want to explore, but you promised this would be fast. The lord of the city is going to be at the top, I¡¯m sure,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin put her arm over Ernie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Loosen up. Think how much more fun we¡¯re having with Owin than we did with the Bull.¡±


    ¡°Fun doesn¡¯t get the job done. If we¡¯re going to become masters, we need to do our jobs on time.¡±


    Katalin shook Ernie gently. ¡°Loosen up.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Fine. But can we still work on going up? There¡¯s nothing wrong with doing a quest quickly.¡±


    Owin jumped over to the stairs, gliding through the water. He landed about a quarter of the way up. ¡°If demonic flesh gives a strength buff, what does cathkabel flesh give?¡±


    ¡°Wisdom,¡± Katalin said.


    While Owin would have preferred more demon flesh, he wouldn¡¯t complain about raising one of his lowest attributes. From what he had seen, few people had high intelligence and wisdom, so he wasn¡¯t sure if raising it would really help him.


    ¡°Will these knives be good for a cathkabel?¡± Owin held out Naxile¡¯s knife.


    ¡°It¡¯s just iron, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°This one is stone,¡± Owin said, grabbing his old jagged knife. ¡°I also have a bone knife made from a lich¡¯s bone too, but it says it will shatter against luminous damage.¡±


    ¡°Keep the lich knife away. Even the cetanthro in the city might do luminous damage.¡± Ernie nudged Katalin. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Owin hopped up the last steps and bumped right into an armored leg. A blade passed right over his head, chopping off a bit of hair that hung in the water. Katalin grabbed Owin¡¯s shirt and yanked him backward just as another swing chopped into the golden stairs.


    Ocean Mob


    Serranid Guardian


    Level 15


    Owin didn¡¯t realize fish could wear armor. Or even if it really was a fish.


    The serranid guardian had a fully fish face with a huge mouth and bulging eyes. Its head stuck out like the cetanthro had terrible posture. The rest of the mob looked more ordinary with ornate golden plate armor and the pike it held in what passed as hands. They still looked like fins, but with digits that gripped the polearm. A small golden helmet sat atop its head, forming around its bulging eyes.


    ¡°Is that a cetanthro?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°How do I beat it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re weak to lightning, obviously. I think you figured that out earlier,¡± Ernie said. He was a few steps down from Katalin.


    The serranid lifted its pike. ¡°Heretics.¡±


    Katalin pushed Owin forward. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    A polearm gave the huge creature even more range on Owin. It was already well over six feet tall, more than twice as tall as Owin, and the weapon was huge. Even one more step up, he would be within range.


    Owin faked a step, waiting for the cetanthro to attack. The serranid guardian watched with the pike raised.


    If it wasn¡¯t going to fall for such an obvious feint, Owin would need to do something else. He thrust out his hand and cast Smoke Cloud. The dark cloud spread out through the water just as easily as it did in the air, filling the staircase and passing the cetanthro. Owin dashed up the side of the stairs, sliding past the fish¡¯s foot, and pounced from behind.


    The pike shaft jabbed into his stomach, shoving him right back into the ground.


    ¡°Cover your ears,¡± Ernie said.


    A red bottle flew from the smoke, spinning through the air. Owin dropped to the ground and flattened his ears against his head. The bottle moved slower through the water than it would have on the surface, allowing the cetanthro to swipe at it, cutting the glass in half with the pike.


    As soon as glass broke, the chemicals inside collapsed inward, forming a tiny black dot that hovered for a second. Owin looked up, keeping his ears covered. The black dot quivered before exploding out, sending a shockwave that decimated the cetanthro. Owin felt the explosion in his skull, reverberating through his skeleton. If he hadn¡¯t had his ears covered, the sound would have been too much to handle.


    A headless mob remained with a cloud of pulverized brains above. Even the golden helmet was gone.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Owin asked, popping right back to his feet. He canceled Smoke Cloud, clearing the area.


    ¡°My percussion grenade.¡± Ernie pulled another red bottle from his bag. ¡°Secret recipe.¡±


    ¡°Do I get to use a pipe bomb next?¡± Katalin asked. She almost always had an iron pipe in her hand, as if she was always ready to throw it.


    ¡°That would kill us all,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin pushed the headless corpse over. It slowly drifted to the ground, dropping an emerald as it bounced off the golden tiles. Owin tossed it to Ernie. ¡°Your kill.¡±


    He caught it in the water and brushed some blood from the green surface. ¡°Fine with me.¡± He slipped it into his pocket. ¡°You might need to find a way to use that wand of yours after all.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do.¡± Owin held Naxile¡¯s knife in one hand and the Bolt wand in the other. Both weapons had come from the second floor of the Great Forest. It was only fitting to use both on the second floor of the Ocean.


    Two more cetanthro guardians waited above, blocking doorways leading to the other districts of Ligala Lepis. It was difficult for Owin to tell if they were looking at him or not with the way their eyes stuck out to the side.


    ¡°Come on. Let me throw it.¡± Katalin inched toward the top of the stairs with the pipe bomb in her hand. She wiggled her eyebrows, but Ernie pushed her hand down.


    ¡°If we really need it, use it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Katalin nodded to Owin. ¡°Go kill them. I want to see you handle both.¡±


    Ernie leaned on the railing. ¡°It¡¯s your job, after all.¡±


    Owin could handle two level 15s. He had fought worse. The area between districts was like a wide hallway, placing the cetanthro guardians on opposite ends. They both shifted their stances, readying their pikes, as soon as Owin fully stepped past their dead comrade.


    Instincts deep down called to Owin, calling for him to sprint and leap. He could get behind the fish and drive the knife into their spine without much difficulty . . . if they were on the surface. Under the water, he would be moving so much slower that the fish would have time to react and attack while he drifted in the water. Even if Owin did manage to jump past a cetanthro, there was only a miniscule chance he would land in a position to leap again, rather than hitting his head or slipping on to his butt.


    If Artivan was with him, there wouldn¡¯t be a moment of hesitation. The old man would have told Owin exactly what he needed to do. When had Artivan ever been wrong? He always knew how to solve every problem and how to get out of every situation.


    Without him, Owin would have died on the third floor of the Great Forest. Without Artivan, Owin wouldn¡¯t have ever seen the world outside the dungeons. He squeezed his hand around Naxile¡¯s knife.


    Void Nexus would suffer for the life they took.


    Owin walked right up to the cetanthro guardian, who immediately swung the pike at Owin¡¯s head. He parried it with his knife, forcing the polearm aside with his superior strength. A small jump brought him right to the fish¡¯s face where he drove the knife right between its eyes.


    0 Experience


    He landed softly as the heavy fish corpse crashed onto the golden tiles. The other cetanthro guardian lumbered toward him. Owin clenched his jaw. He had been pushing the thoughts of Artivan aside the best he could. What good did it do thinking about a dead man?


    The cetanthro swung its pike down, just like the last. Owin ducked inside its blade and swung, chopping through the shaft with Naxile¡¯s knife. Wood splintered and floated in the water.


    Back on the second floor of the Great Forest, he had cut Kidibose¡¯s heart out with the same curved knife he now used to kill fish. His stomach had hurt while he carved her heart from her chest. It hurt worse when Rattis and the satyr umbra died while helping Owin stop the Malignant Spirit.


    What had they died for? Why did they suffer?


    The Malignant Spirit was a mob, just like any other. It would respawn without memories and it would consume Nosolus again. The same thing would happen, again and again. Forever. And everyone would continue suffering.


    Humans couldn¡¯t do that. They remembered every moment of their suffering until they died. Artivan remembered the moments that nearly killed him in his first dungeon, and he remembered every trial he had been through up until he stopped Nikoletta from killing Owin.


    And what did Owin give back to him?


    Death.


    The cetanthro guardian, now without a weapon, punched at Owin. Owin punched back, shattering the bones in the fish man¡¯s hand. Owin grabbed the broken fingers and yanked the giant fish down.


    The cetanthro was far too weak to fight Owin¡¯s strength. He crashed onto the tiles and squirmed as Owin squeezed the broken hand, crunching the pieces of bones together.


    Akos Szabora was another Void Nexus scum. Scum that wouldn¡¯t be far behind now that Owin had brought them on such a long detour.


    Ernie drew a knife and ran it through the cetanthro¡¯s head, killing the mob. It went limp in Owin¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ernie asked.


    Owin nodded.


    Katalin put her hand on top of Owin¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Owin let the broken hand go. He hadn¡¯t realized how long he had been torturing the cetanthro mob. Ernie looked at him uncertainly as Katalin used her hand on his head to guide him toward the district opposite of the stairs.


    ¡°Getting in your head?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡±


    ¡°Artivan.¡±


    Katalin gently shoved him through the archway into a massive garden. The walls were all more archways, showing the brick dome surrounding the whole city. Some mobs wandered in the garden like patrol routes, specifically avoiding a few plants that moved and snapped jaws at the guards.


    ¡°Something people don¡¯t talk much about in Vekuborg is grief. Maybe it¡¯s not just Vekuborg.¡± She pointed to a nearby clump of moss that grew in a little tank. ¡°Look, itch moss.¡±


    ¡°Does it make you itch?¡±


    Katalin pressed her hand harder against Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Verdantallis is full of loss. Countless people die in the dungeons every day. It¡¯s such a normal part of our lives that some people don¡¯t really know how to handle it.¡± Katalin bent down closer to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m one of those people,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You just crushed a cetanthro¡¯s hand for a full minute while it begged you to stop, and you didn¡¯t even notice. That¡¯s not fine. Look, we knew Artivan. Ernie and I hired him many times. He was a good guy. A great one, even. What did he want for you? A normal life?¡±


    ¡°He wanted me to show the world how strong I am.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean to you?¡± Katalin guided Owin out of the garden, back toward the stairs. Ernie remained by the cetanthro corpse. His index was up, either to look busy as he listened to them or to actually look at some information.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Void Nexus.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ernie said, suddenly rushing over. ¡°We talked about this. Your issue is with a few members, not the whole company. You can¡¯t fight all of Void Nexus, and you wouldn¡¯t even want to.¡±


    ¡°Even Chorsay doesn¡¯t like Void Nexus,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because Chorsay used to work for Void Nexus! Let him worry about his own issues.¡± Ernie sighed. ¡°Chorsay told you he would help you get stronger. A strong fighter is focused on the fight in front of them. Even if you were going to fight Void Nexus, you¡¯re barely strong enough to fight their newest recruits. Veph is a Shard Carrier and would crush you before you even know what happened. You would be disintegrated in an instant.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Katalin said, patting Owin on the head.


    ¡°We have a job we need done. We need you to focus,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Use this job as a chance to get stronger like Chorsay wants.¡±


    ¡°I can do it,¡± Owin said. ¡°I can kill Void Nexus.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe it once you have your own shard. For now, let¡¯s worry about killing a cathkabel, because I have no idea how they fight. Does this work for all of us? Are we going to actually listen so we can make our deadline?¡± Ernie asked.


    Katalin punched Ernie in the arm. ¡°Lighten up.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up,¡± Owin said. ¡°I want to eat the cathkabel.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. Stop eating things.¡± Katalin kept her hand planted right on Owin¡¯s head, smashing his tall hair down. ¡°Something will poison you if you keep just eating everything.¡±


    ¡°He did survive eating demon flesh,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I would eat more.¡± Owin checked through the archways until he found another staircase leading up. It was at the far end of a long room full of statues.


    Katalin pushed down on Owin¡¯s head, stopping him from marching in. ¡°That¡¯s a bad sign.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a temple,¡± Ernie said.


    Statues lined both walls. Some were as big as the serranid guardians, others were little busts on top of columns. All the statues, no matter the size, were of the same creature with massive eyes and a seaweed crown.


    ¡°Trespasser,¡± a fish said near the staircase. It started toward them.


    Ocean Mob


    Serranid Temple Guard


    Level 17


    Ernie pushed Owin aside and tossed another red bottle into the room. Katalin pressed Owin against the wall as a shockwave burst through the archway, followed by a stream of bubbles.


    Owin peeked around the corner. Most of the statues were destroyed, leaving golden debris floating throughout the room, mixing in with the cloud of blood.


    ¡°How high of a level can your bombs kill?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The shockwaves are bigger underwater. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t want Kat to use her pipe. On the surface, this can kill maybe a level 25 in one hit. Down here, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just get to the fourth floor on your own with those?¡±


    ¡°Technically, yes. But if someone got too close or we got swarmed, we would die,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Alchemists have a high constitution, but we have no protection against weapons,¡± Katalin said. ¡°We can get torn apart quickly, and most cetanthro will swarm.¡±


    ¡°Most,¡± Ernie repeated. ¡°These guardians are idiots.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the lord of Ligala Lepis is also an idiot,¡± Owin said.

 Book 2 - Chapter 14

    The stairs were long and winding, bringing them to the top tier of Ligala Lepis. There weren¡¯t solid walls at the top, only repeating archways that allowed an incredible view over the golden city, and out to the massive brick dome. Owin spotted the tunnel where Katalin had harvested the green mushrooms.


    The ladder they had climbed down was rather short, so Owin didn¡¯t quite understand how such a massive place was hidden within the second floor of the Ocean Dungeon.


    A bright red rug ran from the top of the stairs, down the hallway, and into the central peak of Ligala Lepis. Owin tried to pull the rug up, unsure of how it stayed in place beneath the water. He peeled a nail out as he yanked up, causing the entire rug to wave.


    ¡°This fight will be all you,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I need to conserve the rest of my grenades.¡±


    ¡°I could just¡ª¡±


    Ernie shook his head, cutting off Katalin. ¡°You can do it, Owin.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Owin followed the rug down the hall and up a small step into the central peak. The room was mostly empty other than a fountain in the middle and a statue in each of the four corners, all facing inward.


    A lone man stood near the edge, looking out at the bridge they had crossed to reach Ligala Lepis.


    Deacon of the Aquatic Council


    Lord of Ligala Lepis


    Graliel


    Level 20


    ¡°Is that a cathkabel?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It has to be,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Ugly as shit,¡± Katalin said.


    The statues below had been depictions of Graliel. His seaweed crown moved in the water like the seaweed wrapped around his massive bald head was still alive. His skin was stark white, and his eyes were beyond huge. Graliel turned his head to face them and smiled without showing teeth. White pupils bore into Owin.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± Graliel said.


    His feathered wings were folded close to his back, and his long, feathered tail hung in the water, drifting with the water¡¯s movement.


    ¡°Is that armor?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°It looks too tight,¡± Ernie said.


    It did look too tight. Whatever Graliel wore was as skin tight as it could be, showing off his impressive physique. Chunky metal bracers, boots, and a belt were the only things he wore that weren¡¯t skin tight.


    Graliel fully turned to them. He snapped and in a flash, a small trident appeared in his hand. Its three prongs shone with the same golden gleam as the rest of Ligala Lepis. Owin fully passed through the archways into Graliel¡¯s chamber.


    The fountain in the middle was an elaborate multi-tiered art piece that flowed with molten gold. Ernie and Katalin remained in the hallway, each holding a bomb just in case.


    With how open the room was, Owin wasn¡¯t sure he would be able to avoid a shockwave if either of them used their weapons. But they wouldn¡¯t use them. Owin had promised he could handle it.


    ¡°A goblin in Ligala Lepis?¡± Graliel said. His voice moved easily through the water. He took a few slow steps away from the edge.


    Only then did Owin realize Graliel¡¯s height. He was even taller than Chorsay. The cathkabel had to be nearly nine feet tall. Which meant the trident wasn¡¯t small, the cathkabel was just massive.


    ¡°How did one of Ruvaine¡¯s escape?¡± Graliel asked. He spun the trident, caught it, and smashed the shaft against the floor. ¡°No matter. I will cleanse the holy city.¡±


    Owin paced away from the door, leaving Ernie and Katalin. If he stayed, they would easily be caught in the fight. He approached the fountain of flowing gold and hopped onto the ledge. ¡°How do you know about Ruvaine?¡±


    Graliel eyed Ernie and Katalin. ¡°Are you so confident you will not bring your friends? Fine.¡± With another stomp of the trident, golden curtains dropped in front of every archway. Ernie reached out and smashed his fist against one, unable to move the magical barrier. Graliel¡¯s smile grew, showing his oversized teeth. ¡°Am I the first cathkabel you have met?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Then I shall ensure you die well, goblin.¡± Luminous flames ignited across the trident¡¯s three prongs. Water boiled immediately, unable to put out the holy flames.


    ¡°Cathkabel are weak to abyssal? Anything else?¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Katalin said.


    Other than the Bolt wand, Owin had no weapons capable of doing a specific type of damage. He had lost his abyssal greatsword so long ago. His only hope was to lay on as much damage as possible.


    What was he worried about? Graliel was only level 20. He had beat the Malignant Spirit when he was significantly weaker.


    Graliel¡¯s white pupils grew. ¡°Begone, heretic!¡± He dashed as if they weren¡¯t underwater, flying over the golden tiles. Owin brought his knife up, catching one of the three trident prongs before it stabbed him in the heart. The center prong pierced straight through his shoulder, pushing him back until Owin wobbled near the molten gold. Heat rose from the fountain.


    Health 120/140


    Owin had a few points missing already, but that was still a solid hit from the boss. Blood leaked from the puncture wound, into the water between their faces. Owin clenched his teeth and pressed the tip of the wand into Graliel¡¯s stomach. He activated the wand, shooting Bolt directly into the cathkabel, who stumbled back and yanked the trident back.


    Owin¡¯s health ticked down a few more points as the prong ripped back through his shoulder. The actual pain was minimal, but the blood was intense.


    ¡°Your struggle is pointless,¡± Graliel said as he spun the trident with a flourish. Blood misted from the prong into the water, adding to the cloudiness. ¡°A simple goblin cannot hope to kill a righteous cathkabel.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a simple goblin.¡±


    He had two charges of Bolt left in the wand, and a single use of the actual spell before his mana was too low. A cathkabel was only weak to abyssal, according to Ernie and Katalin. Electricity hurt him enough to make him back away, but it hadn¡¯t had the same effect it did on the cetanthro from earlier.


    While both of his knives were reliable, they weren¡¯t anything special. They weren¡¯t about to instantly kill the cathkabel boss. Not unless he found a way to gouge out its brain, but the seaweed crown was probably some type of magical item.


    ¡°Tell me, goblin, what are you, if not simple?¡±


    Katalin pounded on the golden curtain. ¡°Fuck him up!¡±


    Ernie, looking reserved at first, nodded eagerly. ¡°Rip his heart out!¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    Graliel raised his brow. ¡°Your comrades are simpletons.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not my comrades. I¡¯m protecting them. This is a job.¡± Owin adjusted his feet on the edge of the fountain. If he could close the distance quick enough, Graliel wouldn¡¯t have time to react with the trident. As soon as Owin was past the prongs, he would have the advantage.


    ¡°A failure, I see. What kind of protector leaves his clients unguarded?¡± Graliel pounded his trident on the golden tiles twice. ¡°Remove the intruders from my city.¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Owin asked.


    Kat stopped pounding on the curtain and turned back to the stairs. She shoved Ernie, who immediately pulled out a red percussion grenade.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin shouted.


    Ernie gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°They will be butchered like the heretics they are. You, though, will be put on display. My cetanthro will worship me at your feet, praying for me to wipe your stain from their city!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to worship you at my feet?¡± Owin used the butt of the wand to scratch his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be worshiping me?¡±


    Graliel narrowed his massive eyes. The white pupils grew again, filling most of his eyes. Owin tensed as the cathkabel burst through the water. In his current position, he could jump above Graliel and hover awkwardly in the water for a moment, he could jump off the fountain in an attempt to duck under the trident, or he could leap forward, right at the charge.


    With 155 in intelligence, Owin wanted to call himself smart, but he reacted so quickly, so instinctively to most things that he rarely thought his actions through. Before even running through ideas in his head, he was already pushing off the edge of the fountain, charging right at the speeding trident.


    Graliel roared as he drove the weapon forward. Its golden prongs sliced right through the water, threatening to rip right through Owin¡¯s head. In the moment before the weapon hit, Owin brought the knife and the wand up, blocking the central prong that jutted out slightly farther than the rest.


    Something burst in his face, burning his skin, as Owin was slammed into the golden tiles. Air left his lungs in bubbles as he bounced and floated gently in the water. Graliel hissed something in another language.


    The cathkabel¡¯s metal boots clinked gently on the golden tiles a dozen feet away. Owin hopped to his feet, fighting to ignore the pain cutting across his face. The lich¡¯s gray mist had been worse. He could deal with it.


    ¡°You are a weapon short, goblin,¡± Graliel said. He spun the trident again. ¡°Only one of us bleeds. I can survive this assault. Can you?¡±


    Owin sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Stop talking.¡±


    A shockwave from the stairs crashed against the golden curtain barrier. It rumbled through the golden tiles. Neither Graliel or Owin took their eyes from the other.


    Owin adjusted his grip on his weapons, and paused. His wand was little more than a piece of splintered wood. He used the back of his hand to feel his face, where cuts and shock burns covered his cheeks and forehead.


    ¡°My wand broke.¡± He dropped it and grabbed his old, jagged stone knife instead.


    ¡°A simple weapon cannot withstand the luminous strength of the Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis.¡± Graliel grinned, showing his oversized bottom teeth.


    ¡°That¡¯s too long of a name. This is a stone knife.¡± Owin waved the tip of the stone knife through the water.


    ¡°Simpleton.¡±


    Owin shrugged and readied himself. He wanted to dash past Graliel and look out to the stairs to see how Ernie and Katalin were doing, but that would only give the cathkabel an opening. He was better off finding a way to finish the fight quickly.


    Graliel was just as strong as the Malignant Spirit. Owin had already beaten the Lord of the Abyss.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± he whispered.


    Two knives helped. It felt familiar, like an older version of Owin he had tried to leave behind. Back when Owin leapt for throats.


    He grinned.


    What did cathkabel flesh taste like?


    Graliel was fast. Possibly as fast, if not faster than Owin. But Owin¡¯s greatest strength was his . . . strength. All he needed to do was get the trident out of Graliel¡¯s hands and the fight was over. Owin had fought tougher, smarter, and fiercer opponents. An ugly cathkabel was nothing compared to heroes.


    He cracked a golden tile as he launched himself forward. Graliel, who had been confidently grinning again, brought his trident up to intercept Owin¡¯s charge. A low dexterity score wouldn¡¯t stop Owin from trying new things.


    The jagged stone knife had been with Owin since before he awakened. The goblin darkblade used that basic weapon for eternity inside the Great Forest. Owin wasn¡¯t sure why he still had it. There was nothing the knife could do better than any other weapon.


    Until that moment. Its uselessness helped Owin carelessly throw it forward. It spun almost immediately upon leaving his fingers, slowing down in the water. Graliel still took the bait, taking one hand off the trident to smack the knife aside before it could hit him.


    Owin caught the trident prongs with Naxile¡¯s curved knife and swung to the side, ripping the weapon right from Graliel¡¯s hand. Owin let the knife go as he crashed into Graliel¡¯s face. The cathkabel planted his feet to stop the two of them from crashing to the ground.


    Without weapons, the difference was purely in strength. Owin latched onto both sides of Graliel¡¯s face and dug his fingertips into the oversized cathkabel skull. Graliel roared and pulled on Owin, trying to tear him off.


    If Katalin was right about cathkabel flesh giving wisdom, Owin wouldn¡¯t let the chance to raise one of his lowest attributes. He bit into Graliel¡¯s forehead and tore a chunk of flesh free. Silver blood blossomed from the wound as Owin swallowed the tasteless flesh.


    Wisdom +1


    Wisdom: 11


    As he swallowed the whole piece, notifications pinged in his view, ticking his wisdom up quickly. Graliel¡¯s fist caught Owin in the cheek, causing Owin to tense. His fingers, tightly gripping the cathkabel¡¯s head, cracked bone, causing Graliel to scream.


    ¡°Demon!¡±


    Owin tore another chunk of flesh away with his teeth, chewing as Graliel fought back, weaker than before. His hits were barely doing anything as the cathkabel fell to his knees.


    Owin dropped, landing on the golden tiles beside the trident and his knife. He placed the knife in his belt and grabbed the golden trident. It was a little long for him, but he had used oversized weapons before.


    ¡°You taint a branch of Elysium,¡± Graliel said in a weak voice.


    Owin swallowed.


    Wisdom +1


    Wisdom: 24


    Silver blood surrounded Graliel, leaking from his head like a misty halo. Cracked white bone was fully exposed between his seaweed crown and his massive, dilated eyes. ¡°You truly are a demon.¡±


    Owin tested the weight of the trident. It was lighter than it looked.


    Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis is the holy weapon of Deacon Graliel. Forged in the holy fires of Elysium, this weapon deals luminous damage.


    Note: Magical item does not vary by user


    Graliel scrambled for the stone knife. He held it in shaking hands, holding the point out to Owin. While on his knees, the cathkabel was barely taller than Owin. His wide, white eyes watched in horror as Owin approached.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I am Deacon of the¡ª¡±


    Owin drove the trident straight through the cathkabel¡¯s head. The central prong punctured Graliel¡¯s upturned nose, and burst out the back in a spray of silver blood. Owin ripped the weapon out and let the body slowly drop to the golden tiles. He picked up his stone knife and placed it back in his belt.


    The golden curtains vanished.


    ¡°Owin!¡± Katalin¡¯s voice was distant. ¡°We¡ª¡± Another explosion drowned her out. The shockwave passed into the room, shaking the entire room.


    Quest Failed


    ¡°What?¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 15

    Cetanthro guts filled the hallway, suspended in the water. Owin stepped through the archway with the trident raised. The water tasted of blood, slipping into his mouth with each breath.


    ¡°Katalin?¡± Owin called.


    The tiles rumbled. Owin turned as the room behind him was suddenly bathed in light. A circle of luminous light shone on Graliel¡¯s corpse, reflecting off the cathkabel¡¯s stark white skin. Graliel shuddered, then lifted into the water as the corpse was pulled toward the source of the light.


    There would be a day Owin returned to conquer the dungeon. That was a good time to worry about whatever was happening with Graliel and the quest he had failed. It wasn¡¯t worth finding out now when he was meant to be protecting Katalin and Ernie.


    Owin sprinted through the gore and jumped down the stairs. He moved slowly through the water, descending onto the golden tiles gently. Katalin leaned against an archway leading back to the center of Ligala Lepis. Blood leaked like mist from her arm.


    ¡°Katalin,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You beat him? Nice.¡± She pushed herself off the column with a grunt. ¡°The rest of Ligala Lepis apparently got the message.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ernie?¡±


    ¡°Looting.¡±


    Owin peeked through the archway where another mass of gore floated in the water. They had killed so many cetanthro. Owin couldn¡¯t even imagine fighting that many.


    ¡°I failed my job. You had to fight on your own.¡±


    ¡°It worked out fine. Our grenades can handle this sort of thing when we¡¯re ready for it.¡±


    Ernie appeared through the red, gut-filled water. Bits of guts clung to his hair, and his own blood leaked from his nose, constantly draining into the water.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t take Explosion Ward like Katalin did when we reached level 20.¡± Ernie ran the back of his hand across his nose, spilling more blood into the water. ¡°You owe us.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what I need to do. I don¡¯t want to mess up.¡±


    Katalin punched Owin¡¯s arm. ¡°Get us through the fourth floor and we¡¯re good. We got two jobs with you anyway, remember, Ern?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out of percussions, Kat. It¡¯s expensive to replace all that.¡±


    ¡°Was this all from your grenades?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie looked around like he was just seeing the gore for the first time. ¡°Well, yeah. Katalin would kill us all with her pipe bombs.¡±


    She held one of her pipe bombs and tossed it in her hand with a grin on her face. Again.


    ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous about your pipes?¡± Owin asked. Ernie was so concerned about her using them while he was freely throwing grenades. Other than the container, Owin couldn¡¯t see a difference. They were both alchemical grenades.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret recipe,¡± Katalin said. ¡°That, and I¡¯ve been using Destabilize since we left Atrevaar.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Ernie said, his eyes going wide. ¡°You¡¯re still destabilizing it?¡±


    Katalin grinned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of these abilities do,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Destabilize is a spell most alchemists get early. It¡¯s only Power 2,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°It makes the mixture more dangerous with each use. Use it too much and . . .¡± Ernie mimicked an explosion with his hands.


    ¡°Or, you use it all the time but timed precisely to create the perfect bomb.¡± Katalin pulled another pipe from her backpack. ¡°This one was destabilizing for weeks.¡±


    Owin hurried through the archway to stand beside Ernie. ¡°Everytime you¡¯re holding that, you¡¯re making it more dangerous?¡±


    Katalin nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s insane. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ernie said.


    She tossed the pipe and caught it. ¡°What are we waiting for? We failed the quest. What¡¯s left in this fish bowl?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s get back up to the floor,¡± Owin said. ¡°I need to grab my hammer, then we can get to the third floor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re collecting too many weapons,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I know. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll hold the trident when you need a free hand,¡± Katalin said. ¡°It looks cool.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Owin pushed through the cetanthro guts to the stairs. Ernie stopped by a few more corpses or pieces of corpses to grab some things. Most of what he grabbed looked like eyeballs, but he also picked up some scales and bones.


    Owin wasn¡¯t going to understand alchemy anytime soon. Some corpses were useless, others were like mini treasure troves. It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°How strong is Baby Head?¡± Owin asked over his shoulder.


    ¡°Probably easier than the cathkabel,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Did you eat some of it?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°It raised my wisdom by 14 points.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Ernie said. ¡°But also fascinating. What color is their blood? I know that¡¯s a rare ingredient, though I assume it¡¯s difficult to collect in the water.¡±


    ¡°It was silver like the Thunderstrike Maul.¡±


    Katalin laughed at that. Owin hopped off the last steps to land near the entrance to Ligala Lepis. He abruptly stopped upon seeing a figure, blurry in the distance, picking up the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°Someone is here,¡± Owin said. He took off without waiting for the alchemists. The golden city flew past. Archway after archway became a blur as Owin darted through the water and burst out of Ligala Lepis.


    The Void Nexus hero from before stood on the bridge leading back to the tunnel. His strip of hair was like a fin down the center of his head, slowly moving in the water. The black headband had been tightened around his head, sitting right on top of his eyebrows. The golden light of Ligala Lepis shone off his almost white eyes as he drew a knife from the sheath at his waist.


    Hero


    Akos Szabora


    Hunter


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 49


    Strength: 173


    Constitution: 160


    Dexterity: 308


    Intelligence: 157


    Wisdom: 145


    Charisma: 164


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Akos Szabora smirked as he flipped the knife over in his hand, catching it by the blade. ¡°I figured we¡¯d see you again. Lose your friends?¡±


    Katalin and Ernie¡¯s footsteps crunched in the sand behind Owin. He didn¡¯t break eye contact with the other man who had grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°Drop something?¡± Akos asked.


    Hero


    Harold Paschal


    Berserker


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 48


    Strength: 368


    Constitution: 247


    Dexterity: 181


    Intelligence: 103


    Wisdom: 99


    Charisma: 80


    Harold wore green and almost managed to blend in with the coated bricks forming the outside dome, apart from his red beard that was distinctly different from his long, braided brown hair. The berserker already held his own flanged mace in one hand and now held the Thunderstrike Maul in the other.


    ¡°That¡¯s my hammer,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Actually, it was sitting here.¡± Harold adjusted his stance, pushing his long skirt aside. The front was open and billowed in the water, revealing his bare upper thighs and barely-hidden crotch. His armored boots went up past his knees, then simply stopped.


    ¡°Put on some fucking pants,¡± Katalin said.


    Harold¡¯s one visible eyebrow raised. An eyepatch covered his other eye and didn¡¯t budge at all, as if that half of his face couldn¡¯t move.


    Another hero stood behind Akos, closer to the tunnel. Owin didn¡¯t recall seeing him before. He barely looked like a hero, not wearing any armor. He only carried a club and what looked like some type of horn.


    ¡°Give the hammer back and we¡¯ll be out of your way,¡± Ernie said.


    Akos poked his finger against the tip of his knife. ¡°I don¡¯t see it happening that way. I have a feeling Veph would pay handsomely for this goblin¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Not an option. We work for Althowin Alegarra,¡± Ernie said.


    Harold harrumphed. ¡°Big fucking deal.¡±


    ¡°A 7 Shard Hero isn¡¯t going to bother with people like us,¡± Akos said. He sauntered off the bridge, getting closer to Owin.


    Akos was a hunter. His bow hung from his shoulder, as it wouldn¡¯t do any good underwater. Owin had little experience with hunters. Back when he had traveled with Kidibose, he had seen a few melee abilities that slowed or bled enemies. Nikoletta¡¯s hunter had also set a trap that had snared Owin. He was cautious of letting Akos get close. There was no doubt he would be dangerous with that knife.


    ¡°But she will bother with Vephthru Veriss if the Void Nexus queen pisses her off,¡± Ernie said.


    Akos shrugged. ¡°It was a good try at civility. I don¡¯t give any shits about what happens with Veph. I¡¯m here for the money, darling. Not the loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Back up,¡± Katalin whispered, tugging on Owin¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°I need to get close to fight,¡± he whispered back.


    ¡°Too strong for you. Back up.¡± Katalin positioned herself directly in front of Owin.


    Harold eyed them both as he slowly circled the group. The third Void Nexus hero remained in the back, fiddling with his instrument.


    Ernie appeared beside Owin. The alchemist put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder and tugged backward. ¡°Trust Kat,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Planning to run, are we?¡± Akos asked mockingly. ¡°If only we weren¡¯t in the Ocean. I would happily let you flee.¡± He reached back, flicking his bow. ¡°But alas, we are in the water, leaving close range as my only true option.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not running anywhere.¡± Katalin held both her pipe bombs. ¡°Anyone takes another step and both of these blow.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s bluffing,¡± Harold said.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think she is,¡± Akos said. ¡°Look at the holy city.¡±


    Even Owin turned to look back at Ligala Lepis. The cetanthro blood and guts had continued floating out of the city, spreading through the water until a red haze surrounded most of the second tier.


    ¡°They¡¯re pipes, not bottles. I¡¯ve seen grenades,¡± Harold said.


    Katalin held out a pipe bomb, as if handing it to the berserker. ¡°Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Akos held up his hand, signaling for the berserker to stop. ¡°Without their abilities, it¡¯ll be unstable. Don¡¯t touch that.¡±


    ¡°Actually . . .¡± Katalin tossed it in the air and caught it. ¡°It¡¯s already extremely unstable.¡± Her fingers that stuck out from her fingerless gloves turned red like molten iron. ¡°Or maybe I should just Heat this a little?¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Akos said, taking a dramatic step back.


    Katalin¡¯s hand cooled back to its normal color. ¡°Give the hammer back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you the hammer for the goblin. I have no quarrel with the two of you. I love alchemists. You have an important role, and I wouldn¡¯t want to stop you from gathering ingredients. I¡¯ll even escort you the rest of the way.¡±


    ¡°Kat,¡± Ernie said.


    She turned, glaring at Ernie. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ernie said. He tugged harder on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Get behind me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to protect you two!¡±


    ¡°Not from heroes. Protect us from the mobs, and we¡¯ll give Chorsay a glowing review.¡± Ernie stepped in front of Owin and continued pushing him back. Harold was still trying to circle around, but he had slowed as Katalin kept glaring at him.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Why were they pushing him back so far? Owin could at least take on a berserker to get his hammer back. The level difference wasn¡¯t too great. Owin was at least as strong as someone in the 30¡¯s, which would put him significantly below Harold, but his goblin cunning helped make up a lot of difference. The Thunderstrike Maul was weak underwater anyway, and Owin couldn¡¯t imagine the flanged mace being much better. Anything that caught water rather than slicing through it was too slow.


    A pink light crashed onto Akos from above. It splashed onto the sand at his feet and dispersed, leaving behind a glowing pink outline on the hunter.


    ¡°Thank you, Ludovi,¡± Akos said.


    The Void Nexus hero in the back, Ludovi, lowered his instrument. Owin hadn¡¯t heard anything, but he assumed that was because of the water.


    ¡°Resist isn¡¯t going to protect you from this,¡± Katalin said. ¡°An entertainer buff will never be strong enough to stop one of these babies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bluff,¡± Harold said again.


    ¡°I never have seen a grenade made from a pipe before,¡± Akos said. He took a step forward, which immediately made Katalin¡¯s hand glow red. ¡°Toss one to the side. Show us the damage.¡±


    ¡°Not gonna happen.¡± Her hand cooled again. ¡°These are ready to pop. Stop moving.¡±


    Akos took another step forward. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill humans. You¡¯re not even career heroes. We¡¯re the same.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re not ass holes,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin snorted.


    ¡°You have to know the damage a goblin could do in the world. Citizens can¡¯t protect themselves. If he decides he wants to be a mob again, who is going to stop him? Now is that time to kill the goblin and protect the public.¡±


    ¡°You really just want to swallow that bullshit?¡± Katalin asked.


    Akos took another step forward. ¡°Think about it, Katalin. You would forever be labeled a murderer. Right now in the heat of the moment, maybe that doesn¡¯t seem like a huge deal, but it would haunt you forever. You would never forget the humans you killed.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I haven¡¯t?¡±


    Akos took another step closer. ¡°You hesitated.¡±


    ¡°I can fight them,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Ernie whispered. ¡°Hunters are tricky and berserkers don¡¯t go down, no matter how many times you jump at them.¡±


    ¡°I do more than jump at people.¡±


    Ernie shushed him and pushed him farther back toward Ligala Lepis. The cetanthro blood had started to sink, slowly turning the water around them red.


    The same pink buff crashed onto Harold as Ludovi used his instrument again. Owin knew next to nothing about entertainers. The one he had seen was the hobgoblin leader, who Owin had killed with a punch to the face. That hobgoblin never had any instruments or buffs.


    ¡°I hesitate to give you a chance to walk out of here.¡± Katalin squeezed both pipe bombs as her hands turned blue. Ice immediately coated the outside of both pipes. Her fingers switched to orange, which caused the pipes to shake gently.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°She used Cool to freeze the outside of the bombs, and now is using Mix to stir the ingredients. That¡¯s a safer way to strengthen a grenade than her usual Destabilize method. The freezing of the pipe will make the temperature change faster, resulting in a bigger explosion when she heats it again.¡±


    ¡°Are these spells?¡±


    ¡°Power 1, yeah.¡± Ernie shoved Owin back. ¡°No matter what happens, do not get close to Katalin. Neither of us can survive that blast.¡±


    ¡°Can she?¡±


    Ernie half shrugged. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it going to be?¡± Katalin asked. ¡°Your arrogance or your life?¡±


    Pink light crashed down on Akos again as he took another step forward. ¡°How about yours?¡± He pointed his free hand at Katalin¡¯s feet, which spawned a physical bear trap. The metal teeth snapped shut, catching Katalin¡¯s knee. She screamed and tried pulling her leg free, but it didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°You fucking monster!¡±


    Ernie turned and fully shoved Owin back.


    ¡°I can help!¡±


    ¡°Get in the city, you idiot!¡± Ernie was trying to flee as he pushed Owin.


    They hadn¡¯t been traveling together long, but Owin had never seen Ernie so scared. Harold took off at a sprint, straight at Owin and Ernie.


    Katalin, unable to move, lifted both hands, holding the pipes high above her head. Her hands glowed red like fire. ¡°See you in the Abyss, mother fuckers.¡±


    Owin pressed himself against a column of Ligala Lepis, just inside the first set of archways. Ernie ran even farther inside, fully abandoning Owin.


    Akos arrogantly pulled out another knife and approached Katalin, who had remained stationary with her hands bright red. Harold sprinted like lightning, faster than Owin knew berserkers could move.


    A shockwave erupted out, immediately deafening Owin. A bubble formed around Katalin, quickly expanding until there was virtually no water in the immediate area. As soon as the water left, a second shockwave crashed into the golden column, sending cracks through the entire first tier of Ligala Lepis.


    Owin had been crouching, peeking around the side, and caught a glimpse of the shockwave hitting Harold, who immediately turned to mist. The shockwave caught the Thunderstrike Maul and hurled it straight at Owin.


    The hammer sunk deep into the column, sending cracks slithering out right before the second shockwave hit, shattering the column in a million pieces. Owin felt a blow to his chest that launched him back into the city. The water carried him, tumbling, deep inside. His health plummeted, flashing in the corner of his vision.

 Book 2 - Chapter 16

    Golden rubble floated in murky water all through Ligala Lepis. Owin cracked his eyes open and scanned the area. He was lying near the stairs to the second tier, completely surrounded by chunks of broken columns and shattered tiles. He sat up slowly, maneuvering his head to avoid knocking it against a chunk of stone.


    Health 2/140


    Would it do damage if he bumped his head? It would be better to not find out.


    ¡°Katalin?¡± Owin¡¯s voice was weak as it passed into the water.


    His hand pressed hard into the wall as he made his way to his feet, fighting against the stings of pain with every small movement. Ligala Lepis was silent in the aftermath.


    Owin breathed in deep and winced. At least one rib was broken. Maybe more.


    ¡°Owin! You¡¯re alive?¡± Ernie ran up from behind holding the golden trident. ¡°This nearly took my head off.¡±


    Owin took it and immediately leaned heavily on the weapon, digging the shaft into the cracked tiles. ¡°I should¡¯ve ran with you.¡±


    Ernie¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°Shit.¡± He immediately took off his backpack and started digging through. ¡°How are you even standing? Two health? You must have a dozen broken bones.¡±


    Owin closed his eyes, letting the cool water brush past his face. The water within the dome of Ligala Lepis had yet to settle, causing a weak current that carried the dirt and blood that had been caught in the water.


    Ernie found a health potion and shoved it right into Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°Drink this.¡±


    Owin opened his eyes, finding Ernie directly in his face. He held a second health potion and still had his index in front of his eyes. Owin didn¡¯t hesitate. He flicked the cork out and drank the whole potion. It moved oddly in his mouth as the red liquid slowly sank through the ocean water.


    Bones snapped into place and cuts and burns returned to normal green skin. Owin clenched his jaw and let the trident hold him up as the pain pulsed through his body. Ernie shoved the other one against Owin¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Drink both.¡±


    Owin did as he was told and watched his health bar climb all the way back to full. Ernie quickly took both empty bottles and stashed them back into his backpack.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find Katalin and get out of here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s alive?¡± Owin asked. He shivered and shook out his limbs. It was incredible how fast he felt better. It was as if nothing had happened, like he had never been injured.


    ¡°She should be.¡± Ernie took off toward the entryway. He shoved chunks of floating rubble aside, not slowing down to look at anything. The explosion had devastated the edge of the city. Any archways that still stood had cracks or pieces missing. Every column was marred in some fashion.


    Owin held the trident as close as he could to how Graliel had held the weapon. It was much different than the hammer, the greatsword, or any of the knives he had used in the past. Jabbing seemed like the best option, but Owin was sure if he swung it as hard as he could, it would still do some damage.


    His job now was to ensure Ernie was protected. Owin had already failed to do his job twice, and he couldn¡¯t let Chorsay think he had made a mistake letting Owin join the Nimble Hogs.


    How disappointed would Artivan be if Owin was kicked out of the hero company?


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°I only saw the bombs explode. The berserker died right away.¡± Owin wouldn¡¯t forget how fast that man had died. The bloody mist had crashed into Owin right after Harold¡¯s death. ¡°How would Katalin be alive?¡±


    ¡°Explosion Ward is an ability that¡¯s always active. Even if Katalin wanted to turn it off for some reason, she couldn¡¯t. It lowers her total mana, but boosts her resistance to explosives. I never took that ability because I never planned on making so many grenades. It turns out Althowin encourages all alchemists to make grenades and she relentlessly scolds me for not taking Ward.¡±


    ¡°Katalin was at the center of two massive explosions.¡±


    Ernie didn¡¯t look the least bit swayed. ¡°She also has Divert that lets her push damage aside. Realistically, she should be able to Divert explosions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that one before,¡± Owin said. Back in the Great Forest, Naxile had pushed aside Kidibose¡¯s arrows with the same ability.


    The Thunderstrike Maul was buried in some rubble right near where Owin had been hiding before he was launched farther into the city. Its metal shaft stuck out from the collection of golden stones. Owin lifted it easily, letting the rubble fall back to the ground.


    A crater had formed right in front of the bridge back to the tunnel. Sand, dirt, blood, and rubble all hung above like a stormcloud about to unleash its wrath on the figure in the center of the crater.


    Katalin was on her knees, head slumped. Her black hair hung above her, no longer kept under control from her headband, waving gently in the moving water. Blood leaked from wounds all over her body. Even from far away, Owin could see torn skin and some exposed bones through the tears in her clothes. Only the fur shawl over her shoulders was untouched.


    ¡°Kat,¡± Ernie said, taking off into a full run.


    Owin stayed directly at Ernie¡¯s side as the alchemist crawled into the crater and dropped to his knees right at Katalin¡¯s side. She didn¡¯t react even as Ernie grabbed her shoulder.


    ¡°Kat,¡± he said, louder. His index flashed. ¡°Owin, grab a potion from my backpack.¡±


    Owin flipped the top flap of the backpack open and found a collection of bottles that seemed to be bigger than the bag could ever hope to hold. Most were now empty bottles, but a few health potions still lingered near the top. Owin grabbed two and handed the first to Ernie.


    He gently used his finger to lift Katalin¡¯s head, which immediately fell back down when he moved his finger. ¡°Hold her head up. We need to get her this potion right now.¡±


    Footsteps crunched in the sand above. Owin dropped the second health potion beside Ernie and brought the trident into a position to throw.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡±


    A deep laugh rumbled from above. A laugh Owin had heard before.


    The first thing Owin saw was the golden ridge of the hero¡¯s helmet. It was decorated, framing his tanned, if not a little burned, face. A bright red mustache covered his upper lip. He had a smirk on his face as he stood right on the edge of the crater with his oversized sword in one hand.


    ¡°The alchemists and the goblin! What a pleasure!¡± He laughed. Even in the water, his voice boomed.


    Hero


    Arkasti Duragoz


    Berserker


    Golden Bull Hero Company


    Level: 55


    Strength: 364


    Constitution: 288


    Dexterity: 170


    Intelligence: 90


    Wisdom: 91


    Charisma: 261


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Ernie whispered. He shook Katalin again. ¡°Wake up!¡±


    Arkasti bent down and lifted the corpse of the Void Nexus entertainer into the air. Ludovi was missing an arm and most of the skin on his face, revealing his cracked, bleeding skull. ¡°I see those Void Nexus heroes were giving you trouble!¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± Owin said. If he threw the trident perfectly, he could potentially harm the berserker.


    Potentially.


    His armor covered everything but his face. There were no weak spots, and even if there were, Owin¡¯s aim was nowhere near good enough to hit any of them. He would be lucky if the trident even hit with the prongs first.


    ¡°Do you have any grenades?¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°No.¡± Ernie took off his backpack and started digging through it.


    ¡°Is the other alchemist alive?¡± Arkasti asked, staying above the crater.


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    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said. He tensed, readying to leap. The level difference was going to make the fight incredibly dangerous for Owin. He would be lucky to score a single hit before Arkasti ripped him in half. Over three hundred strength was unlike anything Owin had fought before.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Ernie whispered. ¡°If he wanted to kill us, he could before you ever reacted.¡± Ernie shut his backpack and stood. ¡°You¡¯re trying to get your first shard?¡±


    Arkasti grinned and carelessly tossed the entertainer¡¯s corpse aside. His index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°Ernworth,¡± he called. ¡°I am. The Ocean is my first of the seven!¡± Arkasti drove the claymore into the sand and dropped to one knee. He pulled off his backpack and opened the flap. ¡°I have a proposal for you.¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t relax. If the berserker suddenly charged, he wanted to be able to try to defend Ernie, even if it was impossible. Arkasti¡¯s massive sword was buried in the sand, but he still had knives sheathed on both hips. With his insane strength, he could also kill Owin with his bare hands.


    Ernie crossed his arms. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°How talented are you?¡± Arkasti asked. He grabbed something from his bag but had yet to reveal it.


    ¡°I am the prime apprentice of Althowin Alegarra.¡±


    Arkasti¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Prime apprentice of the 7 Shard Hero?¡± He pulled a hot pink bottle from the bag and held it out. ¡°I will gift this to you in exchange for a favor from your master.¡±


    Ernie gasped.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie waved, shushing Owin. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything from Althowin. All I can do is ask.¡±


    ¡°Then let us shift our deal. If Althowin doesn¡¯t wish to create equipment for me, you will do what you can to make what I need.¡±


    Ernie crouched beside Katalin, squeezed her shoulder, and whispered something. He waited as if she might respond.


    ¡°What is that potion?¡± Owin asked again.


    ¡°The second best healing potion.¡± Ernie whispered one more thing to Katalin before facing Arkasti again. ¡°What equipment do you need? It looks like the Golden Bulls have been treating you well.¡±


    ¡°I plan to become a 1 Shard Hero right now, Ernworth.¡±


    Ernie flinched at his full name but said nothing. ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°This potion would serve me well in my journey, but alas, I look to the future, to the next tower. To conquer the Sky next, I will need something like Voolyn Eskitorra.¡±


    ¡°I want to help you, but I can¡¯t make something like that. I¡¯m only an apprentice, and I can¡¯t promise Althowin will help.¡±


    Arkasti shook the hot pink potion. ¡°Then you will need to convince Althowin, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°People have conquered the Sky without wings.¡±


    ¡°Some, certainly. But how many have done so with a shard?¡±


    Ernie held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to convince my master to help. For free.¡±


    Arkasti¡¯s grin grew tremendously. He tossed the bottle, which moved slowly through the water, making it easy for Ernie to catch. While it dropped through the water, Owin used Examine.


    Revive Potion


    That was all the information provided. Ernie carefully caught the pink potion and immediately dropped back to his knees.


    ¡°Owin, lift her head again.¡±


    ¡°I will leave you to it, Ernworth. I will see you in Vraxridge in a week!¡± Arkasti yanked the sword from the sand. He circled half the crater and stopped, looking down at Owin. ¡°Goblin, will you become a Shard Hero?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Then I will seek you out.¡± Arkasti¡¯s index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°Where are these Nimble Hogs located?¡±


    ¡°Atrevaar,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Right outside the portals.¡±


    Arkasti nodded eagerly. ¡°I will visit the Nimble Hogs once I have ascended the Sky. I expect you to have a shard.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Arkasti looked over his index for another moment. His face shifted into confusion before he bellowed with laughter. ¡°I will see you soon, Owin.¡± His footsteps crunched in the sand as he strode right into Ligala Lepis.


    Owin immediately dropped to his knees and carefully held Katalin¡¯s chin up. ¡°Her health isn¡¯t low anymore. Why didn¡¯t she wake up?¡±


    ¡°She might not be at risk of dying now, but health potions don¡¯t fix every injury.¡±


    Owin had seen that with Artivan. The potions helped a lot, but they didn¡¯t heal him all the way.


    ¡°But this will help?¡±


    Ernie carefully removed the cork from the pink potion. ¡°Revive potions will always wake someone up. If there was damage to her brain from the explosion, this will repair it when the health potion wouldn¡¯t. Unfortunately, these are also the worst tasting things in existence. Sorry, Kat.¡±


    The pink liquid glowed as it flowed from the narrow bottle mouth. It drifted down through the water, misting out as it entered Katalin¡¯s mouth. She twitched immediately. As soon as the last drop was in her mouth, Owin let go and took a big step backward.


    Katalin coughed, folded over, and vomited. She scrambled back as the puke floated in the water. ¡°Fuck, Ernie.¡± She collapsed on the rounded edge of the crater. ¡°I forgot how horrific that is.¡±


    Ernie sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Remember when Althowin made us try a sip?¡±


    Katalin coughed and spat. ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°That worked fast,¡± Owin said. The revive potion had worked so quickly it almost seemed like Katalin had been faking it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason it¡¯s called a master item,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin grimaced and placed her hands over her stomach. ¡°It¡¯s horrible.¡±


    ¡°We have to convince Althowin to create wings for a Golden Bull,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin pushed Ernie off and sat all the way up. Her brown eyes locked onto Owin. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡±


    ¡°A bit.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin quickly shushed him. ¡°I should¡¯ve given you more of a warning.¡±


    ¡°I know what to expect next time.¡±


    Katalin laughed and winced. Her face suddenly contorted to a scowl as she turned on Ernie. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He tried taking a step back, but Katalin grabbed his shirt.


    ¡°You were ready to fucking hand him over!¡±


    ¡°No, it was more complicated than that!¡±


    She shoved him back. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! You are always looking for an easy way out! You¡¯re a fucking coward!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s . . . I have nothing against him,¡± Ernie said, keeping his gaze far from Owin, even as he tried looking anywhere but at Katalin¡¯s glare.


    ¡°You have nothing against him? That¡¯s the best you can do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Katalin snapped. She advanced on Ernie, snatching his collar before he could retreat. ¡°We¡¯ve let heroes die before, but this? Not a fucking chance!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference? We¡¯re not here to make friends! It¡¯s our job, and without this, we¡¯re fucking failures like everyone else! Do you want to go back to that?¡±


    Katalin shoved him straight onto his bottom. ¡°This has nothing to do with our jobs, Ern. This has nothing to do with our lives.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? From where I was standing, it was our lives or his, and I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. I don¡¯t want anyone to die, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you watching my back.¡± Katalin crossed her arms. ¡°Stand up.¡±


    Ernie scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. He stared at the ground.


    Owin clenched his jaw. There had been a moment where Ernie looked like he was ready to toss Owin to Void Nexus. It hadn¡¯t stuck out that much to Owin. Why wouldn¡¯t Ernie watch out for his own life? That¡¯s what Artivan said most people do. And what Owin had to do. But . . . that wasn¡¯t what Owin would do. Katalin had risked herself to protect Owin, just like Artivan. People kept dying or injuring themselves for him. If he couldn¡¯t escape partners, he would help them like they¡¯ve helped him.


    ¡°Heroes we¡¯ve hired have died. Plenty of times. But we have never been the reason why one of those heroes died. Is Owin a hero?¡±


    Ernie nodded.


    ¡°Is Owin a hero?¡± Katalin shouted.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then why would we kill him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not hero killers,¡± Ernie said quietly.


    ¡°And we never fucking will be. Are you going to remember that?¡±


    Ernie finally looked at Katalin. ¡°I won¡¯t forget, Kat. I know I fucked up.¡±


    Katalin reached over, grabbed the top of Owin¡¯s head, and dragged him over. She patted him on the head after placing him at her side. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Ernie looked directly into Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to say. I thought I was going to protect you but this isn¡¯t really me protecting you. This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Not excuses. Ernie knows what he did wrong, and there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know, Owin. But that doesn¡¯t excuse the slightest fuck up. Ern.¡± She sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, but we¡¯re not going back to that. Ever. We escaped and we¡¯re here. We aren¡¯t going back. Okay?¡±


    Ernie closed his eyes and nodded slowly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Katalin dropped to her knees and met Owin eye to eye, uncomfortably close. Their noses brushed. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±


    He tried to back up, but she grabbed his arms. Her grip was surprisingly strong for an alchemist. ¡°Yes,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Althowin set a series of rules when she brought us on as apprentices. Rule number one said we cannot go in a dungeon without an escort. It doesn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t handle it on our own, really, but we would be kicked out of Althowin¡¯s compound if she found out we broke any of her rules.¡±


    ¡°How many rules does she have?¡±


    Ernie grunted. ¡°Two dozen.¡±


    Katalin shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re manageable. But rule one is especially important for reasons she won¡¯t tell us. Me defending you does not mean you aren¡¯t doing your job. You stopped Amkati and the cathkabel. Those are both helpful, and you¡¯ll fight plenty more mobs before we¡¯re out of this hole. Okay?¡±


    Owin nodded. It felt like they were being too easy on him, but Katalin¡¯s brown eyes bore into Owin. He had never seen her so serious.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The pain is gone, but that potion really sits like fire in your stomach.¡± She covered her mouth, burped, and frowned.


    ¡°Are you ready? I think we should go before the Golden Bull gets back,¡± Owin said. He lifted the hammer, awkwardly carrying both weapons. What else could he say? Ernie was being uncomfortably quiet after the confrontation.


    Katalin stood and patted him on the head again. ¡°Owin¡¯s right. We should get moving. He can handle Baby Head and we can push through the third floor fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Last time we thought we would go quickly, we had to leave,¡± Ernie said, still a little sheepish.


    Katalin checked her backpack. She flipped it upside down and poured broken glass into the water before letting the whole ruined backpack fall to the ground. ¡°Well, last time we didn¡¯t have Owin.¡± She held her hand out to Owin.


    He looked at it for a second before slowly handing the trident over. Katalin snatched it from his hand and used it to help her climb out of the crater. Ernie scrambled after her.


    Owin simply jumped out of the crater, but caught his toe on the lip and fell right onto his face. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed as it swung while he fell.


    ¡°You really need to get that dexterity up,¡± Katalin said as she pulled Owin to his feet.


    ¡°I know.¡± Owin brushed some sand from his clothes. Ludovi¡¯s corpse was nearby, all mangled and still bleeding.


    Katalin looked over Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Entertainers can buff themselves if they¡¯re good enough. Looks like he was talented.¡±


    ¡°The other two disappeared,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Two pipes might have been a little much.¡± Katalin put her hand on Owin¡¯s head, flattening his hair, and guided him back toward the tunnel. It was glowing green again now that more than a half hour had passed, allowing the Green Death to grow back.


    Katalin plucked all the mushrooms again and placed them in Ernie¡¯s bag. ¡°Might as well bribe Althowin if we¡¯re going to ask a favor.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need more than Green Death,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I think Owin will be able to get us some prazene parts. Right, Owin? As long as you don¡¯t eat them.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    What was a prazene? Why did he agree without knowing things? He had to stop doing that.

 Book 2 - Chapter 17

    All the girhuma were back in the village when Owin climbed out of the hatch. The one sitting at the table barely acknowledged them as he continued drinking from a mug, which caused Katalin to chuckle.


    Owin stopped them just north of the village. He finally took his lich bone knife and added it to his belt now that there wasn¡¯t luminous damage all over that could shatter it. Hopefully the trident would serve as a good weapon, but he fell back on his knives often enough that using the lich bone would be more helpful than still using the old stone knife from his days as a mindless mob.


    ¡°What¡¯s a prazene?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We talked about this before going below,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Horrors,¡± Katalin said. ¡°That¡¯s the real name for Baby Head¡¯s species. Most people call them horrors because . . .¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Ernie said.


    They left the girhuma village and started back into the kelp forest. The long strands of seaweed moved gently in the water, making the shadows of the dim sunlight dance across the sand.


    Katalin coughed and held her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Fine. Revive potions are a little too strong for people as weak as us,¡± Katalin said. She wiped her mouth with her ruined sleeve. ¡°Hopefully you never find out how they taste.¡±


    ¡°So, I can¡¯t eat the horror?¡±


    Katalin stopped and grabbed Ernie¡¯s shoulder, pulling him back. Ernie just sighed. Katalin crouched to meet Owin at eye level. ¡°What did we talk about before?¡±


    ¡°I should stop eating things?¡±


    She nodded slowly.


    ¡°But it makes me stronger.¡±


    ¡°What if you eat something poisonous?¡±


    Owin stared blankly at Katalin. He had never experienced poison. What did it taste like? Would it give him a buff? ¡°What¡¯s poison?¡±


    Ernie laughed.


    ¡°Poison is something that can kill you or make you violently ill. A lot of things are poisonous, especially a lot of assassin skills. Some mobs have poison or venom too, which can be just as dangerous. Basically, stop eating things before eating one of them kills you. There¡¯s¡ª¡± Katalin turned and vomited again. Pink puke glowed just like the revive potion.


    Ernie patted her gently on the back as she groaned and rinsed her mouth with drinking water. The ocean water was also present but couldn¡¯t be consumed. It was as if it never entered their mouths even though Owin did taste the salt and anything else floating about.


    ¡°I think that was the last of it.¡± Katalin rinsed her mouth one more time. ¡°I hope.¡±


    Owin took a step away as the puke spread into the water. ¡°Did it actually help if it¡¯s all coming back out?¡±


    ¡°Revive potions take effect immediately,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Just like buff potions. Haven¡¯t you noticed how quickly you get the buff?¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t noticed. He hadn¡¯t even ever thought about it. The numbers in his vision were too distracting to ever think about anything else when he had drank buffs in the past. He started walking, slowly encouraging the alchemists to follow him. Katalin groaned but walked while using the trident for support.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth eating things to get stronger? The demon flesh, the ocular heart, Graliel¡¯s face . . .¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°It all made me stronger.¡±


    Ernie put his arm around Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What do you think an alchemist does?¡±


    ¡°The first one I met outside the dungeon just wanted to light stuff on fire.¡± Miya¡¯s cackle and crazed look as she lit the scaltari newt on fire was burned into Owin¡¯s brain.


    ¡°Some of us do love burning shit,¡± Katalin said. She lingered a few steps behind, but was keeping pace. Owin kept glancing back, but each time she glared at him and pointed forward.


    ¡°We make things with mob parts and ingredients found in the dungeons. That¡¯s the whole point of an alchemist.¡± Ernie¡¯s hand that hung right by Owin¡¯s head turned blue, chilling the water. ¡°Our spells are made to work with ingredients. That¡¯s one of the reasons why you¡¯re here. Alchemists don¡¯t fight. Despite what Katalin did back there, we aren¡¯t made for combat in really any form. We can make explosives, sure, but other than withstanding our own grenades, what are we meant to do?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even take your own explosions,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all aware I made a bad choice by not taking Ward. The point is, alchemists and entertainers generally aren¡¯t hero classes. Some people find ways to make it work. Althowin obviously did as the only 7 Shard alchemist any of us know about. Even she doesn¡¯t know of another alchemist who conquered all seven dungeons. Katalin and I don¡¯t want the shards. Nothing good comes from them. It¡¯s a struggle the whole time. Once I become a master, I don¡¯t intend to enter the dungeons at all anymore. That won¡¯t be a problem with Althowin¡¯s first rule, though she won¡¯t explain it to us. If we did want the shards, her rule would be a huge hurdle in obtaining one. Still, it doesn¡¯t matter. Someday, I won¡¯t see mobs anymore.¡±


    Owin poked Ernie¡¯s frozen hand that hovered near his face. ¡°How will you get ingredients?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send an apprentice in just like Kat and I have been doing for Althowin. It¡¯s the perfect cycle. They learn about the dungeons and the ingredients, and I get the benefit of not risking my life for some mushrooms.¡±


    The seaweed thinned out as they continued walking, revealing a small mountain of moss-covered rocks. Other plants grew from the moss, waving gently in the water. A girhuma sat on a rug tucked between a few rocks with crates and a few canvas bags at her side.


    Ernie pulled Owin away before he could turn toward the new mob. ¡°That¡¯s Arimeda. We don¡¯t have any money to trade with her and we failed the quest, so we don¡¯t get that deal. She¡¯s worth talking to next time you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I could talk to her now.¡± Owin tried turning again, but Ernie yanked Owin to the side.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth our time right now. We wouldn¡¯t be able to afford anything unless you just have a bunch of gold on you.¡±


    Owin reached into the bag at his side and pulled out a handful of coins. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many I have.¡±


    ¡°The goblin is loaded,¡± Katalin said with a laugh.


    ¡°What¡¯s the water elf sell?¡±


    ¡°Potions. Random trinkets. Sometimes a weapon. It changes every half hour,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin slipped from Ernie¡¯s grip. ¡°It¡¯ll just take a second. What if she has buff potions?¡±


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    ¡°A dex buff is a necessity,¡± Katalin said. She followed Owin over while Ernie remained in the seaweed.


    ¡°I wish anyone listened to me.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so grumpy. I¡¯m the one who almost died,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin wanted to sprint over, but Katalin was on his side and was excited for him. Waiting a minute for her wouldn¡¯t hurt anything.


    Arimeda waved upon spotting Owin. ¡°Are you looking to buy anything?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any buff potions?¡±


    Arimeda didn¡¯t move. She just stood with her arms folded across her chest. A menu appeared, filling Owin¡¯s entire vision. He stumbled, tripping over sand, and fell right on his face.


    Katalin pulled him up and brushed sand from his nose. ¡°Store menu catch you unaware?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There were more options than Owin had imagined. With only a few small boxes and bags, he had thought Arimeda would only have whatever was inside, but it appeared that stores in dungeons didn¡¯t follow the same rules as the real world.


    ¡°It says I have forty gold. That¡¯s more than I thought I had.¡± Owin kept scrolling through. There were a few dozen apprentice weapons. Knives, swords, bows, maces, staves, and more. There was one of each type of weapon, from what Owin could tell. The potions quickly jumped in price from the weapons, especially as it swapped from apprentice to journeyman rarity.


    ¡°Thirty five for apprentice dexterity buffs and fifty for journeyman. So, I¡¯ll take¡ª¡±


    Katalin grabbed Owin¡¯s bag and dropped coins into it. They clanked against the bottles and coins. ¡°Buy the journeyman.¡±


    ¡°. . . okay.¡± Owin selected a journeyman dexterity buff and closed the menu. Arimeda went to work digging through a bag until she found a pink potion. It was darker than the revive potion Katalin had drank in Ligala Lepis.


    Arimeda walked over, handed the potion over, and shook Owin¡¯s hand. The coins vanished from the bag, immediately making it lighter. ¡°Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Owin immediately turned on Katalin. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Apprentice buffs are so small. That¡¯s not going to do you much good. Might as well get a better deal. You¡¯ll need a lot more than twenty to get you up to speed, but it¡¯s a start.¡± She patted him on the head.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m the one working for you.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a partial payment for a future job.¡±


    Owin nodded and drank the potion.


    Journeyman Dexterity Buff


    +20 Dexterity


    Duration: ????


    Dexterity +20


    Dexterity: 50


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 50


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 24


    Charisma: 60


    Owin hopped back and forth, feeling incredibly light on his feet. He couldn¡¯t wait to test out his new speed. With the Goblin Cunning racial feat, he would be even faster.


    ¡°It would be great to get your wisdom up too,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°How would that help me?¡±


    ¡°You would stop asking questions like that.¡± She patted him on the head. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving before Ernie¡¯s head explodes.¡±


    ¡°At least you would live through it.¡±


    Katalin laughed and shoved Owin forward. Ernie¡¯s index was already flashing as he looked over Owin¡¯s attributes. He didn¡¯t comment and fell into line as Owin started leading the way back into the kelp forest.


    ¡°Are there any enemies before Baby Head I should watch for?¡±


    ¡°Crabs,¡± Katalin said. ¡°You¡¯ll hear them before you see them. They are wandering mobs. There¡¯s also the wandering boss, which, unsurprisingly, is also a crab.¡±


    ¡°Etosai is a pain in the ass,¡± Ernie said.


    Tall strands of seaweed swayed in the distance. Ernie tensed, but said nothing. Owin watched between stalks, trying to spot anything. As they left Arimeda, the forest grew denser and darker again.


    ¡°What are the chances we avoid the boss?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Honestly? Low,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Etosai roams through the back half of the floor, which is where we¡¯re headed. The wandering bosses won¡¯t stop chasing you once they spot you, and Etosai will see us before we see him.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin cleared his throat. ¡°What¡¯s a crab?¡±


    Katalin snorted.


    ¡°Dammit, Owin,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I need to start assuming you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Owin said. How could he keep an eye out for something when he didn¡¯t know what it was?


    ¡°Maybe dex could¡¯ve waited,¡± Katalin said. ¡°That wisdom is really hurting you.¡±


    Ernie walked over, nudged Katalin, and whispered something in her ear. She nodded.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight Etosai.¡± Ernie smiled. His mustache had something sticking to it, which wiggled near his mouth. Owin watched the little green slime. ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Ernie wiped his sleeve over his face. ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Anything to say?¡±


    Owin shrugged. Fighting another boss wasn¡¯t anything surprising. ¡°I thought you wanted to move faster.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already late, and I¡¯ll be honest, it¡¯s fun watching you fight the bosses. Would¡¯ve been fun seeing you eat the cathkabel¡¯s face if the cetanthro hadn¡¯t swarmed,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°They also do,¡± Katalin added.


    ¡°Is Etosai strong?¡±


    ¡°Very, but he¡¯s slow. The Golden Bull we had with us last time was able to crush Etosai easier than Baby Head. Speed means a lot.¡±


    Owin grinned. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Great. Because good news . . . Etosai definitely saw us a while ago and has been heading this way.¡± Ernie took a big step back and pointed ahead. The stalks of seaweed wobbled in the distance. ¡°We¡¯re going to go somewhere safe.¡±


    Ernie helped Katalin clamber onto the algae-covered rocks to the side until they were a few feet into the air. Owin dropped the Thunderstrike Maul into the sand at their feet and caught the golden trident as Katalin tossed it down.


    ¡°Anything I should know about Etosai?¡± The seaweed parted closer. He would be there soon.


    ¡°Crabs are armored creatures. They have a chitin that isn¡¯t easy to crack. Especially Etosai¡¯s. There are weak points¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need weak points.¡±


    Ernie clapped his hands. ¡°Fascinating. Can¡¯t wait to see this go horribly wrong.¡±


    Katalin punched him in the arm.


    Something crunched in the sand, causing more seaweed stalks to shake. Owin turned from the alchemists and raised the trident. He bounced on his feet, kicking up sand with each little movement. With his higher dexterity and being in the water made it feel like he floated between each little jump off his toes.


    A colorful, bulbous creature burst from the dense forest. It was about four feet wide and two feet tall with four pointed legs skittering on each side. Huge claws snapped in the water, causing bubbles to rise with each snip.


    Owin didn¡¯t wait, jumping straight into action. He flew through the water and drove the trident down into the creature. The prongs scraped on the chitin, breaking off a few colorful stones before slipping into the sand. Owin flipped, landed, lost his balance, and fell onto his bottom. The crab immediately turned and snapped, barely missing Owin¡¯s head with its oversized claw.


    Owin drew the lich bone knife and dove forward, only to find the second claw. His forehead hit it first, causing him to flip over and land right on top. The colorful stones and little plants growing from the top of the crab fell off as Owin scrambled for footing.


    Ernie laughed loudly until Katalin punched him again.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± Owin said loudly.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Owin stood as the crab twisted again, causing him to fall right back onto the shell. Claws snapped blindly, too far away to reach Owin. He lifted the bone knife in both hands and drove it down, shattering the chitin with ease. The crab didn¡¯t drop. If anything, it became more agitated, twirling and snapping as fast as it could. Owin put the knife back into his belt and reached his hands into the hole he made. He dug his feet into the stones, pushing them off the chitin, and pulled with every point of his strength. Chitin ripped straight off, exposing the guts of the crab. Owin placed both hands and cast Discharge.


    Electricity shook the whole crab, causing it to drop lifeless. Owin let himself fall off the crab where he landed on his back in the sand. He grabbed the trident and took a deep breath. He had drained his mana in the single spell. Discharge consumed every point of mana available, leaving the bar blank in the lower part of Owin¡¯s vision..


    ¡°Good show, Owin, but, uh, that was only a normal crab,¡± Ernie shouted.


    Owin sat up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Etosai is called the Overgrown Crab for a reason.¡±


    Owin turned, looking into the seaweed forest. Something much bigger shook the stalks and churned sand into cloudy water.


    ¡°How much bigger?¡±


    ¡°A whole fucking lot,¡± Katalin said.

 Book 2 - Chapter 18

    Ocean Mob


    Etosai


    Overgrown Crab


    Level 20


    Overgrown was an understatement. Etosai was a monster. The stalks of seaweed were fully flatted as the crab appeared. Countless colorful rocks and plants covered its shell just like the small crab, but Etosai was at least five times bigger. Etosai looked like a mountain before Owin.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do to that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you like jumping at things,¡± Ernie said from his high, safe spot on the rocks.


    Etosai scurried toward Owin, swinging a huge claw. Owin leaped and barely cleared the huge, rock-covered claw as it churned the water. Owin landed unsteadily, unable to advance quickly enough as his footing slipped out from under him.


    ¡°Boo!¡± Katalin chuckled. ¡°Get that dexterity up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Owin ducked as the second claw swung in, snapping right above his head.


    Etosai was slow, moving like he was caught in glue. His sharp legs swung forward, moving the whole massive form. Sand stirred with every step, making the water more and more cloudy as Etosai charged Owin. He sprinted forward and drove the golden trident into the crab''s face.


    It bounced off his chitin.


    ¡°Crab¡¯s have armor!¡± Ernie clapped his hands. ¡°Thought you figured that out with the first one!¡±


    ¡°I thought you said I could do this!¡± Owin dove to the side to dodge another claw.


    ¡°You can,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Figure it out. Think!¡±


    Owin never felt like he thought much during fights. The last time his brain was actively moving during a fight was . . . maybe never. The jump and stab instincts were strong, and when he was holding the Thunderstrike Maul, the jump and smash instincts took over. He had learned countless things in his time since awakening, but his Goblin Darkblade life still clung to the back of his brain like a parasite.


    ¡°How?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you asking me how to think?¡± Katalin shouted.


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Owin blocked a hit from a claw and was launched through the water, gently landing on the rocks below Katalin and Ernie.


    ¡°With your fucking brain!¡±


    Owin looked up at the two alchemists. Ernie still looked a little uncomfortable after the confrontation earlier, but Katalin was grinning.


    ¡°Do goblins have brains?¡± Owin asked with a little smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think they don¡¯t. If you die to a crab, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± she said.


    Owin nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Etosai didn¡¯t get closer, but his legs continued shifting, kicking up more and more sand. A cloudy aura had formed around the overgrown crab.


    ¡°Level 20 shouldn¡¯t be that difficult,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ernie shouted. ¡°Break the armor and the crab is done. So, what are you going to do about it?¡±


    Owin pointed to the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that difficult to swing underwater?¡±


    Owin shifted his pointed finger to his fist.


    Ernie shrugged. ¡°Give it a try.¡±


    Etosai lowered itself to the ground. Two little black eyes locked onto Owin as its pointed legs continued churning up sand. It wouldn¡¯t leave the edge of the forest, but without a ranged attack, Owin had no way to take advantage of that.


    ¡°What do you think a crab¡¯s strength is?¡± Owin asked as he inched forward.


    ¡°Just hit the damn thing,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin knew he was stronger than any mobs on the floor, though a wandering boss was a little different. Even Amkati on the first floor had been stronger than Owin had expected. None of that mattered if he stayed back. There was a Golden Bull behind them, and if Owin didn¡¯t want Arkasti to catch up, he had to win the fight quickly.


    Sharp legs covered in bulbous rocks and debris stabbed forward as Etosai finally charged. Owin slipped aside, and dropped beneath the boss. Claws snapped just behind his head as he slid on the sand, kicking more into the water.


    Despite Etosai¡¯s size, he was still low to the ground, giving Owin almost no room to maneuver underneath as the crab tried to reposition itself. The trident was too long to attack from such a close range. He dropped it and reached for the knives at his belt just as Etosai moved its legs and flattened itself onto the ground.


    Owin let out a squeal as he tried to roll away. He made it about a foot before the crab landed on top of him and crushed him into the sand. A chunk of health vanished from the red bar in the bottom of Owin¡¯s vision.


    He couldn¡¯t die from a level 20. He had fought both heroes and mobs stronger. Without Artivan as the anchor that Owin fought around, he felt slow. Slow moving and slow thinking. If a fight wasn¡¯t going his way, he could loop back around to Artivan to reset as the knight easily took a hit or two on his shield. Now, it was only Owin, and he wasn¡¯t good at blocking anything. If he had a shield, he wouldn¡¯t use it as well as the old knight had.


    Etosai stood back up. Owin scurried out against the rushing water, ending up just behind the giant crab. Ernie pointed upon spotting Owin, earning him a delighted nudge from Katalin.


    ¡°You toy with your prey!¡± The voice boomed through the water. Arkasti¡¯s golden armor shone brightly as he approached the opposite side of Etosai.


    ¡°It¡¯s armored,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Break the armor, goblin!¡±


    Owin leapt and easily landed on top of Etosai¡¯s shell. The crab shuddered, nearly tossing Owin right back onto the ground, but he clung on to some stones embedded in the shell. His trident was now beneath the mob, and the hammer was all the way by the alchemists.


    A knife didn¡¯t seem strong enough to break through the chitin, but what other options did he have?


    Arkasti remained in the same place with his claymore¡¯s point dug into the sand. The berserker¡¯s expression was flat as his eyes locked onto the white knife in Owin¡¯s hand.


    Etosai reached a claw back and blindly snapped, missing Owin by a few inches. Nothing good was coming of waiting. He dropped to his knees and drove the knife straight into the chitin. The lich bone hit the chitin and rebounded, but not without leaving a small crack.


    Etosai shook itself, tossing Owin right back to the sand. He twisted and landed on his feet, but lost his balance again. The boss turned and snapped a claw at Owin before he could stand. It crushed him, but the damage was lower than Owin would¡¯ve expected. Another chunk of health dropped away, but the pain was minimal. He flexed his arms and pushed out, slowly prying Etosai¡¯s claws apart.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± he whispered.


    He didn¡¯t need Artivan as his anchor. Owin could fight on his own.


    Etosai dropped him and pulled his claw back. Before the crab could recover, Owin jumped again, landing roughly on its chitin back. He wrapped both hands around the white hilt of the lich knife and stabbed down into the already formed crack. His aim wasn¡¯t great, causing him to strike beside it, sending more slithering cracks out to form a web along Etosai¡¯s back. The crab thrashed as Owin brought the knife down one more time, cutting the blade right through the chitin, through a crack, and into Etosai¡¯s flesh.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°That is it, goblin!¡± Arkasti smashed a gauntlet against his breastplate. ¡°Show the crab your passion!¡±


    Owin pried the chitin open, tossed the knife aside, and grabbed the shell with both hands. His fingers clenched tight enough that no amount of thrashing Etosai did would throw Owin from the crab¡¯s back.


    As soon as enough of the crab¡¯s flesh was exposed, Owin grabbed another knife from his belt and stabbed, over and over, until the water in front of his face was just a cloud of blood. Etosai stumbled, still alive, and continued trying to get Owin off his back.


    Chunks of chitin peeled away as Owin continued attacking relentlessly. At some point, Etosai fell to the sand, unable to stand, and remained that way until the last of his health vanished.


    0 Experience


    Owin took a deep breath and let himself roll off the chitin. He landed on his back on the sand and waited for Arkasti to appear in his view.


    ¡°How was that?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Inefficient, but brilliant.¡± The Golden Bull offered an armored hand. He pulled Owin to his feet and patted him on the back. ¡°A fight I won¡¯t soon forget!¡±


    ¡°Did you already clear Ligala Lepis?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°An easy quest, that one. I was hoping I would catch a glimpse of the goblin wizard fighting, but that was not what I expected!¡± Arkasti bellowed a laugh. ¡°Deficient indeed. A berserker is more fitting!¡±


    Owin collected his weapons, placing the knives back in his belt after digging out the trident. Moving the crab¡¯s corpse should have dropped its loot, but Owin didn¡¯t see anything. He walked back to Arkasti and Ernie, a little disappointed. The fight was not necessarily difficult, not compared to the ones that had almost killed him in the past, but it wasn¡¯t simple either.


    Katalin dragged the Thunderstrike Maul over, leaving a trail in the sand.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who saved me?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Indeed. Arkasti Duragoz of the Golden Bulls. I am here to get my first shard.¡± He offered his hand, which Katalin shook.


    ¡°Katalin Miksa. Apprentice alchemist.¡±


    ¡°Apprentice of Althowin Alegarra.¡± Arkasti grinned. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°The crater you created was nothing short of impressive. Perhaps I should have been making deals with you over your comrade.¡± Arkasti winked at Ernie.


    ¡°Ern¡¯s got his own specialties. His grenades are easier to build too.¡± Katalin pointed into the kelp forest that stretched behind them. ¡°Can we kill Baby Head?¡±


    ¡°The horror? Certainly. I have no need of the chest. I would recommend hurrying though, as there are many other heroes waiting to enter the dungeon. You will be caught again soon, and I cannot guarantee others are as friendly as yours truly.¡± Arkasti bellowed another laugh. ¡°I suppose there was proof of that when I found you.¡±


    Ernie leaned to the side, looking over Owin¡¯s shoulder. Owin turned, following his sight, but didn¡¯t see anything out of place.


    ¡°We will hurry. We¡¯re only going to the fourth floor,¡± Katalin said.


    Arkasti nodded. He crouched in front of Owin and poked him in the chest. ¡°I have one request for my hospitality. You three will wait at the void nexus to the third floor for a half hour after I pass through. Despite wanting to see you hurry, I do not want to see you pass through a floor on my efforts. That is as dishonorable as one can be. So, I will pass through while you fight the horror, and we will see one another again someday back in Verdantallis. Do we have a deal?¡±


    As nice as it would be to follow Arkasti through a floor that he had wiped clean, Owin understood where the berserker was coming from. Some heroes had honor. Heroes like Arkasti and Artivan wanted to see people do their best, not use others to their advantage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honorable,¡± Owin said.


    Arkasti slapped Owin on the shoulder hard enough to throw him straight to the ground. ¡°Oh, apologies, goblin! I am delighted!¡±


    Owin jumped right back to his feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t think heroes could be friendly.¡±


    Arkasti¡¯s grin faded back to his stoic, flat expression. ¡°Plenty are. Plenty aren¡¯t. We¡¯ve all killed heroes one way or another. I¡¯m certain you have too, goblin.¡±


    Owin pressed his lips together and gave the berserker a single nod.


    ¡°Back before hero companies, there were groups called guilds that formed when heroes shared a similar ideology. In my home of Sakaebia, there were the Heroes of Valor who taught all members the Chivalrous Code. Many Sakaebians still follow this code, but the modern world has tainted so many.¡± Arkasti took a dramatic breath.


    ¡°Uh, sorry to interrupt,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just talking about not waiting around?¡±


    Arkasti pointed at Ernie. ¡°Right you are, Ernworth. I will continue my story as we tread through the forest. Come, now.¡±


    Ernie grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulder in a tight grip. Katalin took the trident and followed alongside Arkasti as he immediately continued his tale about the Heroes of Valor.


    ¡°You missed the loot,¡± Ernie whispered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything drop.¡±


    ¡°You got a good drop. I didn¡¯t want Arkasti to see. He might¡¯ve tried taking it.¡± Ernie ran over to Etosai¡¯s corpse and pointed at a piece of chitin. It looked like many others scattered about from when Owin had been ripping the crab to shreds. ¡°Examine,¡± he said, jabbing his finger toward the piece.


    Crab Chitin Pauldron - Left


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Crab Chitin armor set is formed of broken pieces of chitin from crab mobs throughout the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. Acts as normal armor unless the hero has acquired the complete set.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch. Cannot be unbound.


    Note: Current Crab Chitin set - 0/8


    ¡°What¡¯s an armor set?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Grab the damn piece of chitin and let¡¯s go,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin grabbed the small chitin plate. It had some small rocks stuck to it just like all the random things attached to Etosai. The pauldron glowed gently as he picked it up.


    Current Crab Chitin set - 1/8


    He moved it to his left shoulder where it stayed without actually being attached to anything. It had looked small before, but it was now big enough to cover his entire upper arm all the way to his neck.


    Ernie waved him on. Owin picked up the hammer and followed behind the alchemist, heading toward Arkasti¡¯s loud voice in the distance.


    ¡°Armor sets are very difficult to get. Each dungeon has two, but finding all the pieces is nearly impossible. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll usually see heroes wearing whatever gear they¡¯ve found or anything they paid for alchemists to create. If you see someone in a full armor set, they probably went through the entire dungeon multiple times. I doubt we¡¯d ever see someone with a full set that doesn¡¯t have a shard or two.¡±


    ¡°So, I have one piece of eight. Does this still do something?¡± Owin asked. The bumpy pauldron felt a little limiting, but it was also new. It wasn¡¯t as if Owin had a lot of experience in armor. A full set of plate armor had never slowed Artivan down. A single piece didn¡¯t need to limit Owin.


    ¡°It¡¯s armor. If something hits it, the chitin should stop it. But you¡¯ve seen armor break.¡± Ernie tapped the piece with his finger. Owin didn¡¯t feel a thing. ¡°Don¡¯t use it like a knight uses a shield, but if you can¡¯t avoid something, better to have it hit that than your skin or your damn head.¡±


    Owin rolled his shoulder and watched the armor move. ¡°Do you know where to find the other pieces?¡±


    ¡°No loot is guaranteed to drop in the dungeons. It said it comes from crab mobs, so you might as well kill every crab you see. Even then, you might never see another piece of the same set.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only journeyman though.¡±


    Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder and guided him into the kelp forest, following the path Arkasti and Katalin had taken. ¡°You¡¯ll find other armor. Probably plenty of journeyman stuff if you¡¯re in the dungeons enough. The trouble is finding pieces in the same set. The other set in the Ocean is probably adept or master level. Rarity means less with special items. It¡¯s journeyman level and incredibly rare at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take it?¡±


    ¡°You killed the boss. You earned it. Plus, what good is armor for an alchemist?¡±


    If armor protected, and it was as easy to wear as this pauldron, what reason would Ernie have for not wearing armor? If anything, Ernie was leaving himself exposed and in more danger.


    ¡°Does Althowin wear armor?¡±


    Ernie sighed. ¡°I figured you would ask. Yes. And she has several completed sets. One from the Sky, two from the Fortress, and one from the Tundra. I have no idea how long it took her to get those, but she displays them proudly.¡±


    Arkasti¡¯s golden armor glinted in the sunlight that filtered through the ocean. He stood with his claymore in the sand again, waiting at the edge of the seaweed. Katalin stood right at his side, looking over her shoulder until she caught sight of them.


    ¡°Those who are slow to rise are the first to fall,¡± Arkasti said without looking back.


    ¡°We were grabbing some loot,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin walked around Arkasti¡¯s other side and stood confidently beside the man, showing off his new chitin pauldron. The Golden Bull chuckled.


    ¡°A piece of armor that suits you, goblin. Look ahead. What do you see?¡±


    About a hundred feet away was a black doorway leading back to the outside world. Just beside it was the staircase down to the third floor. Normally, that would be the most interesting thing to see. Locating an exit or the stairs was the most important thing one could do on a floor.


    But this time, his attention was grabbed by a ruined stone tower with snakes slithering through the rubble. A platform, about thirty feet up, held the single ugliest mob Owin had ever seen.


    ¡°Baby Head,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It sure is,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Ugly little horror.¡±


    Arkasti picked up his claymore. ¡°It certainly is. Best of luck in your battle. I will see you all again.¡± He turned to Ernie. ¡°Ensure your master learns of our deal.¡±


    Ernie nodded.


    Arkasti smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be off. I have a shard to gather. The next time you see me, I will be a true hero.¡± He laughed to himself as he strode across the sand. Baby Head hissed from its perch above, but Arkasti didn¡¯t flinch. He walked right down the stairs and vanished.


    ¡°Half hour,¡± Katalin said. ¡°We can take on a horror and rest in that time.¡±


    ¡°I think you said we, but you meant me,¡± Owin said.

 Book 2 - Chapter 19

    Baby Head was nothing short of horrifying. It scurried quickly across the top of the ruins, frequently turning its dead eyes to Owin. Four overly long legs sprouted from the center head, reaching high above before bending back to fine points that seemed to cling to the surface.


    Baby Head¡¯s nickname came from the main part of its body, which was nothing more than a large bald head. The features were smooth apart from the horrific fangs in the mouth and the blank, dead gray eyes.


    ¡°See? Baby Head,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a baby, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how they look,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you. Everyone knows Baby Head.¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Ilthaman


    Prazene Scout


    Level 20


    ¡°Ilthaman,¡± Owin said.


    Baby Head hissed at the mention of its name.


    ¡°I have to get up there to fight that thing and the snakes just for a treasure?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re not paying you for,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a confusing way to say that.¡± Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°Look. Baby Head is fast but it isn¡¯t that dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Do horrors give a buff?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it!¡± Katalin smacked Owin in the back of the head. ¡°How many times do I have to say this?¡±


    ¡°Apparently a few more,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin shrugged Ernie¡¯s arm off his shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t eat anything.¡± He set the hammer down once again and took the trident from Katalin. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± Owin set off toward the ruins.


    ¡°Horrific damage can be a little . . . well, horrific,¡± Katalin said.


    Few things made him stop so quickly. ¡°What damage?¡±


    ¡°Prazene have a unique type of damage known as horrific,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Think like cathkabel or demons using luminous or abyssal damage. I think the damage is where they got their nicknames.¡±


    ¡°I thought they were just ugly as shit,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Might be both things.¡± Ernie shrugged. ¡°Just avoid getting hit. Horrific damage affects your mind.¡±


    Owin slumped, leaning on the trident. ¡°I was confident.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Katalin said. ¡°How much is that mind doing anyway? What are a few hallucinations going to do?¡±


    Ernie chuckled and sat on the sand. He gestured to the ruins. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a hallucination?¡±


    Katalin scratched her head. ¡°I need to start assuming you don¡¯t know anything. Um . . . it might be better if you just find out. I¡¯m not sure how to explain this one without making you too scared to fight.¡± She sat beside Ernie. ¡°Do you have the purple honeywort tonic?¡±


    He pulled his backpack off and dug through until he found a small vial of purple liquid. ¡°Right here.¡±


    ¡°See? You¡¯ll be fine.¡± She smiled at Owin.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t know what that is, right?¡± He lifted the trident from the sand and adjusted his grip. Fighting with it was still awkward, and would be until someone showed him how to use it. Sanem would certainly know something about using a trident, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to help until he got back to Atrevaar.


    ¡°Trust us,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin watched Baby Head skitter across the ruins. It moved without the head bobbing despite crawling over holes or mounds of rubble. Its legs were a blur, carrying it back and forth over the small bridge connecting the two sections of ruined tower.


    Etosai had been difficult because of his chitin armor. None of his attacks had been that dangerous or difficult to avoid. As soon as Owin cracked the shell, the rest of the fight was easy. In the Ocean Dungeon, there were chest guardians and wandering bosses. Which one was more difficult?


    ¡°How many people actually fight Baby Head?¡± Owin asked as he slowly approached the ruins.


    ¡°Hard to say. I assume most career heroes avoid it because a level 20 on floor 2 is strong. Heroes going for shards would definitely kill Baby Head. And with ease. Arkasti could¡¯ve snapped his fingers and it would be dead.¡±


    Owin nodded. Learning that wasn¡¯t helpful at all. Arkasti was a much higher level than Owin. Everyone was a higher level than Owin. But his stats helped him be roughly equal to someone in the 30¡¯s. At least, that¡¯s what Sanem had said.


    The tower looked like it had once stood hundreds of feet tall, though knowing the dungeons, it had never stood taller than the thirty feet that remained as ruins. Owin stopped short of the tower and waited for Baby Head to notice him.


    The horror stopped scurrying near the edge and gazed down at Owin. Its gray eyes never blinked, staring straight at his wild purple hair.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Owin said.


    The horror hissed and went right back to hurrying around the ruins.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Hurry it up! I don¡¯t have all day!¡± Katalin yelled from her spot beside Ernie.


    ¡°You kind of do,¡± Ernie said quietly.


    Just under a half hour. Few, if any, of Owin¡¯s fights had lasted that long. A giant crab should have been more terrifying than the little spider-like baby head horror, but the gray eyes it kept turning toward Owin shook him.


    He pushed off the ground, kicking a whole cloud of sand into the air. He moved through the water easily and landed gently on the edge of the ruins. Even Owin was surprised his dexterity didn¡¯t betray him. Baby Head and all the slithering snakes paused at the same time, turning to him the moment his toes touched stone.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin pivoted and held the trident up just as a small snake somehow launched itself from the rubble. It smacked against the trident, missing the point. Owin swung the weapon down, slamming the snake into the stone.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    0 Experience


    Four more snakes slithered at the same time as Baby Head sprinted forward, its legs a blur across the rubble. The tower was split into two main halves, about equal size. A bridge connecting the two halves was in disrepair, barely standing on two broken arches. The horror crossed the bridge without difficulty, without even disturbing one of the loose stones.


    Owin swung the trident the same as he did with the Thunderstrike Maul. It cut through the water and launched a snake off the tower, where it smashed into the hazy boundary wall. Blood splattered across the invisible barrier, which answered a lot of Owin¡¯s unasked questions.


    Baby Head launched itself at Owin faster than he could recover from his swing. Three more snakes all dove forward, latching onto his arms and legs with sharp fangs. Baby Head¡¯s Legs wrapped around Owin, pulling his face close to the snarling, fang-filled mouth.


    Gritty teeth scraped his cheeks, ripping through the bumpy, scarred skin. Health points dropped off until Owin grabbed the back of the head and tore the horror off his face. He threw it aside, right off the edge of the tower at the boundary wall. Snakes continued digging their fangs deeper into his skin, but they were quickly killed with swings of the trident.


    Baby Head landed near the stairs and hissed at Katalin and Ernie. Its jaw had broken from the throw, leaving a steady stream of blood flowing into the water. Owin hopped off and landed between the alchemists and the horror.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said.


    Baby Head tilted its head as its gray eyes flashed. Owin readied the golden trident. The creature would charge him again. All he needed to do was impale it.


    A yellow glow suddenly appeared in the staircase. Owin let his eyes drift from Baby Head for just a moment to watch as the top of a glowing mace emerged, climbing up the stairs. It was impossible. The doorways between floors were only accessible from one side. Nobody could go back through from the floor below.


    A shaved head caused Owin¡¯s breath to catch. Glowing yellow eyes glared as the mender climbed up the stairs from below.


    Baby Head crashed into Owin, throwing him onto his back. The trident flew from his hand as he smashed into the sand. Owin immediately rolled backward and landed on his feet.


    ¡°Thanks for getting my dexterity up,¡± he said, turning to Katalin, who . . . wasn¡¯t there.


    Both alchemists were gone. In fact, everything was gone. Even his trident had vanished. He waved his arm through the air and stomped his foot.


    ¡°Do horrors have a teleport attack?¡± he asked himself quietly. The Ocean Dungeon had vanished. Owin was surrounded by stone walls and stood on plain dirt. Moving felt a little easier without being deep underwater. Baby Head and Nikoletta stood together nearby.


    It didn¡¯t matter where he was. Killing Nikoletta was the most important thing on his mind. Her glowing eyes followed every little movement Owin made. Baby Head hissed beside her.


    Owin reached for a knife, only to find nothing in his belt. Even his bag was gone from his shoulder. He clenched his fists and smacked them together. A weapon wasn¡¯t necessary. He could rip her to shreds on his own.


    Baby Head and Nikoletta charged. The horror moved like a blur. Owin side-stepped and readied a fist for Nikoletta, but Baby Head¡¯s long leg caught Owin¡¯s neck and threw him right back at the ground. Sharp legs pierced Owin¡¯s arms, pinning them to the dirt underneath.


    Nikoletta hovered nearby, watching with her lifeless, emotionless eyes.


    Baby Head moved to bite Owin, but its broken jaw hung limp, spilling blood and saliva across his face instead. Despite Katalin¡¯s advice, Owin accidentally swallowed the horror¡¯s blood.


    It burned like fire the whole way down, ticking away health every second. Baby Head headbutted Owin. At first, it hurt and tossed Owin¡¯s head back into the dirt. It also caused the horror to recoil.


    The boss was faster than Owin, but he was stronger. He knew he was stronger. This is what he had been working toward. He grinned as Baby Head readied another headbutt. Owin swung his head up at the same time and smashed his forehead into the nose of Baby Head.


    Blood dropped on Owin¡¯s face like a bucket had been dumped. The legs pinning him to the ground remained, but wobbled as they were suddenly disconnected from the main body, which was nothing more than pulp. He pulled his arms up and ripped the legs out. They were sturdy enough to use as weapons, and sharp enough to do some damage to someone like Nikoletta.


    She remained close by, staring at Owin.


    Something thumped against his head. He turned, legs raised, and was smacked from the other side. He spun back around, finding nothing.


    ¡°What?¡± He took a step back, only to be smacked again.


    Nikoletta took a step toward him, causing Owin to refocus. He wouldn¡¯t go down without getting his revenge for Artivan. Owin leapt at Nikoletta and stabbed with the legs, but passed right through and crashed onto the ground. He hit the ground, bounced, and rolled without control.


    Before he could stand up, something shoved him back onto the ground. A glass vial was forced between his teeth and something sour poured into his mouth.


    Pain stung the back of Owin¡¯s brain as his surroundings melted. The stone walls dripped, revealing the boundary walls and the Ocean Dungeon. The dirt bubbled and boiled away at his feet, revealing the sand and the stairs down.


    Ernie stood over him, holding the glass vial. Katalin crouched beside him and smacked him on the head again.


    ¡°When we¡¯re trying to help you, don¡¯t try to stab us,¡± she said.


    Ernie pulled the vial back and put a stopper on.


    ¡°I tried to stab you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°You kind of just jumped past us, but you were trying to stab something,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I saw the hero that tried to kill me. One of them that killed Artivan.¡± Owin scanned the area, ensuring Nikoletta really wasn¡¯t nearby.


    ¡°Purple honeywort tonic neutralizes horrific damage.¡± Ernie helped Owin to his feet. ¡°The hallucinations should be gone.¡±


    Owin took another glance at the stairs, which glowed with yellow light. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Ernie nodded.


    ¡°Get back up there and get your treasure,¡± Katalin gently shoved Owin toward the ruined tower.


    Owin steadied himself and checked the stairs again. The glow had vanished, leaving the staircase covered in shadows. He hopped up and drifted through the water, landing gently, though unsteadily on the tower. A chest was nestled between stacks of broken bricks on the edge, near the corner where the two boundary walls met. It opened from the slightest touch, revealing a small gnarled stick inside.


    Journeyman Level Wand


    Spells: Arcane Blast, Magma Mine


    4/4 uses remaining for today


    Note: Use of wand without charges will result in health drain


    Note: Arcane Blast requires a verbal command


    Owin picked up the wand and turned it over in front of his eyes. It was a good replacement for the wand he had lost against Graliel. It looked like two wands twisted together, covered in bumps and knots.


    ¡°Anything good?¡± Katalin shouted.


    Owin hurried back to the ledge and held it out. ¡°A new wand.¡±


    ¡°Perfect for a wizard!¡±


    Ernie snorted. Katalin punched him in the arm.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ernie said. ¡°A great thing for a mighty wizard.¡±


    Owin smiled. He hopped off and landed beside the alchemists. ¡°Do you know what Arcane Blast is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I don¡¯t know.¡± Ernie shrugged. ¡°Wizard spells aren¡¯t really my specialty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Try it out on the next floor if you get the chance.¡±


    Ernie leaned in close, looking at the wand. ¡°Does it only have the one spell?¡±


    ¡°No. It also has Magma Mine, but I think I know what that one does.¡±


    Ernie scooted closer to Owin and got uncomfortably close. Owin leaned back, but Ernie grabbed his shoulder and held him still.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Checking your pupils. Making sure the horrific damage has fully passed through your system.¡±


    Owin opened his eyes wider.


    ¡°That¡¯s not helping.¡± He turned to Katalin. ¡°Why are his eyes so damn weird?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ern. Is it maybe because he¡¯s a goblin?¡±


    Ernie rolled his eyes and checked Owin¡¯s again. ¡°It seems fine. Do you see anything weird?¡±


    ¡°Would I know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± Ernie gently shoved Owin away. ¡°We¡¯re assuming everything is back to normal.¡±


    Own nodded slowly. He checked the dark stairs again. ¡°Just to make sure, nobody saw a bald woman with a glowing mace, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I think I would remember that. It was just Baby Head and the snakes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin sighed. Despite the adrenaline and anger that had pumped through him, there was a sense of relief in knowing he would have the chance to kill her.


    That would have to wait. And maybe, if he was lucky, Siora would be there too. He wouldn¡¯t kill them quickly. They needed to suffer.


    ¡°We have a bit. It¡¯s a good time to eat and rest,¡± Katalin said. She pulled her backpack off and frowned as she remembered it was destroyed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat or rest,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh, so you just eat shit because you¡¯re insane?¡± Katalin asked.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ernie pulled a wrapped package of some food from his bag and handed it to Katalin. ¡°We¡¯re going to take a rest. You do what you need to¡ª¡±


    Owin fell to his knees and vomited blood into the water. A massive chunk of his health bar vanished as his vision became red, even as he tried to pull his face away from the cloud.


    Health 5/140

 Book 2 - Chapter 20

    Owin crawled backward until he bumped into the tower ruins. Katalin and Ernie shouted, but their voices were muted and distant. Everything was red as fire burned through Owin¡¯s veins. His stomach twisted as it readied another bout of vomit.


    His health couldn¡¯t take another one.


    Hands shoved him down with incredible strength as a health potion was poured into his mouth. The familiar taste burned on his tongue.


    Health 80/140


    His stomach contorted as he heaved and immediately vomited again, forcing the burning pain to pulse through his whole body again.


    Health 3/140


    More health potions were poured into his mouth, burning like acid as they jumped his health back up. Still, nothing stopped the pain or cleared his vision. Owin tried curling up, but the hands forced him to remain still.


    ¡°What did he eat? What did he eat?¡± Katalin screamed, and yet her voice sounded a mile away.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the horrific damage. I¡ªI don¡¯t know!¡± Glass clinked as Ernie dug through his bag right beside Owin¡¯s head.


    Owin tried to curl up again, but one of the alchemists shoved him back again.


    If he had to die, he had hoped it would be in a fight. At least he would have had a chance of winning. At least he would have been able to kill Artivan¡¯s murderers first.


    ¡°Bring him to the exit,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°No, Kat. We need those mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Not for his life, Ern. We talked about this.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s going to die, being outside isn¡¯t going to fix it. I¡¯ve never seen something like this. I¡¯m not a healer.¡±


    Owin tensed as his stomach twisted again.


    ¡°Think about the fight. What happened? What did he . . .¡± Katalin¡¯s hand firmly gripped Owin¡¯s arm. ¡°Snake venom. Horrific damage.¡± She muttered something completely unintelligible to Owin.


    ¡°Snake venom will work its way through quickly. Too much blood for that. It would only tick his health down a few points at this level. It¡¯s not a boss snake or a top floor mob,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin puked again and successfully curled up, still unable to see his surroundings. His health didn¡¯t drop as far, having been topped off by the multiple health potions used last time. Still, he had no way to help himself. The alchemists would be better off without him. They could follow after Arkasti and get to the mushrooms.


    Owin tried to talk, to tell them to go, but all it did was burn his throat and cause his stomach to twist faster.


    ¡°There¡¯s something we don¡¯t know about goblins, horrors, or snakes, and I don¡¯t think there is anything about snakes that¡¯s going to surprise me,¡± Ernie said. His voice was extremely close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Find me a piece of Baby Head.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to use it?¡± Katalin¡¯s voice quickly faded as her feet crunched in the sand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice here.¡± Owin was partially turned over. Small hands kept shoving him in different directions, turning his head, moving his hands, even lifting his feet. ¡°What in the abyss happened to you?¡± he asked quietly.


    Owin¡¯s whole body flinched as another wave of pain pulsed from his stomach. He heard a groan escape his lips, though he had no control of anything happening.


    ¡°You¡¯re making my job a whole lot harder, Owin,¡± Ernie said. Bottles clinked as he dug through his backpack. ¡°I¡¯m trying here, you know. I don¡¯t hate you. I just can¡¯t fail Althowin.¡± He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if you can hear me. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s footsteps crunched in the sand, followed by a thump as she sat down. ¡°A leg should do, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure. A leg is fine. Any part of the horror will be enough.¡±


    Some things shuffled and a few more glass bottles clinked. Owin twitched again, feeling his stomach start another round of spasms.


    ¡°How long does it take?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Seconds, but it will take me a bit to sort through.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I wish I took Discern,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°If you chose Discern instead of Explosion Ward, you would be dead right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but think how much better my bombs would be if I could¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I need to focus.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Katalin shuffled around until she sat on Owin¡¯s other side.


    As soon as he heard her settle, he heaved and vomited another cloud of blood into the air. She put a hand on his shoulder, and rubbed gently as his muscles relaxed.


    ¡°Shit. Okay.¡± Ernie was suddenly moving, digging through his bag and rearranging the bottles he had pulled out earlier. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Did you get it?¡±


    Ernie only grunted in response. He shifted some more bottles around. ¡°This. This. And . . . this.¡± He grabbed Owin¡¯s cheeks and turned his head. ¡°How long until his next vomit? It¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have any health potions left?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ernie let Owin¡¯s face go. ¡°If ingested, prazene blood will attack the stomach lining and rip the being to shreds from the inside. Health potions do not calm the poison, only restore the health. Based on the ingredients in my bag, I can make one, possibly two variations of an antidote. We¡¯re going to go with my first idea, which is like making raw versions of two separate potions. This prazene antidote is a Power 5 or master level potion.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°I can do it. I just don¡¯t know if I can do it fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you need from me.¡± Katalin hopped over Owin and sat next to Ernie.


    Owin could hear everything they did. He could even sense a little of what was happening as the water shifted with each of their movements.


    ¡°Heat this. Mix with this once you¡¯re done. I need to Cool these two.¡± The water immediately started changing in temperature. Owin¡¯s whole body already felt hot, but he could tell where Katalin was working as the water became warmer.


    ¡°And this,¡± Ernie said quietly to himself. ¡°This needs Heat, and . . .¡± He tapped two bottles together. ¡°What does slug arum do when it¡¯s heated?¡±


    ¡°Withers and crumbles.¡±


    ¡°Right. Then Cool this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll slow the movement,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Two bottles clinked together. ¡°What about the sarracenia cardiosa you had me mix? It¡¯s a pulp now.¡±


    ¡°Mix that with the snapdragons you heated, then put the slug arum inside. We need the flowers coated in the snapdragon and cardiosa pulp.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to neutralize the prazene blood in his stomach. The only way to do that is heal the injuries, which you¡¯re working on, while simultaneously capturing and containing the prazene blood for him to move through his system.¡±


    ¡°He has to shit it out?¡±


    ¡°In short, yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, fuck.¡±


    ¡°So, the slug arum coated in the mixture will repair the injuries, although it¡¯ll be painful¡ª¡±


    Owin tensed again.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie shushed her and continued muttering to himself. ¡°Prazene are weak to energy attacks, which should then be neutralized through a source of arcane powder.¡± He mumbled a few things. ¡°Occult welwitschia should have enough energy to create this, so I¡¯ll Mix this to the right coarseness.¡± It sounded like something churning beside Owin¡¯s head. ¡°And then Compress to a perfect bead,¡± Ernie said.


    The air hummed.


    ¡°This is at least a year¡¯s salary of ingredients, Ern. You need more grenades too.¡± Katalin sighed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And . . .¡± He tapped a finger on the bottle, ignoring Katalin. ¡°The welwitschia bead has a purple glow, which is exactly what we need. Now its carrier to latch onto the prazene blood has to be strong enough to survive the inner workings of a damn goblin, so I¡¯ll let ocular blood carry it. It should even help the poison move through his system faster.¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯ll have diarrhea.¡±


    The bead plopped into the bottle of ocular blood, immediately followed by a flash. Power radiated through the water, brushing over Owin¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Did you just hit 51?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Are the slug flowers ready?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ernie grabbed Owin¡¯s face again and forced his mouth open. ¡°Sorry, Owin.¡±


    Owin felt his body tensing, readying for another bout just as Ernie poured in a bitter, horrible potion. Energy washed straight down his throat, numbing everything it touched. Every muscle, starting from his heart and moving outward, twitched as the potion rushed to his stomach. It gurgled, and Owin felt the potion and prazene blood fight.


    ¡°Now,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin leaned on Owin¡¯s chest and dropped what felt like a full slug into his mouth. It wiggled through his mouth and slipped into his throat. She dropped two more, one after the other, until Owin felt three slugs crawling through his throat toward his stomach.


    He would¡¯ve preferred Ernie¡¯s potion again.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Give it a minute.¡± Ernie had already started packing things up as bottles clinked together.


    Owin farted.


    ¡°Uh.¡± Katalin poked him. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, right?¡±


    Owin farted again.


    He had never had such an experience. Without needing to eat, he had never had to defecate. Even the things he had consumed had just . . . disappeared. But now, something was happening in his stomach as it continued gurgling and rumbling.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s about to shit,¡± Ernie said. He was already on his feet, walking away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would work that fast.¡±


    ¡°Ocular blood moves straight through. It¡¯s a dangerous one for us. For Owin who doesn¡¯t usually shit, I assume this is a new, horrible experience. But it¡¯s an experience he¡¯ll survive.¡±


    Katalin stood and hurried away as Owin released everything built up in his system. His eyes immediately shot open, only to be completely blinded by all the blood floating in the water. He crawled away, feeling aches through his whole body, and took a deep breath as soon as the water was clear. A brown cloud floated just beside all the blood where he had been lying.


    ¡°That¡¯s about our half hour,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Who¡¯s ready for the third floor?¡±


    Owin scowled. ¡°I need to change my pants.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll kill a cetanthro on the next floor and get you a pair. But for now, it¡¯s either that or being naked on the bottom half,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin walked up and hugged Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    He wrapped an arm around her waist. ¡°Thank you. Both of you.¡±


    Ernie just grunted and walked to the stairs.


    ¡°What did I tell you about eating things?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose. I barely remember doing it.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t eat it. Blood floats in the water. I mean, look at that mess where he was lying. I¡¯m sure a lot of people have died to Baby Head just because they accidentally drank a small bit of blood.¡±


    Owin groaned and put a hand over his stomach.


    ¡°The slug arum will continue repairing the damage. Your health should be ticking up slowly,¡± Ernie said.


    It was climbing, though at the current rate, it would be days before he would be full health again. He slowly gathered his things, double checking that he had all his various weapons. The new wand sat in his belt right beside the lich bone knife. Owin took a deep breath. Everything hurt. Each time his body had tensed, it had added new aches. With his health so low, pain would be constant, at least until the potion fixed the injuries.


    Floor two had almost killed Katalin and Owin, and they had two floors to go before they could harvest the mushrooms Ernie needed.


    All of this for some mushrooms.


    Ernie walked down the stairs. ¡°Anybody against going down right now? No?¡± He waved. ¡°See you there.¡± He disappeared into the black void of the doorway.


    ¡°No matter what he says, he¡¯s glad you¡¯re alive,¡± Katalin said. She adjusted the trident in her hands. ¡°Now, this next floor is what killed our last escort. We want to avoid fighting, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know how to do that,¡± Owin said. He groaned again. If he thought about it, he could feel the slug flowers crawling inside of his stomach. ¡°How long does this last?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never made a potion like that before. Ernie¡¯s the more potion oriented one.¡±


    ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°Bombs and items. That¡¯s why our abilities and spells are so different.¡±


    ¡°I heard him say it was a master level potion,¡± Owin said quietly as they approached the stairs. He stared into the black doorway at the bottom of the stairs.


    ¡°Right. Potions and bombs have rarity classifications like weapons. Part of that was the Power 5 spell he needed to create it, and part of it is the skill required. Even if I had Compress, I don¡¯t have the control to make things the exact right size like Ern does.¡±


    Owin just nodded as if he understood. He had his own couple of spells, and that was all he would ever have. Anything above Power 1 was a mystery to him. Even knowing the names didn¡¯t really help him understand what it was like to have those spells or what it took to cast them.


    ¡°What he did more than makes up for what he did in the golden city,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I know. I agree.¡±


    Katalin smiled and bumped him with the butt of the trident. ¡°Better get down there before Ernie gets jumped by some fish.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 21

    Ocean Dungeon


    Third Floor


    The stone stairs led into a small room with a well in the center of the room. The wooden floorboards were slightly warped. A cetanthro reclined on a box near the door. It gave them a quick glance as they materialized at the top of the stairs.


    Ernie stood near the well, looking inside. ¡°Why do they have a well underwater? Sometimes I think Sloswen had never been in the ocean before creating the dungeon.¡± He wandered to the stairs as they descended.


    ¡°Just a thought, Ern,¡± Katalin said, gently grabbing his shoulder as she stepped off the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t say any shit about the dungeon¡¯s god while we¡¯re in the dungeon.¡±


    Owin stopped on the small landing where the stairs turned. ¡°I never thought about the Ocean Dungeon god. What was their name?¡±


    ¡°Sloswen,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Do you know anything about him?¡±


    Katalin shook her head. ¡°You can ask Althowin someday if you meet her.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t talked to me,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°The gods don¡¯t normally talk to heroes,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Ruvaine did.¡±


    The cetanthro lounging nearby sat upright and watched them with one eye.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°She mostly told me to climb, threatened me, and said I¡¯d die if I left the dungeon.¡±


    Katalin snorted. ¡°Proved her wrong.¡±


    The cetanthro stood. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that blasphemy again.¡±


    Owin grabbed the trident from Katalin. ¡°What blasphemy?¡±


    ¡°Elysium is the only salvation.¡±


    ¡°Did Sloswen make mobs that don¡¯t even worship him?¡± Ernie laughed.


    The cetanthro tensed, so Owin chucked the trident. It didn¡¯t fly in a straight line. The prongs didn¡¯t even stay forward, but the shaft of the trident smacked into the cetanthro with enough force to toss him backward. Owin dashed and jumped, swinging the Thunderstrike Maul. It moved sluggishly through the water, but still weighed enough and had enough power with Owin¡¯s strength to easily crush the fish upon landing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was going to fight us,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°He was getting ready to attack,¡± Owin said. He kicked the body and found a little gem that he dropped into his bag.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust the one who has been fighting everything,¡± Katalin said, nudging Ernie with her elbow.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m going to take his pants.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s a better reason for killing the mob.¡± Ernie turned around. Katalin stared blankly at the well until Ernie elbowed her.


    ¡°Oops.¡± She quickly turned around.


    Owin took off his trousers and dropped them down the well. The cetanthro¡¯s had no special armor or stats, and they didn¡¯t fit at all. He tore them apart until the ragged legs hung a bit above his ankles. He walked over and handed the trident back to Katalin. ¡°What¡¯s this floor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shipwreck. Biggest ship that¡¯s ever existed. The cetanthro have a city built into the wreckage. It probably houses a hundred fish. Right?¡±


    Katalin nodded.


    ¡°Do they want to kill us?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s where it¡¯s complicated. No.¡± Ernie opened the door and gestured out. Right outside the building was a stretch of sand and stone. The surface of the water looked significantly farther away. Everything was a bit darker than it had been on the last two floors.


    Beyond the little plain of sand and stone was an absolute monstrosity that had once been a ship. The wreck could have fit an entire city district on the deck. From their position, Owin could see the first stone buildings of the cetanthro city, densely packed together in the shadow of the shipwreck.


    Ernie put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder, leaned close, and pointed. ¡°Out there is a chokepoint where the cetanthro can swarm. That¡¯s where they stopped Tibur last time we were here.¡±


    ¡°How did you get out?¡±


    Ernie lifted his arm. ¡°Climbed the shipwreck. There are some mobs up there, but the intelligent cetanthro stay in or near the city.¡±


    ¡°The secret and all the loot is in the city?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Certainly. But what are we here for?¡± Ernie asked.


    Owin sighed. ¡°Mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Mushrooms,¡± Ernie repeated.


    Owin shrugged Ernie¡¯s hand from his shoulder. ¡°If the cetanthro aren¡¯t hostile, why can¡¯t we walk through the city? Isn¡¯t it faster?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a trigger that sets them off on the border of the city. We¡¯ve passed through once, a while ago when someone from Magna Regum escorted us. Everyone else seems to set it off and makes the cetanthro hostile. Artivan even escorted us once and ended up blocking the cetanthro with his big barrier. So, no offense to you, Owin, but I think we¡¯d be better off avoiding fighting a whole city. You don¡¯t really have an answer to a swarm, especially when you¡¯re so low on health.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been through this dungeon how many times and you never found Ligala Lepis?¡± Owin couldn¡¯t imagine Artivan missing such a major part of the second floor. He couldn¡¯t imagine Artivan missing any of the secrets or potential loot.


    ¡°Most heroes who are escorting just want to get through as fast as possible. They get paid when they finish, not when they complete a quest. If Kat wasn¡¯t encouraging your curiosity, we would¡¯ve gotten through that second floor a lot faster.¡±


    Katalin laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°You blew yourself up,¡± Ernie said.


    She shrugged. ¡°Worked out.¡±


    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t ¡®work out.¡¯ You would be dead without the Golden Bull¡¯s help!¡±


    Katalin¡¯s humor vanished. ¡°And you two lived.¡± She walked out the door, setting a quick pace for the wreckage.


    Ernie sighed. ¡°This has been the worst escort we¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    Owin felt his stomach crawling with the slug arum potion. His health was still slowly ticking up. Sharp pains were morphing into distant aches, though most of his body still hurt. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ernie vigorously rubbed his face. His eyes were tired. Owin hadn¡¯t been able to watch as the potions were being made, but he assumed there was enough work and abilities involved that it had worn Ernie out. Or he was simply tired from traveling through the dungeon. Or perhaps both. Owin didn¡¯t really know what it felt like to be tired. Exhaustion had worn at Artivan until he was barely standing at the end of the fourth floor. If Owin had let him slow down, maybe it would have turned out differently.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to apologize for, actually.¡± Ernie scratched his mustache and wandered out the door. Katalin was already farther ahead, having continued at her intense pace. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡±


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    ¡°What is?¡± Owin asked. Katalin glanced back, brow furrowed, harrumphed, and kept going.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her care about a thing in years. I¡¯ve been the one pushing her. Pushing for a better life. For the possibilities Althowin offered. Pushing for myself. I¡¯m the one who wanted to be the next famous alchemist. The next Althowin.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing, Owin.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re getting the mushrooms.¡±


    Ernie laughed softly. ¡°Like Kat says, we need to get your wisdom up.¡±


    Owin smiled.


    ¡°You brought something out of Katalin that I haven¡¯t seen since we were young. The excitement. The curiosity. Thank you.¡± Ernie stared into the distance, watching Katalin, who had stopped and dug the trident into the ground. She tilted her head, too far away to see her expression, though Owin assumed she was still scowling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just who you are then. When you get all seven shards, what are you going to wish for?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to stop people from being scared, but now I want Artivan.¡±


    Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°If I can help you, I will.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Not in the dungeons, obviously. But maybe I can make you some buffs, if Althowin lets me.¡±


    Owin wouldn¡¯t complain about buffs. He needed to find some source other than quests if he was going to get strong enough to actually conquer anything. He was struggling with bosses on the second floor. What was he going to do about the top floors? ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Catch up with Katalin before she murders us,¡± Ernie said, gently shoving Owin forward.


    The ocean felt bigger than ever before after leaving the building. Sand and stone extended as far as he could see in every direction, even past the boundary walls. It looked like he could walk for days without finding anything.


    Katalin lifted the trident and put it over her shoulder once Owin was closer. ¡°Took you two long enough. What if something swam down and snatched me and swallowed me whole? I¡¯d be dead and you two would still be sitting in there having a little talk.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll never talk again,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin rolled her eyes. ¡°Climbing with these weapons will be difficult. We could try the city first like Owin said.¡±


    ¡°I can hold both and climb,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°No you can¡¯t. How are you going to grab anything?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin looked at his hands. One was already occupied with the Thunderstrike Maul. It was too big and cumbersome to carry any other way. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous. If we don¡¯t know what triggers the aggression, we can¡¯t purposefully avoid it.¡± Ernie took off his backpack. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing, and we still have the olm and the worms in the caves to fight. If I really have to be desperate, I think I could make something with this . . .¡± He pulled two small bottles from the bag.


    Katalin snatched one and held it in front of her face. ¡°Is this a frenetic stem?¡± She squinted at the little brown stick inside.


    ¡°Yes. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you brought any frenetic stem. I could¡¯ve made a pipe bomb even bigger.¡±


    Ernie carefully pulled the bottle out of her hand. ¡°Obviously you didn¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    ¡°But I could have.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Ernie put both bottles back in his bag. ¡°Really, I have nothing. Climbing above is easily the best option. Strap the trident onto your back, Kat, and Owin can carry the hammer and climb with one hand. He¡¯s strong enough.¡±


    Owin shifted the Thunderstrike Maul in his grip and tried to use his bag strap to hold it up. The hammer fell to the ground, kicking sand into the water. ¡°Ernie¡¯s right. We should avoid more fights.¡±


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear that from you,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Are you sure you can climb?¡±


    Owin tried to fit the hammer into his bag strap again and heard fabric tear before he took the weight of the hammer. ¡°No.¡±


    Katalin raised her eyebrows.


    Ernie groaned. ¡°What happens if we go through the city and get surrounded again? We don¡¯t want what happened to Tibur to happen to Owin, right?¡±


    ¡°Who gives a shit about Tibur? He was a rich snob that had been cocky the entire time. Does Owin look cocky to you?¡± Katalin put her hand on top of his head, flattening his hair.


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes.¡± Ernie adjusted his backpack and ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°Fine. But we need to be ready to retreat quickly. That could mean abandoning your hammer if it¡¯s slowing you down.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a unique weapon, so there was always a chance he could find one again in the future. The Thunderstrike Maul had come from the labyrinth, the first secret Owin had explored with Artivan. He couldn¡¯t imagine leaving it, even if there was a chance of finding another. A different Thunderstrike Maul wouldn¡¯t have the same meaning. If they needed to flee, he would find a way to do it while carrying the hammer.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin said. Lying didn¡¯t come naturally, and the pain in his stomach grew, though he also wasn¡¯t used to having potion-coated slug flowers crawling around.


    ¡°When you regret your decision later, remember that I still think going above is the best option.¡±


    Before long, the shipwreck surrounded them like the ribcage of a massive creature. The ship was upside down, though in its current state with warped beams and molding boards, there¡¯d be little holding it up even if it wasn¡¯t upside down.


    All three of them stared at the skeletal structure surrounding them. The sunlight that managed to pass through the water vanished, leaving most of the wreckage in deep shadows. Some beams made it through the hull, leaving bits of the cetanthro city illuminated like beacons in the dark.


    ¡°The first floors were girhuma, who are also called water elves,¡± Owin said. ¡°And now we¡¯re at the cetanthro, who are fish people, like in Ligala Lepis.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°And they don¡¯t like each other?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Ernie had pulled a bottle from his bag during the walk and started to Mix whatever was inside. The material spun without being touched and slowly broke apart into a powder, which also continued to mix and spin.


    Katalin watched the bottle with such intensity that she hardly noticed anything else.


    ¡°But unless we trigger something, the cetanthro will let us walk right through their city?¡± Owin tried to think back to the Great Forest and if there had been something comparable. The hobgoblins wanted to fight right away, but that was just normal hobgoblin behavior. They liked to fight. There was something that changed the Malignant Spirit cult or the satyrs into enemies, but that was based on a questline.


    ¡°Is there a quest in this city?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of.¡± Ernie pulled the bottle away as Katalin tried to snatch it from his hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t been inside any buildings, so we could¡¯ve missed a quest giving mob.¡±


    ¡°We absolutely missed half the shit on this floor.¡± Katalin stepped in front of them and stopped. ¡°See this?¡± She gestured to two huge beams that were partially buried in the sand. ¡°This is what we call the chokepoint.¡±


    ¡°This is where the last hero died,¡± Ernie said. ¡°He could¡¯ve escaped, but he kept fighting. If things go poorly, this is where we retreat so you can hold the swarm off until we¡¯ve climbed on top over there.¡± Ernie pointed to part of the frame that was like a warped, curved ladder leading to the top of the wreckage. ¡°Then you drop the hammer and run as fast as you can to join us.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ernie got right in front of Owin. ¡°Let me say that again. You drop the hammer and run as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    Ernie narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you right now, but I¡¯m hoping it goes through to that tiny brain of yours.¡±


    ¡°No need to insult, Ern.¡± Katalin shoved him to the side. ¡°We don¡¯t want to abandon you. You wanted to prove you can escort and protect, this is your chance. Get us through this fish city.¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Katalin gently shoved Ernie again. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like the damn flooding in the Great Forest or the collapse in the Fortress. If we don¡¯t know what causes it, we can¡¯t avoid it,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°A trap in the secret labyrinth causes the flooding in the Great Forest¡¯s third floor,¡± Owin said.


    Ernie stopped mixing the contents of the bottle. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A trap in the secret labyrinth¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you moron. I heard you. How do you know that?¡±


    Owin tried remembering exactly what had happened before the labyrinth flooded and before he found the Thunderstrike Maul, but the details were hazy. Most of his memory of that point was focused on his fear of drowning, of being alone in the dark, narrow passages, and of Artivan arriving to save him.


    ¡°I¡ªno, Artivan triggered a trap. Maybe it was me? And the labyrinth flooded. When we left the whole floor was flooded. Artivan also said he had never known what caused the flooding to happen.¡±


    ¡°What was the trap?¡± Ernie asked.


    Owin shrugged. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    ¡°How can you avoid it in the future if you don¡¯t even know what it was?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just do it again. What¡¯s in the bottle?¡±


    Katalin snatched it from Ernie¡¯s hand. ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Kat. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Katalin raised her eyebrows. ¡°Me? No.¡± She continued using Mix on the powder and held it low enough for Owin to get a good look. It was a dark gray powder, not much different from ash or old dust. ¡°This is a little something called oxidized charcoal vulgaris. One of Ernie¡¯s favorites.¡±


    ¡°And the last of it that I have. You don¡¯t even have a use for it.¡±


    ¡°I could find one.¡± Katalin handed the bottle back to Ernie. ¡°It¡¯s a health potion base.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that.¡±


    Owin tried to use Examine, but as long as Ernie was holding it, he couldn¡¯t see any details. ¡°Are you going to make a health potion?¡±


    ¡°If I can find something, yes. If not, the only thing I could make is a frenzy potion, and that wouldn¡¯t do us any good. Especially with you. I don¡¯t know if it would ever wear off or if you would be frenzied forever.¡± Ernie waved them on. ¡°Let¡¯s not find out.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s frenzy?¡± Owin asked, walking alongside Ernie. Katalin stayed nearby but veered off a little as she stared at the different distant sections of the shipwreck.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a berserker rage ability but for anyone. Not as strong, obviously. It helps you ignore pain in exchange for making you pissed off. Good and bad. I knew a Three Headed hero that used them all the time in fights. Impressive thing to see. Not good for your brain.¡±


    ¡°Which I don¡¯t have,¡± Owin said.


    Ernie chuckled. ¡°Still up for debate. If you can get us through this fish city without a fight, you¡¯ll be the smartest hero I know.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 22

    Each building in the cetanthro city was squat and square. Planks from the ship had been used to frame windows or patch holes in the bricks. No two buildings looked the same, as if each had been built in an isolated environment. Some were red brick, some were white, others were made of quarried stone, and others were made of mismatched bricks and stones. There was no pattern to the use of planks harvested from the wreck. They were stuck with mortar in some places and nailed in others.


    A monstrous fish leaned on the outside of a building, right at the edge of town. Owin hardly noticed the mob in the dark shadows until it turned its head and a tiny bit of light reflected off a scale.


    Ocean Mob


    Itajara


    Level 18


    The itajara was at least the same size as Chorsay, though the fish wasn¡¯t standing upright. It wore a sleeveless tunic of braided plants and had muscular scaled arms crossed over its chest. They had hands, just like the other cetanthro Owin had seen, with webbing connecting the fingers. A few smaller cetanthro walked between buildings in the city, looking more human than the huge itajara right on the city¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Itajara,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I know. I used Examine.¡±


    ¡°Have you fought an ogre before?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°In the Great Forest.¡±


    Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder and pointed at the itajara, who just stared off at the wreckage surrounding them. ¡°That is a fish ogre. The itajara follow the phyraena and will swarm. That¡¯s how our last escort died. A level 18 might look easy, but the itajara rarely go down in one or two hits, and the phyraena will direct the swarm and crush you.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t reassuring. ¡°Okay.¡± Owin caught the itajara¡¯s eye, but the fish didn¡¯t move. ¡°Are they intelligent?¡±


    ¡°Mildly. Not like other mobs. They follow instructions but they aren¡¯t going to have a discussion with you.¡±


    Katalin walked to the side quietly with her index in front of her eyes. Whatever she was looking at took most of her attention.


    Ernie glanced at her before shaking Owin gently. ¡°The smaller ones are mostly phyraena who have classes just like humans.¡± He paused and grunted quietly. ¡°And you.¡±


    ¡°Deficient?¡±


    Ernie laughed. ¡°No. Berserker, soldier, and so on. There aren¡¯t any magic fish on this floor other than the floor boss. At least, none that I¡¯ve seen. We shouldn¡¯t see a cetanthro magus, wizard, mender, or umbra, but it could happen if we stumble across a quest or one of those secrets you¡¯re always mentioning.¡±


    ¡°They have good loot,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°The magic users?¡±


    Owin ducked under Ernie¡¯s arm. ¡°No, the secrets. We should actually go in one if we find it.¡±


    Ernie sighed. ¡°Definitely no time.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would say that.¡±


    ¡°If we find something that helps you next time, we can take a quick detour to learn, but no full quests or anything. Those take too long.¡±


    ¡°Killing Graliel didn¡¯t take that long,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°We failed that quest and Katalin almost died. Did you forget about that part?¡±


    Owin scratched his head. ¡°Okay. No quests.¡±


    Ernie grabbed Owin¡¯s arm and turned him around. Katalin, still focused, continued walking on. Owin looked at the alchemist¡¯s hand. Ernie had a tight grip on Owin¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°We joke, but I need you going in with your head straight,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Ernie tapped on Owin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Think before everything you do. Going through the city is faster but incredibly dangerous. I almost lost Katalin, and you almost died. I¡¯d prefer it not to be my turn, and I already saved both of you.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°You have already proven that you¡¯re capable, and plenty strong. Few heroes I know could get that close to death and just continue on like nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°It still hurts,¡± Owin said. His health was still climbing, and he could still feel the slugs in his stomach, which was a horrible feeling.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re here and ready to fight if needed. But I don¡¯t want a fight. I want us to get through here without issue. We¡¯re out of health potions, and we¡¯re out of grenades. You are our only shield now, and you¡¯re barely healthy enough to kick a rock.¡±


    ¡°I will do my job,¡± Owin said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Ernie nodded. ¡°Use your brain and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Katalin stopped a few feet in front of the itajara and pivoted. ¡°Did you know I could get Greater Volatility at 55?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kat. We get two abilities at 55. I assume you¡¯re taking that and Reactive Armor, but I need to take the crafting ones.¡±


    The itajara turned its head and watched them. Gills on its neck flared.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Ernie said, nodding to the cetanthro.


    ¡°Is it morning?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Katalin strode past the fish.


    The cetanthro city had a single main road running through, weaving back and forth like a snake. The rest of the city was criss-crossed with alleys, most narrow enough to barely fit Owin. He was certain the secret was in a building or hidden within an alley, but as much as his curiosity clawed at his mind, he wanted to respect Ernie¡¯s wish to get through quickly. If it was as dangerous as Ernie made it sound, Owin needed to watch for anything that might trigger aggression.


    ¡°How far did you make it before they became hostile last time?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°About halfway into the city,¡± Katalin said over her shoulder. ¡°The soldier had to clear the way out, then decided to hang around to hold them back at the chokepoint.¡±


    ¡°Focus on getting through,¡± Ernie said.


    The buildings continued their odd construction patterns as they entered the city. Some of the buildings inside the city were longer or interconnected with additions that were made from bricks or stones different from the buildings they connected.


    Cetanthro of all kinds talked and roamed. It felt like a real city except the random itajara leaning against a wall watching in silence. The phyraena Ernie had mentioned were everywhere. From what Owin could see, there were more phyraena than any other cetanthro variation.


    The phyraena were all taller than Owin or the alchemists, but they were a foot or two shorter than the itajara. Long fangs protruded from their lips and they had long, thin heads and necks. Overall, they were thinner than any other mob Owin had seen.


    ¡°They¡¯re ugly,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Says the goblin.¡± Katalin laughed and patted Owin on the head. ¡°At least you¡¯re not a fish.¡±


    ¡°Girhuma are considerably less ugly,¡± Ernie said. ¡°That being said, I¡¯ve heard some cetanthro on the lower levels are beyond hideous. I¡¯ve never seen those fish, but Althowin once rambled on about something called a lophiforma and its single light in a pitch black floor of the dungeon. These are apparently beautiful in comparison to whatever hides in the bottom floors.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a floor with no light?¡±


    Ernie only gestured at the wreck above them. ¡°Deeper we go, darker it gets. The fourth floor still has some light. I assume the fifth is almost already pitch black, but I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been there.¡±


    A little cetanthro darted right in front of Owin. He watched it swim across the street and vanish into an alley. Miya from the Nimble Hogs had butchered and burned a dead corpse that had looked just like that.


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    Katalin was also watching the small fish disappear. ¡°What are the chances of ruining our trip if I catch a herengo?¡±


    ¡°Almost guaranteed, Kat. Remember, nothing that might even almost trigger aggression. The less we do, the better.¡±


    Owin watched everything happening in the city. Cetanthro traded dungeon gold for bundles of seaweed, which Owin didn¡¯t even see on this floor. Phyraena greeted each other and talked happily like people who had known each other their whole lives.


    ¡°This seems like a normal city,¡± Owin said. ¡°The third floor of the Great Forest was just the scaltari in different separate camps. Even the fourth floor hobgoblins barely had an actual city. It was just dog kennels and ruins.¡±


    ¡°Just because something looks real doesn¡¯t make it real. If you look close enough, I¡¯m certain you could find flaws. Things that aren¡¯t right, but they look right on the surface.¡± Ernie shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a thing some have studied for decades. Why did the gods create cities and villages inside the dungeons? Why not have everything like the coral reef or the goblin caves? Or even the flooded scaltari forest?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the gods are lonely in the dungeons,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin chuckled. ¡°Doubt it. I can¡¯t imagine the gods spend any time thinking about us, and they certainly don¡¯t share our emotions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the general feeling outside the dungeons. There are the cults, but, uh . . .¡± Ernie shook his head. ¡°Better to stay away from those freaks.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve guessed,¡± Katalin said. She put her elbow on Ernie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have an idea with the vulgaris.¡±


    Ernie rolled his eyes and handed her the bottle of gray powder.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll need your help.¡± She grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. Owin followed, keeping an eye out for any cetanthro that were giving them too much attention. Few, if any, of the fish paid them any attention.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I have a grenade idea. It¡¯s simple, but with the right alchemists making it . . .¡± She paused to nudge Ernie. ¡°It can be powerful.¡± She dug into his bag and pulled out one of the green death mushrooms.


    ¡°They¡¯re only good for poison,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Right.¡± Katalin grinned and grabbed an empty bottle from Ernie¡¯s bag. She shoved two mushrooms into the bottle, capped it, and started to use Mix. ¡°Frenzy poison. In a swarm, if a bunch went mad and started to die of painful poison, they may attack each other.¡±


    ¡°Frenzy numbs pain.¡±


    ¡°Not when it¡¯s from mycena glorophosa. It attacks the nerves themselves. It¡¯s a pain you can¡¯t ignore.¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t help but watch. He quickly scanned the area every few seconds, but also watched as the alchemists dropped to their knees and started working on their new creation. Apparently whatever Katalin had said had been enough to catch Ernie¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°How are you going to get the explosive reaction?¡± Ernie asked as she handed him the green death powder.


    ¡°Crystallize the green death, then destabilize and catalyze. If I up the output, I think I can get it to explode on contact.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand anything you said.¡± Owin watched their hands glow, causing different reactions to the two ingredients inside the bottles. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We need to separate the ocean water from the objects so it doesn¡¯t dull a reaction, and Kat and I have different abilities and spells, so we sometimes have to rely on each other to complete steps. Unlike other magic classes, alchemist spells can be used frequently, but we¡¯re limited by mana and materials.¡±


    The green powder in the bottle collected together, forming a little bright green bead. He handed it to Katalin, who brought it close to her face, then activated some spell that caused the bead to quiver before exploding out, forming a huge green crystal lattice through the bottle.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin grinned. ¡°Thank you. Vulgaris?¡±


    Ernie opened the bottle of the compressed oxidized charcoal vulgaris. Katalin took the bottle and put the two mouths together. Her hand holding the vulgaris glowed and caused the bead to shake. It bounced around the bottle, but remained a bead.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± she said. ¡°This might not work.¡±


    Owin took another scan of the city. A few itajara had gathered near an alleyway about a hundred feet away, but they weren¡¯t specifically looking at Owin or the alchemists. He gave them a few seconds before turning his attention back to the alchemy.


    ¡°What if you used Transmute? It¡¯ll take longer, but when it reverts, it will already be covering the crystals, especially if you can time it correctly,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°A liquid vulgaris?¡± She clicked her tongue and nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, okay. It will only last for a few minutes. In the meantime, I could start to increase the volatility and output.¡±


    ¡°Condense it first before you use Transmute.¡±


    Katalin capped both bottles and handed the green crystals to Ernie. ¡°I can do this as we walk. When it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll let you both know.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Anything happening, Owin?¡± Ernie asked.


    The itajara down the road had spread out a bit. They weren¡¯t specifically watching Owin, but he would need to get through them to continue into the city.


    ¡°There are some of the big ones down the road.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t look specifically hostile,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Lead a little ahead of us just in case.¡±


    Owin did as he was told, getting a dozen feet ahead of the alchemists. They continued talking and working on their frenzy poison. Owin didn¡¯t quite get the reason for making the potion, though Katalin seemed really focused on making it.


    She held the trident in one hand and the bottle in the other. The contents of the bottle rumbled as she used various spells and abilities, changing the properties and power of the material inside. Owin had seen the two alchemists work a few times now, and he had heard Ernie talk himself through the horror blood antidote, but none of their abilities made much sense to him.


    There was so much going on between mana, abilities, and materials while Owin only ever really worried about whatever weapon he was holding. Sometimes his spells were useful, and he had to keep track of charges on a wand, but that had always been simple enough.


    ¡°How difficult is it to make buff potions?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not simple to make any rarity, but I can consistently make journeyman or apprentice ones without any errors. Generally, artisan ones have turned out when I¡¯ve made them. Adept becomes tricky, and without discern, master potions are out of reach. Power 5 difficulty potions normally rely on many different factors, and the slightest error can cause failure.¡± Ernie held up the green crystals. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what this would be considered.¡±


    ¡°Artisan,¡± Katalin said without looking. All of her attention had remained on the bottle in her hand. ¡°Explosive ratings work differently. A master level grenade would decimate this entire city.¡±


    ¡°Are explosives that big ever needed?¡± Owin asked. He tried thinking of every floor he had been to. When would something like that be needed? Even Katalin¡¯s pipe bomb explosion hadn''t been big enough to cover the whole cetanthro city.


    ¡°On upper floors, yeah. Althowin said she¡¯ll teach me a recipe for something she calls the Annihilator when I hit level 60. I don¡¯t think I can build it yet, but she wants me working on early versions,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick with potions and items,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t pick Ward.¡±


    Ernie groaned. ¡°Drop it.¡±


    Owin kept his eyes on the itajara ahead. They had certainly started to pay closer attention to Owin and the alchemists as they got closer. He stopped, waited for the alchemists to catch up, grabbed the trident from Katalin, then rushed to get ahead again. Ernie gave him an odd look while Katalin didn¡¯t even notice. She immediately used her free hand to help cup the bottle and use whatever spell she was putting into the vulgaris.


    Ten itajara had gathered, spreading most of the way across the street. They looked nearly identical, only differentiated by small patterns along their scales. They all wore the same sleeveless armor and all were shoeless with massive stump-like feet.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m watching,¡± Owin called back. The cetanthro weren¡¯t accidentally standing menacingly, but they hadn¡¯t done anything to trigger aggression. If they had, the other fish would also be trying to kill them.


    ¡°What if fighting the itajara is the trigger?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. We didn¡¯t fight any of them last time,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Now, Ern,¡± Katalin said, shoving the bottle at Ernie.


    Owin remained where he was, but glanced back to watch Ernie turn the powder into a liquid. He handed it right back to Katalin, who had magic buzzing around her, which caused the liquid vulgaris to bubble. She combined it with the crystal, capped it, and shook the bottle until the liquid coated every bit of the green crystal.


    Ernie took the empty bottle and put it back into his bag. He took a few intentional steps away from Katalin as she continued shaking the bottle as her hand glowed white.


    ¡°Is it going to work?¡± Owin asked.


    Katalin grinned. ¡°Absolutely. Once the oxidized vulgaris turns back to a powder, it¡¯ll be ready to go.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± an itajara said. It¡¯s voice sounded like someone gurgling. Its webbed hands were closed in meaty fists as it looked down from high above. ¡°Inspection.¡±


    ¡°What kind of inspection?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Looking for water elf.¡±


    Owin stopped a few feet in front of the cetanthro, making sure to stay out of its reach. Ernie stopped and grabbed Katalin¡¯s arm to stop her from walking forward as she watched the bottle.


    ¡°Is this the same idea as the quest last floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this before,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Killers of our Deacon loose in town.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Ernie said. ¡°This is because of the quest on the last floor.¡±


    ¡°The floors are connected? I thought they were all separate.¡± Owin watched the other itajara shift, slowly forming a circle.


    ¡°Cathkabel and demons don¡¯t play by the same rules as the rest of the dungeon,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Cathkabel?¡± Katalin pulled her attention away, noticing the formation of itajara. ¡°Oh, fuck. Who brought these ugly pieces of shit here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for the killer of their Deacon,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh, the guy¡ª¡± She shut her mouth and scowled. ¡°How can we help you, gentlemen?¡±


    The itajara in front of Owin pointed. ¡°Water elf.¡±


    ¡°Goblin,¡± Owin said, pointing at himself.


    ¡°Water goblin,¡± the itajara said.


    ¡°No. Just goblin.¡±


    ¡°Goblin the whole way down,¡± Ernie said. ¡°You know, the ugly cave goblins? Like to light things on fire and trash furniture?¡±


    The itajara opened its mouth and looked at the other huge fish in the circle. None of them seemed to know what was going on.


    ¡°Is that all we do?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie shrugged. ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Outsiders are the primary suspect,¡± someone said behind.


    Owin dropped the hammer and prepared to throw the trident. A smaller cetanthro, about six feet tall, stood in scaled armor with his arms crossed. He was one of the thinner phyraena variations. Knives along his belt glittered in the faint sunbeams.


    ¡°And you three are certainly outsiders.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 23

    Ocean Mob


    Teduin


    Phyraena Assassin


    Level 23


    Owin shifted his feet, preparing to throw the trident. With the cetanthro fully surrounding them, Owin would need to distract Teduin long enough to draw his knives and quickly kill the itajara.


    ¡°Are you the wandering boss?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°¡®Boss¡¯ is a casual title that I do not associate with myself. I am the mayor of Estanormina.¡± Teduin bowed his head. ¡°Servant of Elysium.¡±


    ¡°The city is a servant of Elysium or you are?¡± Ernie asked. ¡°It¡¯s great to be clear.¡±


    Teduin lifted his overly long neck. His wide mouth opened in a smile, revealing all of his small, sharp teeth. ¡°We all serve Elysium.¡±


    ¡°I serve Althowin Alegarra because she¡¯d kill me if I didn¡¯t,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a big fan of fish, honestly,¡± Katalin said without ever looking at Teduin.


    ¡°I thought we were avoiding aggression,¡± Owin said, still ready to throw the trident.


    ¡°Look at this fucking guy,¡± Ernie said, gesturing to Teduin. ¡°He thinks he¡¯s better than us and he¡¯s only level 23.¡±


    ¡°I know you said there was something else causing aggression, but killing the mayor will probably make them want to kill us,¡± Owin said. ¡°Right? I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if I¡¯m not here,¡± Teduin said.


    ¡°I know how that feels,¡± Owin muttered.


    ¡°Oh. Fuck yes.¡± Katalin held her bottle up in front of Ernie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Perfectly done. Now for a little more destabilizing and output and it¡¯ll be one of my best yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you close to a level?¡±


    Katalin¡¯s index flashed in front of her eyes. ¡°A few attribute points off, but I¡¯ll probably hit it when I knock a fish head off with this.¡±


    ¡°Your strength isn¡¯t nearly high enough to throw that hard. Let Owin throw it if you want to take a head off. It just won¡¯t be the one he¡¯s aiming for.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°You have done little to dissuade me,¡± Teduin said. ¡°Spies for the girhuma.¡±


    Ernie took a deep breath and stepped close to Teduin. He was significantly shorter, making his approach less intimidating than it otherwise might¡¯ve been. ¡°We are humans who couldn¡¯t care less about the water elves or any of the cetanthro. We are passing through without issue.¡±


    Teduin leaned down as his gills flared open. ¡°You reek of lies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nearly certain a fish can¡¯t smell lies,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I want nothing more than to walk through your city¡ª¡±


    ¡°Estanormina.¡±


    ¡°Your fish city without issue,¡± Ernie continued. ¡°But my friend there,¡± he said, pointing to Owin. ¡°He wants to eat you. He wants to eat everything.¡±


    Owin fought to keep his face neutral. He wanted to scowl or ask what Ernie¡¯s goals were, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin whatever plan the alchemist had, assuming he had one at all. Owin kept the spear ready to throw, but his arm started to ache.


    ¡°Eat us? To worship the Abyss?¡± Teduin asked. At the mention of the Abyss, every itajara tensed like they were ready to pounce.


    ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that. No, nothing with the Abyss. He thinks it makes him stronger,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin wanted to correct Ernie and that eating most things has made him stronger, but it didn''t seem like the right time.


    ¡°How can I be certain three outsiders that act so suspiciously aren¡¯t working with the blue bastards?¡± Teduin tilted his long face. ¡°How can I be certain such an odd looking creature isn¡¯t a girhuma in disguise?¡±


    Ernie looked around until he realized the fish was talking about him. ¡°Me? I¡¯m a normal looking human!¡±


    ¡°I have not seen a human with such a hairy lip,¡± Teduin said.


    ¡°How many humans have you seen?¡±


    Teduin pulled his face back. ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Continuing on,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Right, Mayor? We respect the cetanthro and wish no harm upon you. I apologize for my rude behavior before. I have had a long couple of days and am one to lash out when I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Teduin gestured to the itajara behind Owin. The huge fish silently moved aside just enough to allow Owin to pass. Owin finally let his spear arm drop and heaved the hammer back off the ground, letting it rest on his shoulder. He stared into the itajara¡¯s tiny, beady eye that never seemed to blink as he walked past.


    A wave of relief washed over Owin as he left the cetanthro circle. With the levels of the mobs being low enough, he was sure he could¡¯ve handled the fight just fine on his own, but fighting while protecting Ernie and Katalin would have been too much of a challenge.


    Relying on Artivan and his shield had been easy. Until Owin had a weapon or some ability that helped him protect others, the only way he could fight was by being aggressive and fast.


    ¡°That went better than I expected,¡± Owin said. He turned, expecting to see Katalin staring at the new grenade she made. Instead, he saw the back of the itajara who had just moved back into position, fully blocking Ernie and Katalin from passing.


    ¡°Foolish to assume I would let pawns of the Abyss slip through my city,¡± Teduin said. He cackled, which sounded like someone gurgling.


    ¡°This is a mistake,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We aren¡¯t lying to you.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t like you, but we also weren¡¯t causing problems,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I¡¯m really not a fan of fish fucks like you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to kill you. That¡¯s the difference between us, I suppose.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°The Lords will send their spies from the Abyss to corrupt the children of Elysium.¡± Teduin grabbed the knives from his belt. ¡°I will not stand for the corruption of my people.¡±


    Owin dropped the hammer and jumped. He floated through the water, carrying him slowly until he landed on the itajara¡¯s shoulders. The golden trident prongs easily punctured the scaled skin and ripped through the cetanthro¡¯s head.


    0 Experience


    Owin leapt from the cetanthro¡¯s shoulders as it collapsed and drove the trident through another¡¯s head before it even realized its friend had died.


    ¡°Kill them!¡± Teduin dove at Ernie, sliding through the water effortlessly. The alchemist reacted slowly, taking a knife to the gut as Teduin tackled him.


    ¡°Owin!¡± Katalin reached for Teduin and Ernie but missed as the cetanthro boss swam away, trailing Ernie¡¯s blood.


    Owin landed on the road as another itajara collapsed beside him. He clenched his jaw and let his eyes scan over the scene before him. People relied on him, just as he had relied on others. Artivan had said the Nimble Hogs would take care of him, and now he acted as a Nimble Hog, putting their name to the test to care for others. Others who were dying.


    Show the world how strong you are.


    Artivan¡¯s words echoed in his mind.


    Owin planted his foot and launched the trident. It disappeared from his fingers and cut straight through the water. Even with a low dexterity score, the trident flew true. It felt as if it hit its target as soon as it left Owin¡¯s fingers.


    Ernie dropped to the ground, gripping the knife in his stomach as the trident embedded itself deep into the brick wall. Teduin¡¯s body floated in the water, suspended on a cloud of blood as his guts drifted from the two halves of his body.


    Owin didn¡¯t wait to see his kill. He grabbed the lich bone knife and the journeyman wand from his belt and jumped at another itajara. The huge cetanthro threw his fist and caught Owin in the chitin pauldron, throwing him right back at the ground.


    Owin smashed into the road and watched the small amount of health he had drop in half. It would have been worse if he hadn¡¯t caught the blow on his shoulder. He immediately rolled away, fighting to ignore the pain, and pointed the wand.


    ¡°Arcane Blast,¡± Owin said. Purple light appeared at the end of the wand, spinning as it formed. The spell burst off the end of the wand, recoiling Owin¡¯s hand as it flew, unimpeded by the water.


    The itajara stepped toward Owin as the spell smashed into its gills, ripping them apart. It stumbled and was not prepared for Owin or his lich bone knife. The undead weapon easily punctured the cetanthro¡¯s eye. Owin used the knife as a handle as he planted his feet on the stumbling itajara and tore through its skull, spilling fish brains into the water.


    Katalin took a itajara punch to the face, launching her into a building. She crumpled and fell to the street with the grenade still clutched tightly in her hand.


    Owin crouched beneath a cloud of blood, spotting the last four itajara advancing on Katalin. Ernie was conscious and crawled to the side. When he caught Owin¡¯s eyes, he just pressed his lips together and nodded.


    The rest of the cetanthro around Estanormina were heading toward the fight, swarming like Ernie had said. There were more itajara, other phyraena, and more cetanthro Owin hadn¡¯t seen before.


    He needed to get the alchemists away.


    ¡°Arcane Blast,¡± Owin said, pointing at another itajara. The spell smashed into its face, halting its advance.


    Owin aimed the wand just behind the cetanthro and cast Magma Mine. A pulsing red circle appeared on the street.


    He slipped the wand back into his belt before he could use it anymore. With all four uses of the day gone, anymore would sap his health, which he didn¡¯t have to spare. One knife was all he needed. The white knife felt like it glowed in his hand, reflecting what faint light there was.


    One itajara approached Katalin, fist ready to smash. Owin launched himself with everything he had. He still felt like he moved slowly in the water, but his speed carried him into the itajara¡¯s waist where Owin made sure to drive the knife as deep as possible. He slashed upward as he jumped off, ripping through the fish. The itajara fell into the wall, still alive and reached for the wound, trying to stop the blood rushing into the water.


    Owin turned just as another fist swung at him. His Goblin Cunning helped him step to the side as the itajara fist ripped past. Owin grabbed the cetanthro with his free hand and cast Discharge


    Mana Refreshed


    Band of Power 1 - 0/1 Charges Remaining


    Electricity roared through the itajara, making its body twitch until its eyes popped. The mob went limp and floated partially upright in the water.


    Two more.


    Owin jumped at the closest itajara, who easily brought his arms up to block. The lich bone knife cut into his forearm, but he didn¡¯t seem bothered as he shoved Owin back. Both itajara came together, standing shoulder to shoulder as they advanced on Owin. The street was filled with clouds of blood and floating guts, making it difficult to see just how close the approaching swarm had gotten.


    ¡°Die,¡± one itajara said.


    Owin clenched his jaw. His health was low, and he would die someday, but he had already decided he wasn¡¯t going down without getting revenge for Artivan. Nobody would stop him until Siora and Nikoletta were dead.


    They were ready for a head-on attack. It was the way he had handled every one of their comrades. But it wasn¡¯t the only way Owin knew how to fight. Thanks to Sanem, he had practiced a few things.


    Owin stepped backward into a cloud of blood. Some random pieces of cetanthro floated nearby, bumping against his shoulders as he disappeared from the itajaras¡¯ sight. This way, he could keep a use of smoke cloud while maintaining the same tactics.


    Owin grabbed his old stone knife. If he had to lose any weapon, he would pick the jagged knife he had woken with. It was the weapon of the Goblin Darkblade, not of Owin the Hero.


    He threw it forward, roughly in the direction the cetanthro had been. At the same time, he dashed to the side, keeping low. The water was disturbed around him, kicking up all sorts of things into the water, but the cloud of blood was so thick and wide that he remained hidden.


    ¡°Water elf gone,¡± one itajara said.


    ¡°Nearby,¡± the other said.


    Owin slipped behind, dashed out of the blood, and sliced one itajara across the back of his knee. Owin immediately jumped and slashed across its head, killing the itajara before the other could fully react. It reached out, but so did Owin, catching its hand as he cast Discharge. Electricity rushed through the cetanthro, causing its eyes to pop as it dropped dead.


    Owin¡¯s mana was gone again as he landed roughly on the road. Magma Mine went off, sending a geyser of magma into the air. Cetanthro melted from the first touch, screaming as they collapsed. The magma quickly cooled, solidifying into an obsidian pillar that crashed on the swarm.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Ernie shouted, his voice weak.


    Owin slipped the lich bone knife into his belt and ran to Katalin. She was still unconscious, so he picked her up and held her on his shoulder. She was too tall to make it comfortable, but his strength was plenty high to manage. He ran over to Ernie, who had managed to take the knife out and stop the bleeding.


    Owin pulled the trident out and handed it to Ernie. ¡°Hold this.¡±


    Ernie only grunted as he took the trident. Owin picked him up and put him on his other shoulder. Running wasn¡¯t easy, but he managed to grab the Thunderstrike Maul and hold it while rushing through the street.


    The only problem was how incredibly slow he was moving. The swarm was gaining on them quickly. Ernie grunted with every step as Owin tried to balance both alchemists, the Thunderstrike Maul, his bag, and even the golden trident Ernie was holding.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Owin said as he turned and dropped both alchemists. Ernie grunted as he bumped into the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked quietly.


    Owin peeled the grenade from Katalin¡¯s firm grip. ¡°Do I need to do anything before I throw this?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Ernie held his hand out. Owin handed him the bottle. It glowed as Ernie cast some spell and slipped it back into Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°Throw it hard.¡±


    Owin waited a second until the front of the swarm was very clear. Itajara were up front, running faster with their long legs. He planted his foot and launched the grenade. It flew, wobbling as it tried to cut through the water.


    It struck one of the itajara¡¯s up front, smashing the glass on contact. The green crystals shattered and exploded out, throwing shards in every direction that sliced through cetanthro skin. A trail of gray dust hung in the water anywhere a shard went, leaving a criss-crossed wall of frenzy hanging in the air.


    A few cetanthro went down from injuries caused by the crystals. The rest ran ahead, stampeding over their comrades without a second thought. Poison from the green death mushrooms and the frenzy from the frenetic stem quickly rushed into their system.


    ¡°Move,¡± Ernie said through clenched teeth.


    Owin picked both alchemists up and found a way to hold the hammer again as he carried them onward.

 Book 2 - Chapter 24

    A cetanthro that looked a lot more like a fish than a person barreled through a brick wall, sending debris spilling into the water. Owin skidded to a stop, dropping both alchemists. Ernie grunted as he thumped on the ground.


    Ocean Mob


    Grinatora


    Huso Molin Brute


    Level 20


    The huso molin shook its head, tossing small bits of brick into the water.


    ¡°That¡¯s the chest guardian,¡± Ernie said, trying to pull himself away.


    Katalin groaned and stirred, but still had yet to wake.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be this far over.¡± A spurt of blood escaped Ernie¡¯s wound, blossoming in the ocean water. ¡°Kat, wake up!¡± Even his yell was strained and accompanied by another grunt.


    Owin held the trident, watching the huso molin as it whipped its head around and took in its surroundings. The massive cetanthro was about six feet tall and ten feet long with pillars of muscle and sinew for legs. There were no arms near the front, only small fins that wobbled as the huso molin turned. Its face was pointed with a slightly upturned snout.


    ¡°Elf,¡± Grinatora said in a deep, booming voice.


    Owin pointed at himself. ¡°Goblin.¡±


    ¡°Kill it,¡± Ernie said.


    Muscles flexed through the cetanthro¡¯s legs. Owin tensed, readying the trident. Was the chest guardian weaker or stronger than the wandering boss?


    Grinatora barreled forward, running as if there wasn¡¯t water slowing him down. Owin slipped to the side and jabbed with the trident. The prongs ripped through the huso molin¡¯s fin, stabbing into flesh. Grinatora was too fast and too big to slow down even as the trident tore down his side.


    Owin fought to keep the trident in his grip as the boss ran past. The trident caught something and pulled Owin off his feet, back toward the swarm. Ernie crawled over to Katalin and poured a health potion in her mouth. He gently slapped her until she gasped and woke up.


    Owin planted his feet on Grinatora¡¯s side and yanked, pulling bones and flesh out with the trident. He fell to the ground as Grinatora slammed into the front of the swarm following them.


    The sudden disturbance to the swarm caused the itajara in the front to stumble and immediately turn on one another. Punches were thrown, jostling more of the swarm, until the smaller cetanthro drew weapons and started stabbing and slashing.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Katalin was on her feet, though her face was contorted in pain. ¡°It worked!¡±


    ¡°You said it would,¡± Owin said, running back over.


    Some of the swarm fanned out around the edge, rushing toward Owin and the alchemists.


    Owin grabbed the hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. ¡°I thought you said we were out of health potions.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to get angry about that. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ernie leaned partially on Katalin, but they moved too slowly up the street.


    Owin handed the trident to Katalin and picked Ernie up again, even as he protested. ¡°How far to the end of the city?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be much farther,¡± Ernie said through clenched teeth.


    Katalin kept one hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder as she watched the frenzied swarm fight behind them. ¡°More cetanthro are breaking through.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them when we get to the edge of the city.¡± Owin thought through his whole arsenal. What could hold off a swarm? His knives were probably his best option to move fast enough to dodge and attack. If he wasn¡¯t in the water, the Thunderstrike Maul would be the perfect weapon.


    ¡°How¡¯s your health looking?¡± Katalin asked, squeezing his shoulder gently.


    ¡°Twenty. The slugs are still crawling around.¡±


    ¡°For another couple hours,¡± Ernie said quietly from his shoulder.


    ¡°That should get you up halfway, assuming you don¡¯t get hit. Stop getting hit,¡± she said.


    The road curved back and forth a few more times before the city abruptly ended. The shipwreck crumbled ahead, even dropping bits of debris as Owin looked. A building sat in the distance, far off where the bow of the ship lay wrecked. Between the edge of the city and the other building was hundreds of feet of open space with debris raining down.


    Owin gently put Ernie down. ¡°Why did you lie about the health potion? Why not use it on yourself?¡±


    Ernie glanced at Katalin and sighed. ¡°I would¡¯ve used it if you needed it, Owin. I wanted to keep one safe for Kat.¡±


    Katalin gently slapped him in the back of the head. ¡°Idiot.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have time for a conversation. Even if they did, what did Owin hope to get from one? Ernie did a lot of things with only Katalin in mind, and Owin couldn¡¯t blame him for that.


    ¡°Are the stairs in there?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but there is a floor boss guarding the stairs,¡± Ernie said. He wrapped something around his midsection, slowing the bleeding even more.


    ¡°Get to the building. I¡¯ll catch up and fight the boss.¡±


    ¡°This is beyond dangerous,¡± Katalin said. ¡°You can¡¯t get hit or you¡¯ll die.¡± She crouched and grabbed his cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±


    Owin smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You only fight until we¡¯re far enough that you can catch up,¡± Katalin said. She patted him on the head. ¡°You¡¯ve been enough of a hero today.¡± She grabbed Ernie¡¯s arm and started dragging him away. He took the trident to use as support as they set off across the open plain.


    Grinatora led the swarm, leaking blood from the gash at his side. The swarm had thinned significantly from the frenzy, but there were still at least thirty cetanthro heading straight for him.


    Owin spun and threw the hammer as far as he could toward the building. It looked like it was about to soar through the water as it glowed, then it suddenly slowed and dropped to the ground.


    It didn¡¯t matter. He grabbed the lich bone knife and Naxile¡¯s knife. The boss was the most dangerous, so he would kill Grinatora first, then whoever was the closest. Katalin¡¯s frenzy poison had hit most of the itajara, leaving the swarm full of smaller cetanthro.


    Owin let out a deep breath. He hopped between his feet. Low health, aches all over his body, a weird feeling of flowers crawling in his stomach, and the need to protect the alchemists all swirled in his mind. So much to think about, and yet, he had no time to think.


    From the moment he awoke in the goblin caves, he had been fighting and killing. There were moments where fighting was terrifying. He was afraid for his own life, and even more for the lives of those he cared about. In the ogre cave before he fled, Owin had never felt such fear, knowing he was going to lose Artivan. When Katalin detonated the pipe bombs, he had thought he had failed her and the Nimble Hogs and was terrified of what would happen.


    So many times he had been scared. More than scared.


    But most of the time when he had to fight, he was happy. When they had fought Siora¡¯s team in the hobgoblin village and butchered the Void Nexus heroes, Owin had no fear. When he fought Graliel and ripped the cathkabel apart, he had fun.


    Ernie and Katalin were safe, which meant Owin only needed to relax and enjoy himself. He adjusted his grip on both knives, flipping them into reverse grips. The small boost to his dexterity had helped his speed, multiplied even more by his Goblin Cunning. While it was difficult to move as fast and smoothly through the water, he still had a boost to help him, and he intended to make use of it.


    ¡°Water elf,¡± Grinatora bellowed.


    Owin leapt as high as he could, hovering briefly while suspended in the water. Grinatora slowed, titling his massive head up to watch Owin as the cetanthro continued swarming past.


    Without arms, Grinatora was defenseless from above, allowing Owin to easily land on the guardian¡¯s head. Both knives easily punctured his skin and tore through the huso molin. Owin jumped off Grinatora before his corpse fell. Phyraena had rushed past, chasing after Ernie and Katalin. They left their backs defenseless.


    Owin didn¡¯t jump far enough to make it to the front. Instead, he sliced through a smaller cetanthro, ducked under a swing, and dashed between fish until he reached the front. A little hop brought him to their head level where he stabbed both knives into two different phyraena eyes. Owin spun himself in the air, tearing the knives out of the cetanthro faces before landing in front of the swarm.


    He spared one look over his shoulder. Ernie and Katalin were about halfway to the building. They had to swerve to avoid a larger piece of debris that had fallen from the wreck above.


    ¡°Maybe one day one of you will wake up like I did. But for now, you¡¯ll respawn.¡± Owin took another deep breath then dove right back in. The swarm had brought every mob within Estanormina, even those that didn¡¯t look equipped to fight. The cetanthro mobs were all about numbers rather than skill or weapons, making it easy for Owin to slip between and stab or slash. They were slow to respond, and by the time they did, he had already moved on to his next target.


    The swarm¡¯s advance slowed as more cetanthro turned toward him, ignoring the alchemists as they had grown too far away. Blood spilled into the water, even as Owin failed to kill most of the cetanthro he attacked. A single slash or stab brought some down, but most kept moving and swarming even as he cut their ankles or stabbed an eye. He wasn¡¯t aiming, and even if he was, he wasn¡¯t sure he would hit his target.


    It lasted for a few minutes before Owin escaped the swarm. He shook his head, throwing guts out of his hair. Ernie and Katalin stood outside the building, watching from a distance. The cetanthro swarm was a collection of blood and limping fish. If he got experience from fighting, it would be worth finishing the fight. He saw the draw to clearing the floor as many heroes did, from what he had heard.


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    Owin slipped both knives into his belt and grabbed the nearby Thunderstrike Maul. The swarm was much smaller as they barely advanced toward Owin while he stood still. Many of the standing cetanthro were severely injured, limping as they continued their mindless march.


    The next time he was in Estanormina, he would need to find the chest that Grinatora was guarding and the secret, wherever that might be. But for now, the alchemists were waiting and there was no reason to keep fighting. Ernie had warned him about standing his ground against the swarm, even if he had been handling himself just fine.


    Owin rushed across the open plain, hopping to the side as debris continued falling. It wasn¡¯t falling so fast to make it dangerous, but if he had gotten caught outside the city while fighting, it would have been another obstacle to avoid.


    By the time Owin reached the building, he had lost the swarm¡¯s aggression. The cetanthro swarm had stalled part way through the plain. Some lingered while most turned back toward Estanormina.


    ¡°I have to say, that was a better showing than the Golden Bull we had hired,¡± Ernie said. His knife wound was properly wrapped now, stopping any more bleeding. He was still hunched over, but he seemed less hobbled than before.


    ¡°He was a soldier who could mostly tank attacks,¡± Katalin said. ¡°You just¡ª¡± She made a sound and mimicked stabbing with a knife over and over. ¡°Maybe your lack of a class is somehow helpful. Makes you unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°I have a class.¡±


    Katalin flatted his hair as she patted him on the head. ¡°Deficient wizard isn¡¯t a class, you moron.¡±


    Owin laughed. He approached Ernie and put his hand on the alchemist¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We should have gone above.¡±


    Ernie pushed Owin¡¯s hand away. ¡°You made up for it.¡± He slowly started nodding. ¡°But yeah, I do know what I¡¯m talking about. Maybe you will both listen to me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t count on it,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Figured.¡± Ernie shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯d never seen the cetanthro act like that before. You acted smart. And damn fast.¡±


    Katalin grunted and nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re both alive and safe, and you made it out unharmed. I¡¯d say that proves you can handle this. Got it?¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the boss inside?¡±


    ¡°A cetanthro.¡± Ernie coughed and flinched. ¡°Surprising, right? Last time, we chucked some grenades through the door then rushed to the void nexus.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re all out of grenades. Unless you want to count yourself as a grenade. I¡¯ll throw you inside.¡± Katalin gestured to the door. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I think I can run faster than you can throw me.¡±


    Katalin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d still do it.¡±


    Owin set the Thunderstrike Maul at her feet. ¡°Keep my weapons safe.¡± He pulled out the lich bone knife and Naxile¡¯s curved knife. ¡°I¡¯m having fun with these for now.¡±


    ¡°We need to find a better way to carry your weapons,¡± Ernie said. ¡°This is not efficient.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t cut your own belt,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin ignored the alchemists and kicked the door open. It didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°It opens this way, moron,¡± Katalin said, pulling the door.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The floor inside was spotless checkerboard tile, giving the whole room a clean, sophisticated look. A round planter dominated the middle of the room, holding a few tall pieces of kelp and a myriad of other plants Owin had seen on the previous floors. The black doorway, the void nexus exit, stood out on the back wall, right beside the stairs down.


    A cetanthro crouched at the planter, adjusting the position of a small flower. He looked like the phyraena from earlier, though he was as big as the itajara.


    Ocean Mob


    Barracuda


    Phyraena Wizard


    Level 20


    Barracuda slowly stood to his full seven foot height. He wore a long coat that became something like a cape with how low it hung. His scaly, muscular chest and abdomen were exposed, looking entirely too human for a fish. He held a pure white wand relaxed in one hand, like it was barely balancing on his finger.


    ¡°An outsider,¡± he said in a deep, calming voice. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°A water elf?¡±


    ¡°Goblin.¡±


    Barracuda kneeled and turned his head. His gills flared as he tried to get a better look at Owin. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A goblin?¡± Owin pointed at himself. ¡°Me.¡±


    The phyraena stood back to his full height. He adjusted his sleeves, revealing fins on his forearms. ¡°What is your purpose here?¡±


    ¡°My friends need to pass.¡±


    ¡°And you do not?¡±


    ¡°Oh. No, I need to pass too.¡±


    Barracuda nodded slowly. ¡°We will battle. I cannot allow the passage of any outsiders. Please, invite your friends inside. They can witness our battle, and if you fall, they will take your place.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t attack them during the fight?¡±


    ¡°Only if they do not respect our duel.¡±


    Owin pushed the door open. ¡°He wants you to watch our fight. Just don¡¯t get involved.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Katalin said, immediately barreling inside.


    Ernie walked slowly after her, keeping his hand pressed over his wound. ¡°This seems like a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°I will respect your safety,¡± Barracuda said.


    ¡°Sure you will.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a long fight anyway,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Hm. A confident water elf.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m green!¡±


    Katalin snorted. ¡°They all think you''re a water elf, huh?¡±


    ¡°A worshiper of the Abyss,¡± Barracuda said. ¡°You would do better aligning yourself with a follower of Elysium.¡±


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any available,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin muttered.


    ¡°Hurry this up so we can get moving,¡± Ernie said.


    Barracuda walked to the stairs, readjusted his sleeves so they stayed put, then brushed his jacket aside, revealing his chiseled abdomen. ¡°Are you ready, Owin?¡±


    Owin flipped Naxile¡¯s knife into a reverse grip. A fish wizard was new to Owin, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. Their spells would likely work well under water, unlike Bolt or any fire spells.


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    The last third floor boss Owin had fought was Charzosk the scaltari, who had died in one hit from a charged Thunderstrike Maul. The knives Owin was now holding weren¡¯t as strong as a charged Thunderstrike Maul, but they were better equipped for underwater fighting.


    The lich bone knife had a lot of potential, knowing how strong liches were, but he hadn¡¯t noticed anything special with it while fighting up to this point. Naxile¡¯s curved knife was about as ordinary as weapons came, but he hadn¡¯t found a better second knife yet.


    Barracuda lifted his free hand. His webbed fingers spread out, pointing at the ceiling. ¡°Arcane Enhance.¡± A purple ball appeared in his hand, warbled, then cascaded down his body, leaving a purple haze surrounding his entire body. Barracuda pointed his wand. ¡°Ice Bolt.¡±


    White energy swirled at the end of the wand and launched at Owin. He barely had time to bring his knife up to block the spell. It hit with enough power to knock Owin back a step as he redirected the ice into the wall behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a wizard spell,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Magi use ice,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Wands can hold magus spells?¡±


    ¡°They can hold any spells,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not any, but close,¡± Ernie said.


    Barracuda dashed forward, enhanced by his spell, and became a purple blur until the huge fish form appeared right before Owin. He ducked under a fist that churned the water with its power. Owin leapt backward, planted his feet on the wall, and launched himself straight at Barracuda¡¯s long face.


    Before Owin reached him, Barracuda twirled the wand, casting another spell that chilled the water surrounding him. As soon as Owin hit the cold water, he slowed considerably.


    ¡°Get out of the Ice Aura!¡± Katalin shouted.


    Still enhanced, Barracuda moved incredibly fast through the slowing aura and punched Owin. Without the enhancement, a normal wizard¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t enough to scare Owin. With the enhancement, the mob¡¯s strength was more deadly, especially while he was at low health. He twisted just enough to block the hit with a knife and his chitin pauldron. Between the two Owin only took a few points of damage as he was pushed out of the aura and back to the ground.


    ¡°A water elf fighting without tricks?¡± Barracuda asked.


    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t need tricks.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s just bullshit,¡± Ernie said, causing Katalin to laugh.


    Barracuda pointed his free hand and his wand. ¡°Arcane Blast. Ice Bolt.¡±


    The arcane blast came from his free hand first, giving Owin plenty of time to slip past, still avoiding the swirling Ice Aura spell. The spell smashed into the wall where Owin had been standing, shattering bricks. The wand gathered Ice Bolt and launched it at Owin as he was already dashing, letting him easily dodge both spells.


    Journeyman wands had four charges per day. All of the ice spells had come from Barracuda¡¯s wand, meaning it had one charge remaining. The cetanthro left the Ice Aura, which had already started to wane. It had been effective at stopping Owin from reaching him, but with only one charge left, Owin could easily wait it out.


    ¡°A quick elf,¡± Barracuda said, still appearing calm.


    Owin pushed all of his strength into his foot, launching himself at the fish. The tiles cracked under his feet as he cut through the water. As predicted, Barracuda used his last charge to cast Ice Aura. Right before hitting the slowing circle, Owin threw the lich bone knife, which sliced through the water, unaffected by the spell.


    The white knife embedded itself right between Barracuda¡¯s eyes. The cetanthro stumbled and reached his free hand up to touch the handle of the knife sticking out of his face.


    Owin slowly dropped back to the tiles. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Barracuda ripped the knife free, causing the cetanthro to stumble again as blood gushed from the wound. He moved to throw the knife, but instead pushed it. ¡°Gale Burst.¡±


    Wind magic died quickly in the water, but the force of it caught the knife with enough power to send it flying at Owin. His Goblin Cunning allowed him to lean his head to the side in time, but the sharp bone still sliced through the edge of Owin¡¯s ear


    You have been tainted by the undead


    Damage from undead sources is doubled until your health is restored


    At least now Owin knew what the lich bone knife did that was special. He grabbed it from the ground behind him and faced Barracuda. The boss stood calmly even as blood leaked from the wound on his face.


    ¡°Your wand is out of charges,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°So it is.¡± He slipped it into his jacket pocket. Barracuda waved him closer. ¡°Let us finish this, water elf.¡±


    Owin dashed forward, dodging as Barracuda launched another arcane spell. Owin twisted through the water, landing on unsteady feet before leaping. He knew the jumping was predictable to those who had seen him fight enough, but a third floor boss had no way to stop him as he drove the lich bone knife into the side of Barracuda¡¯s skull. The knife, having already tainted the cetanthro, did double damage as it shattered Barracuda¡¯s skull. Owin launched the fish to the side, sending Barracuda right into the planter he had been caring for. He trampled the kelp and flattened the flowers as his corpse came to a rest in the middle.


    Owin landed unsteadily on one foot then slipped and fell onto his bottom. ¡°I ruined the plants.¡±


    Katalin snorted. ¡°They¡¯ll respawn with him in a half hour. Nothing to feel bad about.¡±


    Owin held up the white lich bone knife. ¡°The first hit with this taints the target and makes undead damage double until health is restored.¡±


    ¡°Does the description say that?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°No. A status notification told me when it cut my ear.¡± Owin hopped to his feet. ¡°I guess I need to avoid undead.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any on the fourth floor,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Loot and we can go,¡± Ernie said, pushing himself to his feet with a grunt.


    Owin grabbed the white wand from Barracuda, then shook the body to see if any other loot dropped out. There was nothing.


    ¡°Bad luck,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Bosses usually give a gem or gold.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Always the chance that no loot is dropped."


    Journeyman Level Wand


    Spells: Ice Bolt, Ice Aura


    0/4 uses remaining for today


    Note: Use of wand without charges will result in health drain


    Note: Ice Bolt requires a verbal command


    ¡°Two wands might make you actually seem like a wizard,¡± Katalin said, flattening Owin¡¯s hair again. She laughed before hurrying back to Ernie to help him walk toward the stairs.


    ¡°One more floor,¡± Ernie said with another grunt.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Ernie nodded as Katalin took his arm. ¡°Just sore.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Ernie nodded. ¡°We¡¯re all getting through this, Owin. I¡¯m not dying over some damn mushrooms. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin felt a twist in his gut. The last time he had been on the fourth floor of a dungeon, Artivan stayed behind.

 Book 2 - Chapter 25

    Ocean Dungeon


    Fourth Floor


    The stairs led down to an open space of sand and rocks, wide enough to give four options of ways into the sprawling caves ahead. Ernie had been right about the light. It was much dimmer on the fourth floor, and it looked incredibly dark inside the caves, other than where some mushrooms glowed enough to light up a section of the wall.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing intelligent on this floor. Just creatures,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Some vicious bastards,¡± Katalin added. She helped Ernie off the stairs. He was moving better than before, but he still winced with any big movements to his abdomen.


    ¡°Do you know where the mushrooms grow?¡± With four separate entrances into what was certainly a dark cave, he didn¡¯t want to get lost. The memories of the dark, confusing labyrinth flashed through his mind.


    ¡°Roughly. There are five spots that grow them. If we get at least four, we¡¯ll have plenty, but if we can get all five, that would be best. And, luckily for you, one area is right by the chest guardian.¡± Ernie pointed to the leftmost entrance. ¡°Somewhere over there. About halfway through, after we get the chest, we swerve somewhere right to find more.¡±


    ¡°Is that before or after the arches?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°After, I think?¡±


    Owin cleared his throat, grabbing both alchemists¡¯ attention. ¡°Are you sure you know these caves?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ernie smiled. ¡°We¡¯re going to have fun. Two of us near death, and all of us about to get lost. Oh, what a time.¡±


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± Owin asked Katalin, who had an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been an ass this whole time, and now you¡¯re having fun? After getting stabbed?¡±


    Ernie stretched out his arms. ¡°Look at where we are. We¡¯re on the fucking ocean floor with a goblin as an escort. A goblin who just killed most of a cetanthro swarm with two little knives. This is absurd, even for us.¡±


    ¡°Two floors ago, you were ready to abandon Owin,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie nodded slowly. ¡°I was. And I was wrong.¡± He gestured to the leftmost entrance again. ¡°The cave is right here. The gilled mushrooms are a few minutes away.¡± He winced and covered the wound with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little odd.¡±


    Katalin dropped to her knee and forced his hands aside. She inspected the rough bandage they had used to wrap the wound. Blood had already colored it red. Owin wasn¡¯t sure how helpful a bandage was underwater since it had already been soaked when it was wrapped, but Katalin appeared to know what she was doing.


    ¡°How¡¯s your health?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Not as high as I¡¯d like, but it stopped dropping.¡± Ernie¡¯s index appeared. The light shifted as he switched to different pages. ¡°Nothing serious anymore. Just discomfort.¡±


    ¡°And blood,¡± Katalin added.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not getting closer to death, what¡¯s the harm?¡±


    Katalin grunted. ¡°I guess he¡¯s right. Ready?¡±


    Owin watched Ernie for a minute before nodding. Katalin forced Ernie to use the trident as support as they followed Owin to the leftmost entrance. The cave was dark, though mushrooms grew along the base that glowed like the green death had outside Ligala Lepis. Some other plants grew along the ceiling, casting a glow that died before it even reached the cave floor.


    ¡°Do you harvest any of these?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Those are useless,¡± Katalin said as she kicked a glowing mushroom. It split into a bunch of pieces that floated into the water.


    ¡°Inert,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Althowin calls them. They don¡¯t explode, so . . .¡± She shrugged.


    Owin nodded and entered the cave. He avoided stepping on the purple, blue, and green mushrooms. Even if they didn¡¯t have an alchemical use, the light they provided was helpful. The cave walls were rough and uneven. Bits swerved out of the way, forming little coves and hidden corners. Owin peeked around each one, expecting another mob to spring on him like morays from the first floor.


    ¡°Is there anything to worry about collecting on this floor?¡± Owin asked. He knew Miya would ask immediately, and others would probably be disappointed if he didn¡¯t have a collection of things to sell.


    ¡°Well, venom,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Venom . . . ?¡± Owin slowed as he rounded a bend. A creature scurried along the cave floor, climbing over crocks and mushrooms. A pillar of stone acted as the center of the room, allowing the mob to pass around and around in a circle.


    ¡°Yeah. From that,¡± Katalin said.


    Ocean Mob


    Bristle Worm


    Level 23


    It was long and segmented with hundreds of hairs sticking out the sides. At first, Owin thought it was small and maybe not a huge threat, but upon watching it circle the central pillar, he realized it was at least ten feet long.


    ¡°This is one of the small ones,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°How do I kill it?¡±


    Katalin mimicked stabbing again.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin set down the Thunderstrike Maul and drew his knives. The hairs covering the worm were long enough that he couldn¡¯t imagine stabbing it without one poking into his hand. ¡°Where¡¯s the venom come from?¡±


    ¡°The hairs or its mouth,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°It has a mouth?¡±


    The bristle worm stopped circling upon spotting Owin. It stopped and reared up, pulling half its body into the water. The hairs wiggled in the water as it opened a beak-like mouth filled with little teeth.


    Owin quickly dropped Naxile¡¯s knife, moved the hammer in front of Ernie, and yanked the trident out of the alchemist¡¯s hands. Ernie stumbled against the cave wall.


    As the bristle worm charged, Owin spun and thrust the trident up and out, catching the worm just below the head with the center prong. It punctured through the segmented skin and burst out the back in a spurt of blood. Owin ripped the trident out, severing the head of the mob. It drifted slowly through the water, leaving a trail of blood, but the rest of the body didn¡¯t go limp. Erratic, twitchy movements shuddered through the worm.


    Katalin pushed Owin forward. ¡°Do it again.¡±


    Owin rammed the trident through another section. Before he could rip the segment free, the worm split into three, each with a new face with the same beak-like mouth.


    Owin took a step back. ¡°Is this real?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Ernie said. ¡°That should be the last of this one.¡±


    Owin wanted to ask what he meant by ¡°this one,¡± but he didn¡¯t get a chance before all the bristle worms launched themselves through the water. They moved slower than mobs like Baby Head, but still faster than Owin had expected. He dropped the trident and dove toward the dropped knife.


    A bristle worm collided with him, snapping its jaw shut right in front of Owin¡¯s nose. He rammed the lich bone knife into the bottom of the worm as he fell onto his back. Ice cold silver blood spilled into the water as the worm went limp. Owin kicked it off, sending the dead mob into the ceiling.


    A small hop brought Owin just over the next worm where he was able to score a slice through the top with the knife before landing on the end of the bristle worm. Its hairs stabbed into his legs and feet. The pain was minimal, but an itch immediately covered every inch touched by the hairs.


    Owin fought the urge to scratch and jumped at the last bristle worm. It had gotten distracted by Katalin and Ernie and hadn¡¯t advanced as it looked between them. Owin killed it quickly and tore the trident free from the nearby corpse.


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    ¡°Am I going to die?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That venom isn¡¯t anything like prazene blood,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Owin jumped over the bodies and landed right before Ernie. The landing was more successful and stable than Owin had expected, but it pushed the hairs deeper into his foot, giving him a shock that made him squeak and fall into Ernie, who had been barely standing on his own. They both crashed into the ground and only separated when Katalin helped Owin move without disturbing the bristles.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t difficult to fight,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it was difficult if you can¡¯t even stand right now.¡± Ernie took Owin¡¯s foot and held it up. He leaned in close and squinted. ¡°Kat, what do you think?¡±


    Katalin shifted around and leaned in close. It felt weird to have both alchemists so close to his foot. Each time Ernie manipulated it, his fingers tickled and Owin tensed to avoid kicking, and potentially killing, him.


    ¡°Reaction, but it¡¯s . . . mild?¡± She poked his foot. ¡°It¡¯s about as mild as the venom can be.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Remove these and it should pass. Do goblins have a resistance to poisons?¡± Ernie asked.


    Katalin shrugged as she dug through Ernie¡¯s bag. She pulled out a small tool that she passed to him. ¡°That might explain his need to eat everything.¡±


    ¡°You are talking about me like I¡¯m not here again.¡±


    ¡°Get over it,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie plucked the first bristle from Owin¡¯s foot. It caused him to twitch but did nothing to his health.


    ¡°This is going to take a while,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin sat beside Owin¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you distracted.¡± She tapped on his forehead. ¡°Do you feel like you have a brain in there?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a brain feel like?¡± Owin asked. Ernie ripped another bristle out, causing the last word to squeak.


    ¡°Squishy mostly.¡± Katalin furrowed her brow. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel squishy to have, but if you ever hold a brain it¡¯s . . .¡± She motioned squeezing something with her hand. ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m focused on explosives, Alothwin has had me dissect mob corpses and find uses for just about every single part of those mobs. It¡¯s a disgusting job, and even if some freaks find it interesting, I prefer to stay back and build things that go boom.¡±


    ¡°Freaks,¡± Ernie said as he pulled out another bristle. ¡°You can call me whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Why do you make different things? What does Althowin do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°She does everything.¡± Katalin opened her eyes wide. ¡°I mean everything. She is as genius as an alchemist can be, but I guess that¡¯s obvious since she¡¯s a 7 Shard Hero. Ernie got us both into alchemy before we even turned fifteen. He was trying to make health potions . . .¡± Her voice trailed off as they made eye contact. ¡°And, uh, I helped him whenever I could. He¡¯s a few months older, so his birthday came first. It made sense he got alchemist. We were both surprised I did too.¡±


    ¡°Althowin doesn¡¯t think there is a right way to do alchemy,¡± Ernie said, pulling out another bristle. ¡°You just do or don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She wanted us to have a specialty, and since we¡¯re usually together, why would we take the same specialty?¡± Katalin smiled. ¡°Neither of us has made equipment yet. That¡¯s the most advanced, and something we¡¯re both hoping to figure out. For now, it¡¯s just potions and bombs. I do have to say his percussion grenades are genius and I am more than moderately jealous.¡±


    ¡°Says the person who nearly destroyed the entirety of Ligala Lepis with pipe bombs. My grenades only killed mobs,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin laughed. ¡°It was a good explosion.¡±


    ¡°That almost killed you,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Great explosion.¡±


    Ernie pulled another bristle out. ¡°Done for now. Maybe try to avoid getting more?¡±


    ¡°How am I going to do that?¡±


    Katalin tapped the headband. ¡°Use a spell, deficient wizard.¡±


    ¡°I need arcane spells underwater. What about the wand?¡± Owin grabbed both wands and used Examine.


    ¡°It¡¯s been minutes since you got that,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Time between floors can change,¡± Owin said, grinning. All of the charges are back.¡± Owin jumped to his feet and helped Ernie up. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what a wizard can do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what a wizard can do,¡± Ernie said, gently slapping Owin on the shoulder. ¡°Just avoid any more bristles. That venom didn¡¯t have a reaction this time, but too much of it might cause something to happen.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the venom do?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Katalin slapped Ernie¡¯s shoulder, which caused him to wince. ¡°It¡¯s a sleep venom! How did I not get that right away? Why would a sleep venom have any effect on something that doesn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Ernie scratched his head. ¡°Oh. You have a point.¡±


    ¡°If it stabbed you, what would happen?¡± Owin carefully put his knives and one wand away as he readied to move deeper into the cave.


    ¡°It¡¯d knock us out,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Get all wobbly then splat.¡±


    Owin looked at the bottom of his foot, now covered in little irritated spots. ¡°How do other heroes avoid that?¡±


    ¡°Armor. The way heroes usually avoid getting hurt.¡± Ernie used the wall as support to stand. He waved his hand about in the water, pushing some of the ice cold blood away. ¡°I cannot wait for land again.¡±


    ¡°Just wait until Althowin asks us to go to the Sky next.¡± Katalin snorted with laughter. ¡°It would be our luck.¡±


    Ernie shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll have a break.¡±


    Katalin pulled back before leaning uncomfortably close to Ernie¡¯s face. ¡°What are you hiding?¡±


    He tried to lean back but smacked his head against the wall. ¡°Shit. Nothing. She just has a project she wants me working on. My first official equipment or something.¡± He rubbed the spot on his head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know all of it yet.¡±


    ¡°When were you going to tell me?¡± Katalin gently shoved him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Later, I guess. I don¡¯t even know what the equipment is, and I didn¡¯t think you would be so excited.¡±


    While the alchemists talked, Owin stalked forward, deeper in the cave, until he found  a fork. Another bristle worm slithered about on the right, slipping between mushrooms and rocks, disappearing from view frequently. Owin expected it was about to pop out of nowhere and cover his whole body in more itchy bristles.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m excited. That¡¯s the next big step.¡± Katalin forced Ernie to start walking. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to forget that I¡¯m still a higher level.¡±


    ¡°Prime apprentice is better than a higher level.¡±


    Katalin slapped the back of his head.


    ¡°Ow, that¡¯s already bruised.¡± Ernie sighed and pointed left. ¡°Stick to the left side. We¡¯ll avoid a worm and get closer to the chest guardian.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Katalin whispered.


    Owin stepped over any mushrooms that grew across the cave floor. Even if they were inert, they gave off light and he liked all the colors. There wasn¡¯t much room to maneuver in most of the cave, which brought back memories of the crypt near the hobgoblins. The trident was far too long to work in such close quarters, and the hammer, while potentially good for a quick block, wasn¡¯t fit for close quarters or use in the water. That brought Owin back to his knives, wands, and spells, which he didn¡¯t mind. The knives were fun with his speed.


    ¡°What am I going to do when I go for my first shard and I don¡¯t have someone telling me where to go?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Is he being sarcastic?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Uh, no. I don¡¯t think so. Owin,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Owin stopped and found both alchemists standing together looking confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do great when people aren¡¯t telling you what to do,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°You might get lost, but something that small isn¡¯t going to stop you,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin flicked his gaze back and forth between them. He fiddled with the shaft of the hammer. ¡°How do you know? All I¡¯ve done is fight. Artivan made the decisions. He just asked me sometimes, but he still knew. He always knew. And you both know so many things.¡±


    ¡°You can learn plenty more,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I can''t learn new spells.¡±


    Katalin smiled. ¡°That hasn¡¯t stopped you yet. Why would it stop you now?¡± She turned and grabbed Ernie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m going to make my first equipment too, whether Althowin wants me to or not.¡±


    ¡°For Owin?¡± Ernie asked.


    Katalin nodded. ¡°For Owin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not . . . but why?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I want to.¡±


    Owin looked at Ernie, who gave Owin a single nod.


    ¡°Just say ¡®thank you¡¯ and move on.¡± Ernie pressed one hand against his abdomen and walked forward, using the trident as support.


    Katalin patted Owin¡¯s head, flattening his hair as she passed. ¡°Our escort is letting me lead.¡±


    ¡°You know where the mobs are,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin stayed in the same spot until Ernie reached him. The alchemist gently nudged him with his elbow.


    ¡°Everything good?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Artivan had said the Nimble Hogs would treat me well. That they would be kind when a lot of the world isn¡¯t.¡±


    Ernie scratched his mustache, flinched, and immediately covered his wound again. ¡°Plenty of people are kind.¡± He grunted and pressed his hand harder against his abdomen. ¡°But kind people usually aren¡¯t strong. Power comes to those with ambition. Those who are willing to step on others to climb. Strength and greed are closely tied together, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I want to be strong,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ernie¡¯s eyes were hard as he stared right into Owin¡¯s.


    ¡°To protect the people who are kind to me. To stop people from being scared.¡± Back when Kidibose died, Owin had decided he wanted to help people, to be strong enough to stop their fears, but upon seeing the real world and seeing Shard Heroes with power so much higher than Owin¡¯s, was his goal even realistic?


    Owin shook his head. ¡°I want to be strong enough to stop heroes like the ones who killed Artivan. Sometimes we need to make people wish they never met us.¡±


    Ernie cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I think your reasons oppose each other, Owin. You can¡¯t wish to be strong to stop fear and to instill it. Think about it. Althowin will ask why you want the shards, and she¡¯ll only help if she agrees. I¡¯ve heard her ask others.¡±


    Katalin, who had stopped walking just down the bend, leaned back. ¡°She¡¯ll also help if you¡¯re rich, which, uh . . .¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to really know why,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Unless you have a lot more dungeon gold hidden away that we don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°A shame,¡± Katalin said. She used her thumb to point behind her. ¡°There¡¯s a worm guarding a chest over here. Are you interested in killing it?¡±


    Owin dreaded the idea of getting more bristles pulled from his skin, but what other choice did he have? If he sent Kat or Ernie ahead, they would be put to sleep and probably get eaten by the horrendous worm.


    Owin sighed. ¡°Just kill me if I get more hairs stuck in my feet.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± Ernie said.

 Book 2 - Chapter 26

    A boulder sat directly in the path ahead, covered in all sorts of glowing mushrooms. Most were green, giving the rock a mossy appearance. Owin stepped around the mushrooms, using the cave walls as support to avoid destroying any of the dim light.


    Katalin barreled through behind him, kicking up the inert mushrooms and immediately causing the cave to become a bit darker. ¡°Oops.¡±


    She pointed left, directing Owin to a dead end where mushrooms grew across the floor. Some were as big as Owin, others were so small they looked like tiny blue dots spread across the ground.


    A bristle worm slithered past. Its segmented body moved awkwardly like it was ready to separate into its different pieces.


    ¡°Is it a special one?¡± Owin asked. He used Examine, barely catching the tail of the mob.


    Ocean Mob


    Chaeta


    Bristle Worm Prince


    Level 25


    ¡°The bristle worm prince,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°What¡¯s a prince?¡±


    ¡°Go ask.¡±


    That earned a deep laugh from Ernie.


    Owin planned to only use the wands, but he didn¡¯t know if bristle worms had a weakness, and if they did, what kind of damage it would be. There wasn¡¯t anything obvious from what he could see. If the wands couldn¡¯t manage, he could use a free Discharge, which could potentially kill all the segments at once.


    ¡°There¡¯s another mob down here that has venom,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Maybe keep a couple charges of your wands to be safe.¡±


    Owin nodded. He wanted to start with both Ice Bolt and Arcane Blast, but he could test the spells before fully committing to using either wand. He could have a few seconds to react after shooting a spell where he could easily reach for a knife or two.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way this worm is using luminous damage, right?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. Uh, probably not. Why?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°My lich bone knife will break if it hits anything luminous.¡±


    ¡°It should be fine on this floor,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Katalin flattened his hair as she patted him on the head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Stab away.¡±


    Owin took a deep breath and strode forward. The cave floor between him and the bristle worm was barren, leaving it darker than the rest of the cave. Chaeta had noticed him and reared up. The hairs along the side of the worm wiggled in the water.


    ¡°What¡¯s a prince?¡± Owin asked.


    Chaeta didn¡¯t respond. It didn¡¯t seem like the worm had a way to make any noise.


    ¡°It¡¯s the son of a king,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a king worm somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Probably lower in the dungeon. Not on this floor,¡± Ernie said. He had climbed on top of the mushroom-covered boulder and sat. ¡°Need this?¡± He waved the trident through the water.


    ¡°Not right now.¡± Owin turned his full attention to Chaeta, who had remained mostly stationary. The worm was nestled in the middle of all the glowing mushrooms with only a narrow opening through the cave. If he came toward Owin, he would be trapped, unable to turn around. But if Owin charged, Chaeta could use the small opening to block Owin and force him to get too close. Close enough to get stabbed with bristles. Chaeta opened his mouth, revealing the beak-like structure filled with teeth.


    ¡°He¡¯s bigger than the other worm,¡± Owin said quietly. That meant when Cheata split, each section would be bigger too. Or there would be more sections. He didn¡¯t know how it worked. Not that it mattered. He had fought specters, wights, liches, and plenty of enemies that had been far more terrifying than some water worm that couldn¡¯t even use its venom on Owin.


    It should be scared of him.


    ¡°Arcane Blast.¡± Purple swirled off the end of the wand and launched through the narrow pass, filling the cave with violet light. It crashed into Chaeta just below its mouth, causing the worm to reel back and shudder.


    It was already splitting. Owin tensed, ready to charge in before it could split and overwhelm him when his wand caught his eye. Arcane Blast wasn¡¯t the only spell.


    He pointed the wand at the ground a few steps ahead and cast Magma Mine. Chaeta burst into six different bristle worms, all crawling over each other. He cast another Magma Mine just ahead of the first worm, leaving two traps the worms would have to pass before reaching him.


    Journeyman Level Wand


    Spells: Arcane Blast, Magma Mine


    1/4 uses remaining for today


    Note: Use of wand without charges will result in health drain


    Note: Arcane Blast requires a verbal command


    Owin put the wand into his belt and fetched the trident. ¡°I have a brain.¡±


    Both alchemists laughed as Owin turned back to the mobs. The worms were far more chaotic after splitting apart. They trampled over the mushrooms and crawled on top of one another until they all spotted Owin.


    It took no time for them to rush forward, slithering through the water. The first one hit the first Magma Mine, which spewed molten rock into the water, obliterating the mob. The magma quickly cooled, forming a huge stone pillar that forced the worms to the side to slither around.


    Five left.


    ¡°Ice Bolt.¡± Owin aimed the other wand at the narrow space between the newly-formed column and the cave wall where a section of Chaeta forced its way through. The magus spell caught the worm right in the mouth, shattering its beak. Cold blood poured from its face as it continued slithering. Another worm appeared right behind it, forcing its way through the cloud of blood.


    The worms clung to the walls, even as high as the ceiling as they all charged him at once. Whether intentional or not, the five remaining worms were going to avoid his mine, which was his best weapon at the moment.


    Fighting five at once, even if one was missing teeth, was too much. At best, he would be absolutely covered in bristles.


    Owin chucked the trident. It left his fingers wrong, but it didn¡¯t matter. He hadn¡¯t aimed at a worm. The weapon flew over the mine, crashing into the stone. It wobbled for a second before falling. The shaft tapped the mine, triggering the trap.


    A geyser of magma erupted, crashing against the ceiling where it decimated one worm. The molten rock quickly cooled and hardened into another column, which shifted in the slightly wider area before crashing to the side, pinning a worm to the side.


    Three left. Three that could reach him, at least.


    Owin grabbed his lich bone knife and jumped as one worm launched itself. He scored through its face, immediately killing the smaller section of Chaeta. ¡°Ice Bolt,¡± he said, casting a spell at another section. It was the same one he had hit with the spell before, and this time, the chunk of ice was enough to crush its weakened head.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The last section of Chaeta reared up, trying to look imposing and powerful in front of Owin. Meanwhile, its other sections were all dead or bleeding around it. Owin smiled. It should be scared of him.


    ¡°Ice Bolt.¡± The spell smashed into the exposed underbelly of the worm, causing the mob to fold in half. Owin closed the distance and drove the lich bone knife into its head.


    ¡°How did I do?¡± Owin asked, putting the knife and wand into his belt.


    ¡°Well.¡± Ernie grunted and stood from the boulder. ¡°You blocked the whole damn passage.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin looked back at the two magma columns. ¡°Right.¡± He fetched the Thunderstrike Maul and used the heavy hammer to push aside the bristle worm corpses. There was enough room to the side of the cave in a little area to shove the corpses.


    The final section of Chaeta, the one he had pinned to the wall, still slithered and snapped at Owin. He drew a knife, stabbed it in the head, and prepared to smash the column.


    Swinging the hammer in the water felt like forcing it through a wall, but it was the best option he had for destroying a big pillar of stone. They couldn''t reach the mushrooms or the chest while it was in the way, which would ruin the entire trip. He had gone through too much and tried too hard to fail now.


    He wrapped both hands around the smooth metal shaft and lifted the hammer above his head. Owin closed his eyes and focused on the weight of the hammer head. It was difficult to swing, but he was strong. He had worked for his strength, even if the numbers had come from buffs.


    He took a step and swung the hammer, smashing the first column with ease. It was tall but brittle. Rubble rained down, filling the water with dust. Owin stomped through and found the mangled trident on the ground. The prongs were still fine, but the end of the shaft had been melted and twisted in the magma. Owin tossed it through the small opening into the next room and smashed the next column, kicking the bit of stone that remained.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Katalin said. She closed her eyes and walked through the dust with her fingers sliding across the wall to guide her. She bumped into Owin and opened her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s one way to handle it.¡±


    Ernie appeared out of the dust with his eyes squeezed shut. Katalin poked him in the forehead, signaling him to stop.


    ¡°Is this worth keeping?¡± Owin asked, picking up the trident.


    Ernie took the trident and turned it over in his hands. He bashed the shaft against the wall, which made it curl more. ¡°No.¡± He tossed it into the pile of rubble. ¡°If you really liked it, you can get one in your next fight against Graliel.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t suit you anyway,¡± Katalin said.


    Ernie spotted the collection of mushrooms in the corner and rushed over as fast as he could, which was agonizingly slow.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really used to pain,¡± Ernie said as he sat beside the mushrooms. ¡°Health is stable, wound is . . .¡± He looked down at his abdomen. ¡°Fine. It just hurts with every little movement.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin had plenty of pains at the moment, and he had plenty before. It was a sensation he had quickly grown used to through his various fights and battles.


    Ernie ran his hand over one of the pink and green mushrooms. ¡°Look at this beauty.¡± He carefully plucked it from the very base. ¡°A gilled mushroom.¡±


    The underside of the mushroom looked like gills, identical to the ones on the girhuma, cetanthro, or even the plain fish swimming around the first floor. They appeared to move and even open wider as if the mushroom was breathing.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we found some.¡±


    ¡°Just the first of five clusters.¡± Ernie went about carefully picking each one before placing them in his bag. There were about twenty clustered together growing in the crevice and along the edge of the wall.


    Katalin grabbed an empty bottle from Ernie¡¯s bag and set upon Chaeta¡¯s corpse with Ernie¡¯s plucking tool, pulling bristles out and carefully placing them in the bottle.


    ¡°Why are you getting those?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I think I can make a sleep dart bomb. Sleep shrapnel.¡± Katalin nodded to herself, muttering a few other possible names.


    ¡°Grab some of the flesh too,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We can see if Althowin has any use for it.¡±


    ¡°Did you grab any of Baby Head?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie pulled out part of Baby Head¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Oh. Gross.¡±


    Ernie chuckled and continued collecting mushrooms. ¡°Go check the chest. It¡¯s all yours.¡±


    The chest was nestled in its own crevice, almost hidden from the mushrooms¡¯ light. Small mushrooms grew on top of the wood. Owin approached, took a deep breath, and pushed the lid back.


    And there was nothing inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Ernie set his bag beside the mushrooms and slowly walked over. He leaned on Owin¡¯s shoulder and peered inside. ¡°No way.¡±


    Katalin appeared on the other side with cold worm blood spilling into the water from a chunk of Chaeta she was holding. ¡°There has to be something inside. Why don¡¯t we have anything with light?¡± She gasped. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Owin and Ernie both turned to watch Katalin run to Ernie¡¯s bag, drop the piece of Chaeta, find an empty bottle, then scramble to some of the glowing mushrooms. She poked a few, shifted some others to the side, and finally decided on a couple to pluck and shove inside the bottle. She shook it, causing them to break and lose their glow.


    ¡°Shit. Hold on.¡± She cupped it with both hands, one glowing yellow, the other glowing orange. Electricity raced through the bits of mushrooms as they spun inside the bottle, quickly regaining their glow. Katalin brought it over and held the bottle inside the dark chest. Inside was a simple black gem, no bigger than a pebble. No light reflected off the little item.


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± Katalin said as she started to laugh.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°A void gem. One of the rarest things to find from a mob or in a chest.¡± Ernie squeezed Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a bit like a quest reward, giving you the option of anything at the rarity level of the floor.¡±


    ¡°So, artisan?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Owin picked up the gem and held it in front of his face. It weighed nothing, making it feel like he wasn¡¯t even holding anything.


    Pick your reward


    ¡°It wants me to pick something, but usually it gives me a list.¡±


    Ernie patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll have to figure this out on your own. I¡¯ve never seen a void gem before. Those are one of the myths people tell.¡± He sat back down and continued collecting mushrooms.


    Katalin went back to harvesting Chaeta, but left the glowing mushroom bottle beside Owin.


    The words hovered in front of his vision. There were so many different directions he could go. So many different things he could do. An artisan buff gave 30 attribute points, which was undeniably helpful. Putting more points into strength, dexterity, or wisdom would benefit him greatly.


    But . . .


    ¡°Could I get another piece of the armor set with this?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Yeah, I suppose,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to get a buff or a new weapon?¡±


    ¡°I have enough weapons,¡± Owin said. He glanced over where the wrecked trident lay in the rubble. ¡°For now.¡±


    Owin tried to imagine himself in a full suit of armor like Artivan. It was impossible. He hardly even knew what he looked like, so all he did was imagine Artivan much shorter and with green skin. It wasn¡¯t a good look.


    ¡°Would chest armor help me take less damage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it¡¯s for,¡± Ernie said. ¡°And magical chitin armor will also block more magic than traditional metal armor.¡±


    ¡°Magical armor has weaknesses though,¡± Katalin said. ¡°What are the crabs weak to?¡±


    ¡°Electricity,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin pointed, splashing some worm blood into the water. ¡°Exactly. So the more chitin you wear, the weaker you will be to electricity.¡±


    ¡°There are ways to overcome that type of weakness,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Pieces of equipment specifically made to add resistance or to negate some specific damage. Plus, you don¡¯t have enough chitin to make it a real concern right now.¡±


    Katalin nodded slowly as she cut in another section of Chaeta. ¡°I agree.¡± She tapped the side of her head, leaving a spot of worm blood. ¡°It¡¯s good to learn positives and negatives. Think ahead with that . . . brain?¡±


    Owin smiled. ¡°I think I have one.¡±


    ¡°Still up for debate,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin sat down, still holding the void gem between his two fingers. ¡°A full armor set is rare, but if I get it, I¡¯ll be weaker to one type of damage?¡±


    ¡°Essentially yes.¡± Ernie plucked the last mushroom and shuffled things about in his bag. ¡°Kat just wants you thinking about that kind of thing. We both noticed that protecting yourself isn¡¯t really your first thought. Damage types are important.¡±


    ¡°Artivan talked a lot about that when we fought specters.¡±


    ¡°A good example.¡± Ernie handed his bag to Katalin, who started loading it with bristle worm ingredients. ¡°I think your choice of a chitin breastplate is a great idea. It protects your vital organs and can give you another spot to take a hit if you can¡¯t block or dodge. Kat?¡±


    She shoved a few bottles into Ernie¡¯s bag and wiped a little worm blood along the straps. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. Fill out the rest of your armor when you get back to Atrevaar.¡±


    Owin stared at the void gem and thought about the chitin breastplate. The gem vanished and was immediately replaced by a breastplate that was far too big for Owin. It slowly drifted down to his lap.


    ¡°Is the void gem gone?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin took off his bag and belt, setting them both to the side. He pressed the breastplate to his chest and felt a tug as the chitin shrunk and latched on, forming sinew straps over his shoulders and along the sides. It took about a second for the armor to stop shifting. Owin hopped to his feet and stuck his arms out. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Almost like a hero,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you more than that,¡± Ernie said. ¡°It looks good.¡±


    Owin put his bag strap back over his neck and tightened his belt until he could fit the knives and wands in their respective places. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Katalin wiped her hands on the cave walls, trying to get the last of the worm blood from her fingers. Some still clung to her skin, especially under the nails. She frowned and rubbed her hands on Ernie¡¯s shirt.


    He didn¡¯t even flinch as he adjusted his backpack. ¡°The next batch is straight across. I think I can get there easily, but there is a potential risk. The wandering boss frequents the area, which is by the arches. I don¡¯t know much of anything about the secrets you continue going on about, but I have to assume the damn arches are related to it in some way.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the wandering boss?¡±


    ¡°A big fucking lizard,¡± Katalin said. ¡°Is that an exaggeration?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s damn big.¡± Ernie peered around the bend. ¡°Maybe we can just avoid it.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 27

    Most of the cave was relatively empty compared to other floors of the Ocean or Great Forest. Glowing mushrooms lined the walls to keep things illuminated, but there were whole stretches where Owin walked without mob or trap, or even without talking. Even Ernie and Katalin were quiet as they walked. Unlike the goblin caves or the ogre caves Owin had been in before, the underwater cave was eerily quiet without sound bouncing around in the water.


    Ernie stopped briefly at each intersection, checked his map, and guided them in the correct direction. After a few minutes, they rounded a turn to see a groin vault built from brown stone bricks that was unlike anything else within the caves.


    ¡°The arches?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Take a look while we get the mushrooms.¡± Ernie pushed right past the odd structure to a cluster of mushrooms hidden in an alcove. Katalin patted Owin¡¯s head as she passed and joined Ernie in collecting the gilled mushrooms.


    Owin slowly approached the intersecting arches. They looked as though they had been transported from somewhere else. The caves were natural without smooth or predictable surfaces. Meanwhile, the bricks were perfectly cut and placed to form the intricate groin vault. In the center, directly below the middle of the arches was a pedestal with a bowl on top, all made of the same smooth cut brown bricks.


    The bowl was a little taller than Owin, so he tested the pedestal by kicking it a few times before risking climbing on top. The bricks didn¡¯t shift, even as Owin put more of his strength into the kicks. He tapped the hammer against them a few times before setting it aside. When he was certain they wouldn¡¯t topple from his weight, he grabbed the lip and climbed on top. A blue orb sat right in the middle of the bowl, giving off its own glow similar to the mushrooms around the cave. Owin used Examine, but received no information.


    ¡°How can this not have anything when I use Examine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the mystery,¡± Ernie said. ¡°You can pick it up and carry it, but it disappears when you go through the exit or the stairs. Some people have theorized it draws the boss to you. No real evidence of that. There¡¯s nothing to slot it into on the floor. Nowhere else to put it.¡±


    ¡°Somebody has probably figured it out, but nobody is going to tell us what it¡¯s for,¡± Katalin said. ¡°People don¡¯t want to help each other in the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed,¡± Owin said. He poked the orb a few times. It felt like glass and rolled a little with each touch. ¡°It has to do something.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, but we don¡¯t have time to figure it out. Another mystery for you to solve in the future,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°There are a lot of those,¡± Owin muttered. He sat on the edge of the bowl and moved the orb with his foot. ¡°The only reason he had figured out any of the secrets in the Great Forest was because Artivan was there specifically to find and explore each of those secrets. Without the old knight, Owin wouldn¡¯t have seen anything special. He had already missed the secrets on the first two floors of the Great Forest before he had even met Artivan.


    Even through the Ocean, Owin had thought he had found a secret until he learned it was simply part of the floor¡¯s quest. Ligala Lepis was meant to be found and explored. They were on the fourth floor without finding a single quest, which was disappointing.


    ¡°Is this wandering boss strong?¡± Owin asked. He didn¡¯t need to let his thoughts go deeper back into his experiences in the Great Forest. The fourth floor was where everything really went wrong. And now on the fourth floor¡ª


    ¡°Remember the whole big lizard comment?¡± Katalin asked. She dropped a mushroom into Ernie¡¯s bag before standing, stretching, and casually walking over to the pedestal. She leaned on the opposite lip of the bowl and stared at Owin. ¡°What are you going to do back in Atrevaar?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I guess I will talk to Chorsay first.¡±


    Katalin nodded slowly. She tapped her fingers on the bowl and let her eyes drop to the blue orb. ¡°Chorsay was really confident standing up to the Izylian council. I haven¡¯t seen him so lively before.¡±


    ¡°How long have you known him?¡±


    ¡°A few years. How old am I?¡±


    ¡°Twenty six,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t asking you,¡± she said over her shoulder. ¡°About five years, I guess.¡±


    Owin rolled the blue orb up the edge of the bowl, nearing Katalin¡¯s fingers. ¡°I do owe you another escort.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll come get you when we¡¯re heading out again. It sounds like the two of us will be pretty busy upon getting back to Althowin, assuming she remembers what she wanted us to do.¡±


    ¡°She forgets?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily forget. It¡¯s more like her brain is moving so quickly some of us are left behind when something new arises.¡± Katalin shrugged. ¡°Trying to do too many things at one time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It never bothers me. I like moving quickly. It¡¯s helping me progress.¡±


    ¡°Are you ever going to get a shard?¡±


    Katalin grabbed the orb with both hands and turned it over. It emanated a soft blue glow that spread across the cave walls. ¡°Probably not. Having a shard changes the dungeons, which makes it more difficult to harvest. And I don¡¯t want to lock myself out of a dungeon just to be stronger. It won¡¯t help in alchemy.¡±


    ¡°Can you be as good as Althowin without any shards?¡±


    ¡°Well . . . no. Uh. Ern, this is a good question for you.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Ernie grabbed the last couple of mushrooms and gently put them in his bag while he stood. He winced as he stretched to full height. ¡°What are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°What makes Althowin stronger than us?¡±


    ¡°Being a 7 Shard Hero.¡±


    ¡°That makes her a better alchemist?¡± Owin asked.


    Ernie¡¯s eyebrows lowered. ¡°No. It shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯s also level 100, so that¡¯s a big part of it. I don¡¯t know what she wished for either, and that could influence her alchemy. She could¡¯ve just wished to be the best alchemist. Or maybe for some secret recipe. I really have no idea.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t tell us,¡± Katalin muttered.


    ¡°Kat keeps asking.¡±


    Katalin smiled and set the blue orb back in the bowl. ¡°Eventually she¡¯ll crack.¡±


    ¡°Crack your head, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Are we done here?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes. Three more to go, then we can head to Atrevaar.¡± Ernie adjusted his backpack straps again. ¡°The next two are directly ahead on opposite sides of a fork. They¡¯re both in the path of the wandering boss.¡±


    Owin left the blue orb and hopped out of the bowl. ¡°It sounds like I just need to fight this boss if we¡¯re going to stay close to its path.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ernie patted him on the shoulder as he passed. ¡°I agree.¡±


    Owin hefted the Thunderstrike Maul up and let it rest on his shoulder. He slowed for a moment in the nearest intersection, looking down the cave closer to the entrance where a bristle worm slithered about, unaware of his presence. The obnoxious mob barely disturbed the mushrooms as it passed through a cluster before disappearing around a corner.


    He had to find a slightly different way of fighting to manage the bristle worms. Any way to avoid being peppered with bristles was great. What kind of different thing would he need to do when fighting a giant lizard? How big was considered giant? Etosai had been called the Overgrown Crab, and he had been massive.


    ¡°What can you tell me about the lizard?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s more than one?¡±


    Katalin, who was walking beside Owin, chuckled and held up two fingers. ¡°Both bosses on this floor are lizards. The same kind. Brothers maybe? I don¡¯t know. Doesn¡¯t matter. Proteunia are found in a few dungeons. I don¡¯t know all the variations.¡±


    ¡°Me either. Bigger mobs tend to be on the higher floors,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We can watch for Olma by checking for a white glow on the walls. Same as the mushrooms, just pure white instead.¡±


    Owin leaned to the side, checking past Ernie. Currently, there was only blue and green light on the walls of the cave path ahead. ¡°I¡¯m watching for a giant glowing white lizard.¡±


    ¡°Good. We wouldn¡¯t want to miss it,¡± Katalin said with a laugh. ¡°It could sneak right past us.¡±


    ¡°Sneaky little bastard,¡± Ernie said quietly.


    That only made Katalin laugh harder, just like when she had seen the cetanthro with a mug. She slapped Owin¡¯s shoulder as she laughed.


    Owin spotted another bristle worm down a different path, but Ernie still had his index up as he followed the map from his previous trips to the Ocean Dungeon. Owin hadn¡¯t realized how helpful the map could be for repeating the same floors in the future. If he had entered the cave without Ernie and Katalin, he would have walked in several circles and would have probably had to fight every bristle worm on the floor.


    Ernie dug through his bag with one hand while walking. Every few seconds he pulled a bottle out, looked at it, and put it away. One he pulled out was filled with the silver worm blood. It swished around as he swirled it and held it close to his eyes. ¡°Katalin. Why do I have a full bottle of bristol worm blood?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wanted to run some tests.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He put it back in the bag without another question. ¡°We need to get you a new bag right when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I miss my backpack.¡±


    ¡°Try to not blow up the next one.¡±


    Katalin rolled her eyes.


    Owin hopped forward to walk beside Ernie. The cave widened ahead, splitting off into separate alcoves. ¡°How close are we?¡±


    Ernie pointed to one of the alcoves along the right side. ¡°In there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin leaned forward, trying to see around the bend. The wide area continued for quite a distance. ¡°Why is this area so much bigger?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cave. I don¡¯t have all the answers.¡± Ernie stopped at the alcove and took off his backpack. ¡°Keep watch. This one shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± He had to turn sideways to sidle through the narrow opening. After a few steps, it widened enough for him to walk normally until he disappeared around a sharp turn.


    ¡°Is it safe in there?¡±


    ¡°Plenty. There¡¯s only gilled mushrooms. No mobs.¡±


    Katalin stopped right outside the alcove. ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡± She poked Owin in the forehead. ¡°Big. Glowing. White.¡±


    ¡°Lizard,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin flattened his hair as she patted the top of his head. ¡°Perfect.¡± She slipped through the narrow pass and yawned. ¡°Wow, I sure love mushrooms.¡±


    Ernie loudly sighed. ¡°We¡¯re almost done.¡±


    ¡°Usually I want to take a good shower after a trip, but I am so sick of water,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to drink a glass of water for a week.¡±


    ¡°What about whiskey?¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds incredible.¡±


    Owin listened to their conversation as it continued onto things he didn¡¯t recognize. They were lost in their own little world, discussing things about their home and the things they were missing while out in the dungeon. Meanwhile, Owin hadn¡¯t even been out of a dungeon enough to miss anything. The Nimble Hogs were great for the short time he had spent with them, but he didn¡¯t miss any of them. Any other than Artivan, of course.


    Owin sighed at the thought. He set the Thunderstrike Maul to the side of the alcove and sat on the edge. Overall, this fourth floor seemed smaller than the massive floor in the Great Forest. That had included ruins, caves, a lake, a castle, and a whole forest. This was just a cave. Maybe there was more of it that Owin hadn¡¯t seen, but from what the alchemists had said and what he had seen, there was little more than the sandy area outside the stairs and the whole cave system they had been exploring.


    ¡°Sloswen,¡± Owin said, looking at the ceiling. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    Owin waited, staring above. No response. Even if the god of the Ocean could hear Owin, he had no interest in responding. Ruvaine never seemed that interested in Owin. She helped him figure out what was happening when he first awoke, but after, she only ever told him to climb. She had threatened him, saying he would die if he escaped, and now he sat in a different god¡¯s dungeon, still alive.


    Ruvaine had lied and tried to scare Owin. A cowardly thing to do.


    ¡°How are the mushrooms?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Gilled,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin nodded even though the alchemists couldn¡¯t see him. He supposed that was the right answer. It felt odd thinking about traveling so far, fighting so many mobs and even some heroes just to harvest some mushrooms.


    Was it worth it?


    Katalin laughed at some comment Ernie made. Something Owin didn¡¯t understand.


    After they got back to Atrevaar, what was he supposed to do? He had no reason to train like other heroes. Learning how to use things better was one thing, but without training, other heroes wouldn¡¯t get stronger. They wouldn¡¯t raise their attributes or gain levels.


    None of that mattered to Owin. He knew how to use his main weapons and he knew some uses for the limited number of spells he had. What was he supposed to do? Return to the Ocean and climb to the top? He already knew the first four floors. Well, most of each one. He was still curious about the secrets and quests on each floor. They had even skipped the chest guardian on the first floor. First floor loot wouldn¡¯t be nearly as good, but that didn¡¯t stop Owin from wondering what he possibly missed.


    What kind of loot did he skip? Did he miss more chitin armor? Did he miss a Bone of the Withered Shade?


    The curiosity held tight, forcing the thoughts to repeat over and over in his head. Any unturned stone could be some other loot, another void gem, another unique item. The alchemists had joked about the way other heroes had to clear floors of every mob. While Owin did enjoy a good fight, he didn¡¯t feel like he needed to kill the bristle worms just to kill them. But what if they were protecting loot or part of the secret?


    He looked back toward the arches and the blue orb. There was something to that secret that reminded him a lot of the violet halo that doomed Artivan. It couldn¡¯t be more clear that it was connected to the secret of the floor, but his job was only to escort and protect the alchemists. If he wanted to uncover everything within the dungeons, it had to be on his own. Would the Nimble Hogs let him wander into a dungeon on his own?


    ¡°Are you almost done?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Close. How is it looking out there?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Dark.¡±


    ¡°Only two more after this.¡±


    Owin drew the lich bone knife and held it in front of his face. It had its own soft glow, but it was so dim he had to focus to even notice it. Was that the undead damage or something to do with the lich? What lich did it come from? So many questions and never any answers.


    Asking questions was one of the few things Owin knew he enjoyed. Fighting and learning. Maybe Chorsay could teach him how to read. With an office full of books, Chorsay was certain to have something interesting for Owin to learn. Or maybe Miya or Myrsvai had something to teach him, or questions he could ask them. They were both fascinating people.


    Farther ahead where the widened cave curved, a white glow painted the wall, causing the whole cave to feel brighter. It was difficult to look at after having been in the dimly lit tunnels for so long.


    ¡°Katalin, what¡¯s it mean when the cave suddenly glows with white light?¡± Owin asked.


    Katalin snorted with laughter. ¡°Better get those knives ready.¡±


    ¡°Anything I should know?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have eyes. I don¡¯t know how it senses heroes. Its bite is venomous, and this venom will probably work on you.¡± Ernie poked his head around the corner. ¡°Try to keep the head together. We could really use this venom. Assassins love it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡±


    ¡°It makes your entire body feel like it''s on fire,¡± Ernie said. He smiled and disappeared back around the corner.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound that bad,¡± Owin said quietly, remembering the lich¡¯s mist that caused his skin to bubble and burn. ¡°Nothing worse than I¡¯ve dealt with before.¡±


    A blunt snout appeared around the corner as the massive boss strode around the corner. Its face was smooth white with a wide mouth. Fangs jutted from the lips, too big for the mouth to contain. Red gill plumes surrounded its head like a mane.


    He had thought the ogres and Etosai had been huge, but Olma, as it marched around the bend, was by far the biggest mob Owin had seen.


    ¡°That is a big lizard,¡± Owin whispered.

 Book 2 - Chapter 28

    Ocean Mob


    Olma


    Proteunia Guardian


    Level 25


    ¡°Olma is definitely here,¡± Owin said. He stood from his makeshift seat and immediately drew his wand to cast Magma Mine. He placed the trap in the middle of the floor. If Olma was blind like Ernie had claimed, it should be difficult for the mob to avoid the spell.


    ¡°We¡¯re not quite done,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Finish getting the mushrooms.¡± Owin put away the wand, double checked both knives, and flipped them into a reverse grip.


    Olma continued walking toward Owin, revealing more of its long white body. Red frills ran along the sides and like fins down its legs. Muscle rippled through its back as it turned and flipped its long, thin tail around the corner. The tail smashed into the wall, causing the stone to crack.


    A low growl rumbled out of Olma, shaking Owin¡¯s chest. He waited, watching the lizard swing its head back and forth as it prowled. Ernie had wanted the head left to harvest venom. At first, that sounded simple. Now, after looking upon the monster, it was difficult to imagine killing it without going for the head. That was usually the easiest way to kill something.


    Olma lifted its head, pointing its snout at the ceiling. All the gills running up its neck flared open. Its head snapped down, locking on Owin as if the mob had just spotted him. Was it blind or not?


    Owin took a step back as the mob''s clawed feet scratched the stone. It inched forward slowly, taking small steps closer to the trap. Owin watched the pulsing red spell, waiting for it to release a stream of magma right into proteunia¡¯s face.


    Olma turned, whipping its tail around to brush over the spell. It moved so quickly that it caused a burst of water to smash into Owin and toss him backward. The tail was already past the trap by the time the magma rushed out, quickly hardening into another column.


    Owin drifted through the water and gently crashed against the ground, unable to land directly on his feet. He righted himself just as Olma swiped through the column, crushing it into a million pieces.


    ¡°That was the easy way to win,¡± he muttered. The other wand only had a single charge too, and that only gave him Ice Bolt or Ice Aura. Owin shifted both knives to one hand, grabbed the white wand, and cast Ice Bolt right at the boss¡¯s face. A ball of ice formed from the tip of the wand and launched through the water. Owin ran forward, rearming himself with both knives as he took quick strides.


    As the spell hit Olma, Owin was already leaping. Unfortunately, the spell barely touched Olma. It shattered upon contact with the lizard, melting and vanishing into the water. Owin readied his knives as he prepared to crash into Olma¡¯s face. A white, webbed paw swung, flashing in Owin¡¯s peripheral view. He brought the knives up in time to catch the claws, but Olma¡¯s huge size and strength still easily tossed Owin at the ground.


    Minimal damage. He bounced off his feet, hopping backward as Olma stepped forward and swung another paw. The webbed foot churned the water, almost throwing Owin off balance.


    How could it know his movements? Owin searched its face for anything that looked like eyes. It was all smooth from its lips to the frilled mane surrounding its head. Not an eye anywhere on its head.


    Owin jumped to the side. Olma turned its head, tracking his movements. The lizard¡¯s tail swung into the air, preparing for another whip like it had done to the mine. A few steps back took Owin out of its range, which made Olma relax.


    A blind lizard, bigger than even the ogres Owin had fought, could see him without eyes. It had known there was a trap, and the Ice Bolt spell had done nothing. What did it mean?


    Everyone kept telling him to think while fighting. Artivan had helped him with some basic tactics, at least not only jumping. Sanem had forced him to practice new ways of fighting, and Katalin continually reminded him to use his brain.


    What was the connection? How could it know where Owin was without sight? Did he smell? He lifted an armpit and sniffed. In the water, it was difficult to tell. He probably did, but did he smell worse than anything else?


    As much as his instincts screamed to jump and stab, Owin knew it was a bad idea. Every little movement, Olma reacted. A step to the right, its head followed. A flourish of the knife, the lizard tensed or prepared its tail for an attack. Instincts had served Owin well, but he needed to change things.


    Owin slowly walked to the left wall, staring down Olma the whole time. The lizard took another step forward with its face still pointing at him. In another few steps, it would be blocking the alcove holding Katalin and Ernie.


    He hadn¡¯t made any real noise, and even if he did, Olma had no ears to pick it up. He didn¡¯t smell any worse than anything else nearby. Olma had no sight, and they weren¡¯t touching. That left only taste as a sense, and Owin couldn¡¯t imagine any way that Olma could be tasting him. As if on cue, the lizard opened its mouth, showing the row of knife-sized fangs. Its gills flared open.


    What would it be sensing?


    Owin looked at the knives in his hands. Naxile¡¯s curved knife was nothing special. It was a solid, sharp knife without any special properties. He had used it to carve out Kidibose¡¯s heart, and it had served as a useful, if quickly dulling, weapon since. The lich bone knife was still fairly new since he had to keep it away to avoid luminous damage for a long time. The white lich bone dealt undead damage, making it a magical weapon.


    Owin glanced up at the lizard and chucked the lich bone knife to the opposite side of the cave. Olma growled and tracked the knife until it hit the wall and fell to the ground. The lizard¡¯s face immediately swept back to Owin. It took another step closer.


    He could tell Ernie and Katalin to leave the alcove so they could slip around the back. Most sections of the cave were connected, so they could pass by the arches and loop around without having to fight the boss.


    But that was boring, and he doubted the alchemists would support the idea. They wanted Owin to get stronger, and to get stronger, he had to keep using his brain. Owin ran to the opposite side of the cave, eliciting a small charge from Olma. It got close enough to whip its tail around, which was such an obvious attack that Owin almost dodged too early. He leapt over the tail and landed beside the lich bone knife. Owin dumped his bag and both wands, leaving only Naxile¡¯s knife in his hand. Moments like this made him miss his stone knife, but he never had a chance to recover it back when he had thrown it while fighting the cetanthro swarm on the previous floor.


    After dropping all his magical items, Owin slowly walked back to the other side, only for Olma to continue tracking him.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin walked back, dodged another tail swing, and took off his headband. Before he could take off any armor, Olma fully charged. Owin flattened himself to the ground as the lizard swung its clawed paws one after the other. It hit Owin¡¯s bag, tossing the whole thing deeper into the cave. His wands and the lich bone scattered. Olma took a small step back, swinging its head all over, trying to track each magical item.


    Owin quickly slipped off his pauldron and breastplate, leaving him with only a pair of pants. He hadn¡¯t realized the breastplate had somehow destroyed his shirt. He dashed into the center of the cave and watched Olma continue turning its head to the different magical items, waiting for movement.


    A few slow steps confirmed Olma wasn¡¯t watching him anymore. The lizard likely didn¡¯t even know Owin had stripped himself of magical items. He tried to remain quiet. Whether or not the lizard had ears, Owin didn¡¯t want to be loud enough to be noticed. Maybe noise could be detected through water movements. He didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t want to know.


    After a few seconds, Owin stood behind Olma¡¯s front right leg. The lizard was tense, ready to pounce as it watched the magical items. Its tail hovered in the air, ready to whip around again.


    Owin had also been tense, ready to move as soon as the boss noticed him, but after a few seconds of standing there, Owin relaxed. Olma had no idea where he was. It felt kind of wrong to kill a boss when it couldn¡¯t fight back. If he wanted to safely grab all of his belongings, he did need to kill it. At least it would respawn.


    Owin shrugged and dropped low to the ground, crawling under the lizard. Where was its heart? He slid himself along the ground, watching for its beating heart. Three separate, distant parts beat at the same time. Owin waited, watching for another repeat.


    Olma inched toward Owin¡¯s dropped bag. Its tail waved, preparing to whip out and kill the bag, which Owin really hoped survived the attack. He didn¡¯t have a better way to carry things.


    All three spots beat again. One in the neck, one near Owin in its chest, and another in the rear, the tail. There was almost three feet between each one, so a quick attack on all three locations would be difficult if Olma reacted to being stabbed, which Owin assumed it wouldn¡¯t enjoy.


    The central one beat just above Owin again. His best option was to attack it, hoping it was the actual heart, and move somewhere safe until he figured out what else might need to be stabbed. This type of fighting didn¡¯t sit well. Dodging and predicting was what made a fight interesting. But when Owin thought back to it, he did jump at and kill several heroes on the first floor when he awoke before they even realized what was happening. Those had been closer to assassinations than fights. He was originally a Goblin Darkblade, and he hadn¡¯t escaped those roots, even if he was technically a wizard now.


    Owin drove the knife into Olma¡¯s chest. Red blood blossomed into the water as Naxile¡¯s knife tore through the white flesh. Owin dragged it across as he slipped out from underneath Olma.


    The massive lizard roared and reared up. It whipped its tail around, passing right where Owin had just been. Luckily, he had expected the attack and had already leapt to the wall. In the water, he could drift down slowly, easily dodging all of Olma¡¯s thrashing.


    By the time Owin¡¯s feet touched the ground, the lizard had settled back down, spilling a ton of blood into the water. It walked backward, still watching the different magical items. While it made sense to sneak to the back and attack the beating heart near the tail, Owin didn¡¯t want to simply cause the lizard pain. He wanted to kill it. A knife to the brain was the best option. It was always the best option.


    Owin crept around to stand just beside Olma¡¯s face. Its mouth hung open as the lizard continually growled. Its fangs were tipped with black drops of venom. According to the alchemists, that venom was worse than the bristle worm venom, but Owin didn¡¯t plan to find out for sure. He jumped up, wrapped both hands around the knife¡¯s handle, and drove the blade down as soon as his feet touched Olma¡¯s head.


    Just before the knife touched the white skin, Olma flicked its head up, launching Owin straight at the ceiling. The blade scored a line across its face as Owin flipped and smashed into the ceiling. Olma followed up the attack with some swings of its claws and a few whips of the tail, all missing Owin. Olma attacked wildly in every direction, except directly above where Owin was floating back down.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The knife had split the skin enough to reveal its skull. Owin only needed to break that bone and he could end the lizard¡¯s pain. It had reacted so quickly to his feet, so Owin needed to find a way to drive the knife down with force without landing.


    He glanced back at the ceiling. He had jumped off walls to change his direction in the past. There was no reason he couldn¡¯t do it again if Olma launched him back up to the ceiling.


    He braced as his feet touched the lizard¡¯s head. As predicted, Olma immediately flicked its head up again. Owin clutched the knife in both hands, holding it carefully as he was flung back to the ceiling. He twisted in the air, landing roughly on both feet in a crouch. With all his strength, Owin pushed off the top of the cave, launching himself like an arrow at Olma¡¯s head. He extended his arms, pointing the knife straight down. The blade easily shattered Olma¡¯s skull and tore into the lizard¡¯s brain. Owin¡¯s shoulder collided with Olma¡¯s head, forcing him to let go of the knife and bounce off.


    He landed on the stone ground, crushing a few mushrooms, before bouncing back to his feet. A quick scramble brought him to the white wand, which wasn¡¯t the ideal weapon since it was out of charges. He pivoted, pointing the wand at the lizard, which swayed back and forth. Its front legs drifted into the water as more of its body went limp.


    0 Experience


    Owin let out a breath and slipped the wand into his belt. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Katalin already stood in the narrow alcove entrance. ¡°Damn.¡±


    ¡°Did you see all of that?¡±


    ¡°No, but I saw that.¡± She stepped out, cocked her head, and pointed to her own torso. ¡°Where¡¯s the armor?¡±


    ¡°Olma sensed magic, so I got rid of my magic items.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your shirt?¡±


    Owin shrugged.


    Ernie sidled through the entrance and stopped. ¡°Why are you naked?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not naked. I have pants.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Nice job.¡± Ernie leaned on the wall, still keeping a hand over his abdomen. ¡°Is the venom still there?¡±


    ¡°It should be.¡± Owin went about collecting all of his things while Ernie and Katalin took a spare bottle and started extracting the black venom. It took a bit to find where some of it had gone. When he grabbed his breastplate, he held it up and turned it over, looking at it. His shirt had become the lining inside of it, and was apparently fused with the chitin. He figured it didn¡¯t really matter since he wasn¡¯t planning to usually go without armor.


    After a minute, Owin finished fetching his items, except Naxile¡¯s knife. He climbed on top of Olma¡¯s head where a cloud of blood floated like a halo. The handle of the knife rested in the gash across the lizard¡¯s head, while the blade remained lodged deep inside the brain.


    ¡°I lost another knife,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°What do you still have for weapons?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Lich bone knife, my wands, and the hammer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re running low, even if that¡¯s still more weapons than anyone else carries,¡± Ernie said with a laugh. ¡°You will find plenty more.¡± He held up a bottle of the black venom and swirled it. ¡°This is worth more than anything else we harvested. We don¡¯t even need to refine it or make a poison. Assassins will pay for the venom on its own.¡±


    Owin climbed off the head, picked up his hammer, and took the bottle of venom. He was glad he didn¡¯t find out how painful it was, but he did feel bad that the fight was so one sided. ¡°Olma is strong.¡±


    ¡°Just wait for the floor boss,¡± Katalin said. ¡°It¡¯s the other one.¡±


    ¡°Now I know how to fight it.¡±


    She patted his head. ¡°Two more harvests and we¡¯ll go fight the boss.¡±


    Owin pushed against the body, which didn¡¯t budge. ¡°How do I find the loot when they¡¯re this big?¡±


    ¡°It should drop right away. Search around,¡± Ernie said.


    Owin circled the corpse, lifting the legs when he was able, eventually spotting a little band of cloth, not unlike the one wrapped around his head. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Band of Dexterity


    Apprentice Magical Item


    When worn, the Band of Dexterity increases the wearer¡¯s dexterity attribute by 5. If the band is severely damaged or taken off, the bonus points will vanish.


    Note: Magical item effects do not vary by user


    Owin brought it over and let each alchemist Examine it before he slipped it onto his left wrist. ¡°It¡¯s not that good, but it should still help.¡±


    ¡°For now, at least,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Once you get gauntlets, you will want to replace that. It¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 55*


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 24


    Charisma: 60


    Owin slipped the cloth band off his wrist and watched his dexterity drop back to 50. He placed it on again. ¡°It works.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. The dungeon isn¡¯t going to give you something that doesn¡¯t even work.¡± Katalin nudged him with her elbow. ¡°You¡¯re the only deficient thing here.¡±


    Ernie had his index open and pointed past Olma¡¯s body, around the bend the lizard had appeared from. ¡°Next one is going to be over there. We might catch a glimpse of Olmu, but we¡¯ll wait to fight the floor boss. If we take longer than a half hour, you would have to fight the boss twice, and I don¡¯t think you want to do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Once was enough for Olma. Even thinking about doing it again right now felt exhausting.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bristle worm by the last mushrooms, but I think we can avoid fighting.¡± Ernie set off. He was moving a little better without hunching over or putting pressure on his abdomen. Owin was sure it still hurt, as plenty of Owin¡¯s own body was in pain, but the alchemist was adapting.


    They walked through the dark cave, past the huge corpse and the clouds of blood. Owin opened his own map of the floor, seeing their path swerve back and forth through the cave. Many routes were still shrouded in shadows. They looked like they all would connect, but he knew plenty were dead ends or looped in ways he wouldn¡¯t have expected.


    Ernie pulled various bottles from his bag as they walked, checking the contents of each one. He had the black venom, the silver worm blood, and Chaeta flesh all just from the fourth floor.


    ¡°Do you have more empty bottles?¡± Owin asked. He had been amazed at just how many bottles Ernie had brought.


    ¡°None. Olma¡¯s venom is the last thing to collect other than the last mushrooms.¡± Ernie pointed to the left, turning down a small path. The gilled mushrooms were clearly visible growing against the base of the wall.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t even hidden.¡±


    ¡°These are probably the easiest to find,¡± Ernie said as he sat down. ¡°Olma does patrol past here though, so if you didn¡¯t fight the boss before, you would have here.¡±


    Katalin yawned and crouched. She plucked a few mushrooms, but stared off into space as she did it. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a nap.¡±


    ¡°I can watch on the ferry ride back,¡± Owin said.


    Katalin nodded as she yawned again. ¡°That would be good.¡±


    Even as they harvested the mushrooms, Owin stood guard, watching both directions down the cave.


    It only took a few minutes to gather all the mushrooms and move on without incident. Ernie led them to the next spot, passing by Olmu, who looked identical to Olma. The huge white lizard waited patiently near the exit door and the stairs down to the fifth level. They stopped briefly, watching Olmu, before continuing. Ernie changed paths to avoid three more bristle worms until they eventually found the last cluster. It was the smallest, and a bristle worm patrolled nearby, but didn¡¯t seem to notice as Ernie and Katalin quickly tossed the mushrooms into Ernie¡¯s bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe we actually collected them all,¡± Katalin said. She yawned again. ¡°I cannot wait to be outside this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Last thing is the floor boss.¡± Ernie led them back the way they had come, avoiding the same worms. ¡°We could slip past, if you wanted.¡±


    They stopped at the edge of the cave. It opened back to a small area of sand, just like the stairs from the third floor. Owin could see the ocean surface far above and faint sunlight made the area look incredibly bright compared to the dim cave they had just traveled through.


    ¡°Skip it?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I know your tiny brain might just think about stabbing, but it would be safer and faster to sneak past and disappear through the exit,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I know how to beat it easily, but . . .¡± Owin sighed.


    ¡°But what?¡± Katalin asked. ¡°You¡¯re scared you¡¯ll mess it up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to think I have no brain, but I felt bad for killing Olma.¡±


    Ernie scratched his cheek and watched Olmu as the lizard stood guard. ¡°Kat?¡±


    Katalin sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± She patted the top of Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Most people would say not to feel bad because they¡¯re just mobs, but, well . . . they¡¯re not, are they? Look at you.¡±


    ¡°Mobs respawn, like you know,¡± Ernie said. ¡°I still think it¡¯s good that you feel bad about it. Makes you different from most heroes.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was already different enough.¡±


    Katalin tousled Owin¡¯s hair, stirring some dirt and blood out that floated in the water. ¡°Nothing is wrong with being different. Trust us. We¡¯re far from normal, and Althowin is really fucking weird.¡±


    ¡°Understatement,¡± Ernie muttered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave Olmu.¡± Katalin pulled her hand from his head and wiped the blood on his shoulder. ¡°Next time you come through, you can fight if you want, or you can leave the lizard to do its lizard things and hop through the door.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s safer and faster if we don¡¯t fight. You won¡¯t get any complaints from me,¡± Ernie said. ¡°You will have to keep Olmu busy long enough for us to run through the door.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t linger,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit outside worrying if you got eaten or not.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin adjusted his belt, making sure his knife and wands were placed correctly. His bag sat on his hip and shoulder in a way that they wouldn¡¯t swing around. The Thunderstrike Maul acted as a comforting weight on his shoulder, even if he hadn¡¯t used it to its full power in a long time. He took a deep breath. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Katalin said with a smile. ¡°Following your lead.¡±


    Owin sprinted out of the cave, immediately drawing Olmu¡¯s attention. The blind lizard swung its tail so fast that Owin barely had time to leap over. It caught his foot, causing him to spin and land on his back.


    Ernie and Katalin ran around the outside following the boundary wall toward the stairs and the exit in the corner.


    Owin watched their feet from beneath Olmu. The lizard reared up, flared its gills, and roared in a deep bellow. Owin smiled as Katalin bent down and made eye contact below the boss.


    ¡°Get up!¡±


    Owin rolled and landed on his feet, barely dodging Olmu¡¯s claws as they smashed into the sand. He dashed toward the boundary, following the cave wall. Katalin vanished through the exit, while Ernie waited, watching Owin.


    ¡°Go!¡± Owin shouted.


    Ernie shook his head and waved him over. Owin jumped back, getting far out of the way of another swing. Olmu roared and flipped its tail in the air. Ernie pointed to the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± Owin stepped to the side, watching the lizard¡¯s tail. As soon as it whipped around, he jumped as far as he could toward the exit. One of Olmu¡¯s paws caught him mid-jump. Claws scraped along the Thunderstrike Maul.


    The blow pushed Owin to the ground where Olmu smashed both its paws down. Owin dove to the side, landing near Ernie.


    ¡°Really taking your time here, goblin.¡±


    Owin scrambled to his feet and dove, tackling Ernie into the void nexus doorway.


    Sunlight was unbearable. Owin gasped and covered his eyes. Even the noises were terrible. Every wave that crashed on the sandbar was louder than someone screaming. He had grown so used to the muted sounds of being under water. Even his skin felt sensitive as the breeze blew past.


    ¡°Oh, thank the fucking gods,¡± Katalin said.


    Owin cracked an eye open to see Katalin standing upright with her arms outstretched. The sun shone directly on her face. Water dripped from her hair and clothes as if they had just walked out of the actual ocean.


    Owin moved his arms and felt his clothes sticking to him. Water dripped in a steady stream from his bag, filtering through the cloth. ¡°This is awful,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Not great, is it?¡± Ernie helped Owin to his feet.


    His eyes adjusted to the light, allowing him to fully take in his surroundings. They stood on the end of the sandbar just outside the small doorway. The entrance was about fifty feet away with nobody waiting outside.


    ¡°Ferry will probably be here soon,¡± Katalin said, yawning again. ¡°It¡¯ll bring a new batch of heroes, so try not to start any fights.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t start the fights,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I know, Owin. It¡¯s a joke.¡± Katalin waved them over to where the ferry docked. She sat on the sand and rested her forehead on her knees. ¡°Dry clothes, some whiskey, a hot meal, some more whiskey.¡±


    ¡°We need to bring Owin back to the Hogs first,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°I know. Chorsay will have a drink with us.¡±


    Ernie sat himself down and leaned on Katalin. ¡°We can¡¯t take the time for that. We¡¯re already late.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He leaned on her shoulder and closed his eyes. ¡°Can you let us know when the ferry is close?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know,¡± Owin said. He sat on Katalin¡¯s other side, resting his back against her. Minolitana Prima was barely visible in the distance as a pile of shapes and buildings on the shore. Some mountains lay beyond that. There was little else Owin could see from the sandbar. Everything else was just ocean, which he felt like he didn¡¯t need to see for a long time.

 Book 2 - Chapter 29

    Owin gently shook Katalin as the ferry approached. She immediately groaned, then yawned and poked Ernie in the face until he woke. Both alchemists had fallen asleep almost immediately. It was difficult to tell just how long they had been in the dungeon, especially with the way time changed when using the doors. He guessed it had been a couple of days in total.


    Katalin and Ernie stood and watched the ferry slowly approach with Owin. It was morning, with the sun still working on rising to its zenith. More people were on the ferry than there had been when Owin had originally ridden it to the sandbar.


    Owin tried to flatten his ears or cover his hair, but he had no way to hide his very obvious goblin appearance. A few heroes caught sight, and many whispered to one another. As they filed off the ferry, each person stared at Owin, but nobody made any aggressive moves.


    ¡°What floor did you get through?¡± a hero asked.


    ¡°Four,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Nice job.¡± The hero nodded to Owin and stood in line on the sand.


    Owin nodded back, unsure if he should keep the conversation going.


    An older woman in overalls leaned on the railing of the ferry. She brushed loose hair from her forehead and flicked her eyes between Katalin, Ernie, and Owin. ¡°You¡¯re the goblin I¡¯ve been hearing about?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Owin siad.


    Katalin chuckled. ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to attack me when you get on my ferry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ernie leaned close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Say ma¡¯am after.¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± Owin said.


    She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Not sure I love it, but if you don¡¯t hit me, I won¡¯t hit you.¡±


    Owin nodded. That was a fair deal. ¡°Does everyone know who I am?¡±


    The lady shrugged. ¡°You were the main topic of that whole group of heroes.¡±


    Owin looked back, seeing every hero on the sandbar staring at him. ¡°I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ignore them.¡±


    The ferry captain looked over her shoulder. ¡°Are you two getting off? No? Fine. This is your last trip. You can¡¯t ride my ferry all damn day.¡± She sighed and waved Owin forward. ¡°Come aboard. Let¡¯s get back to Minolitana Prima.¡± She gestured toward them and walked away, getting the ferry ready to depart.


    Katalin climbed up first, stopping to yawn, then grabbed Ernie¡¯s hand and helped him climb aboard. Owin jumped right up, landing a little heavier than he intended. He walked across the deck and sat beside Ernie once the alchemists settled in. The ferry¡¯s engine rumbled and soon, the whole vessel was moving away from the sandbar.


    ¡°Change your mind on the Ocean?¡± Katalin asked.


    Owin glanced across the deck at the two figures sitting nearby. His breath caught as his heart immediately started hammering in his chest.


    Siora sat on a bench with her glowing sword sheathed, lying across her lap. Her ponytail fluttered in the wind as she smirked, watching for Owin¡¯s reaction. Nasty, dark scars criss-crossed her face, covering her mouth and cheeks. A dark bruise remained under her eyes, passing over her bent, broken nose.


    Beside Siora was Nikoletta. The mender was silent, letting her round mace rest on the boards between her feet. Her hair was buzzed close, and her eyes were bloodshot instead of the luminous glow Owin had seen.


    ¡°Ah, we have other priorities,¡± Siora said.


    Owin¡¯s breath quickened. His fingers wrapped around the Thunderstrike Maul and squeezed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ernie whispered.


    ¡°Artivan.¡± It was the only word Owin managed to form, and it was little more than a hiss of air.


    Ernie turned to Siora and Nikoletta, his index appearing before his eyes. ¡°Kat.¡±


    She glanced over, then used Examine on her own. ¡°Huh. Fuck.¡±


    Owin stood, lifted the hammer, and let it rest on his shoulder. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±


    Nikoletta glared at Owin. Muscles in her jaw shifted as she watched him. Her fingers toyed with the mace, ready to flip it up at a moment¡¯s notice. He was sure the weapon and her eyes would immediately glow when the fighting started.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Siora laughed. ¡°I tried killing the filthy Hog.¡±


    Owin shifted his weight, but Ernie grabbed his belt, holding him back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crime to attack another hero,¡± Ernie said quietly. ¡°There won¡¯t be a way for me or Chorsay to save you if you attack.¡±


    ¡°Tried? Artivan is alive?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°You knew the old bastard?¡± Siora¡¯s index flashed, but she didn¡¯t seem impressed with what she saw. ¡°Alive isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use. I ran my sword through his heart.¡±


    ¡°The goblin cursed him,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°Cursed,¡± Siora agreed.


    ¡°You attacked us!¡± Owin lurched forward, shedding Ernie¡¯s grip. He moved quickly across the deck until he was within range of Siora.


    The soldier didn¡¯t move. Even Nikoletta sat still, watching out of the side of her eye. Siora¡¯s right hand rested on her sword¡¯s grip, though the leather sheath was still firmly in place. Her yellow eyes were sharp as her smirk grew.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve let him go,¡± Owin said, more of a plea than with the fire he intended.


    ¡°Could I? How well did you know that old bastard?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you know him?¡±


    He lifted the Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Katalin shouted.


    Siora stood, immediately towering over Owin. She looked straight down at him. ¡°One swing isn¡¯t killing me.¡±


    Ernie grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulder and tugged him back. ¡°You can¡¯t fight her,¡± he whispered in Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°She¡¯s trying to piss you off. Ignore her.¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Him? The goblin that brutally murdered my friends?¡± Siora scoffed. ¡°He deserves everything bad that¡¯s happened to him.¡±


    ¡°He is unnatural,¡± Nikoletta said.


    Ernie maneuvered himself in between Owin and Siora, pushing Owin back more every second. Owin didn¡¯t take his eyes off Siora¡¯s, even as he stumbled backward.


    ¡°Unnatural? Then why are there goblins in the fucking dungeons? Did the gods accidentally create them? Is everything inside the dungeons unnatural? Because if so, you might want to drop that gear you¡¯re carrying. It might poison you, hero.¡± Katalin rolled her eyes. ¡°Some of the dumbest fucking things people say.¡±


    ¡°An alchemist wouldn¡¯t understand what I see,¡± Nikoletta said.


    That statement earned a side eye from Siora before the soldier returned her mocking smirk to Owin.


    ¡°Leave us alone and we won¡¯t bother you,¡± Ernie said.


    Siora laughed. ¡°Not a chance. Hey goblin, how would you feel if we killed these friends too?¡±


    Owin slipped past Ernie faster than the alchemist could ever hope to react. The Thunderstrike Maul was already glowing brightly as he swung it down, aiming to smash every bit of Siora¡¯s skull.


    Her sheathed sword swung up, barely blocking the hammer swing. She was pushed back into the ferry wall as Owin fell to the ground.


    Nikoletta¡¯s eyes and mace glowed with bright luminous power. ¡°We will defend ourselves.¡±


    Siora¡¯s smirk grew more vile. ¡°I can handle this.¡±


    Owin readied his hammer. He had a long way to go before it was charged, but a few swift movements could get it close. As confident as Siora was, she wouldn¡¯t survive a fully charged attack with his current strength. He would make sure of it.


    He jumped, swinging the hammer around. It was fine to be predictable. The attacks weren¡¯t meant to kill yet. He only needed to move the hammer, to get her off balance, to show that he wasn¡¯t going to run out of energy.


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    She angled herself to the side, blocking again, but was knocked backward. A few quick, panicked movements brought her near the edge of the ferry. ¡°So quick,¡± she said quietly.


    Owin leapt again. The hammer was gaining charge quickly. The faster he moved, the faster it charged. After getting his dexterity up, moving on the surface felt incredibly quick compared to maneuvering around under the water.


    Siora¡¯s gauntleted hand smashed into Owin¡¯s stomach, flashing as the hammer fell from his hands. There was nothing he could do as the metal shaft dropped from his grip. He tried to pick it up again while it fell, but his hand refused to close.


    Siora caught Owin in mid air. Her eyes were hard as she pulled him close. ¡°Those born as scum, die as scum.¡± She tossed him backward. Owin reached out, failing to catch hold of anything. He only had a brief glimpse of the alchemists before he fell past the railing and splashed into the rough, cold water. Dark washed over as he sank like a weight into the ocean.


    ***


    Katalin watched Owin plummet over the side. Water splashed over the side as the goblin disappeared. She grabbed Ernie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He can¡¯t swim.¡±


    Ernie shed his backpack, letting the bag drop straight to the deck. Before Katalin even realized what he was doing, Ernie sprinted to the edge and dove into the rough ocean water.


    She ran to the edge, looking for any sign of Ernie or Owin. So far, there was nothing.


    ¡°What kind of fucking monster are you?¡± she asked, turning to Siora.


    The soldier was holding the Thunderstrike Maul with the same dumb smirk on her face. ¡°Me? He is literally a mob walking around like a human.¡±


    ¡°Put the hammer down.¡±


    Siora raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is an alchemist going to do about it? You think you can win because you¡¯ve got a couple levels on me?¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Katalin shouted.


    The ferry captain left her post and walked back, taking in the scene. ¡°The goblin act up?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°He attacked Siora.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fight back. I only disarmed him and threw him overboard,¡± she said innocently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report it. Thanks for not fighting on my vessel.¡± The captain didn¡¯t bother with anything more than that.


    Katalin supposed Siora was right. She had baited Owin into attacking. From the perspective of the authorities, Owin was the criminal, though if he was alive, this would serve as a punishment. He didn¡¯t actually hurt Siora, even if he wanted to.


    Katalin looked back where Ernie had jumped in. Still no sign. She felt nauseous as she watched the waves.


    ¡°Are you enough of a moron to hire the Nimble Hogs?¡± Siora asked. ¡°You get what you pay for.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking idiot,¡± Katalin said. She sighed. Althowin is going to flay me for using her name so much.


    ¡°Am I? From where I¡¯m standing, I look like the victor.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    Siora¡¯s index appeared again. ¡°A nobody.¡±


    ¡°Katalin Miksa, second apprentice of the 7 Shard Hero, Althowin Alegarra.¡± Katalin gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°Mother fucker.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Siora whispered.


    ¡°What of it?¡± Nikoletta¡¯s luminous energy vanished, leaving her eyes bloodshot and exhausted again. ¡°A second apprentice is hardly worth our attention.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask Vephthru Veriss how she feels about being banned from Althowin¡¯s workshop. You see, my master doesn¡¯t take kindly to people antagonizing her apprentices.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unharmed,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°We have no quarrels with you.¡±


    Siora dropped the hammer, where it cracked the boards at her feet. ¡°The other one,¡± she whispered.


    Katalin gestured behind her where Ernie had dove in. ¡°Ernworth Eckelson, Althowin¡¯s prime apprentice. He is now trying to save our escort who you so carelessly tossed in the water.¡±


    ¡°The goblin can make it back,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°He can¡¯t swim, you dumb ass.¡± Katalin marched forward and snatched the Thunderstrike Maul. She could barely lift it and practically dragged it back to Ernie¡¯s backpack. ¡°I will ensure Althowin never works with Void Nexus again, and Veph will know it¡¯s because of you two.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Siora said. ¡°We can work for free. We can make up for it.¡±


    ¡°If Ernie doesn¡¯t make it back, I can¡¯t imagine you will survive. You see, Althowin interprets actions against her apprentices as actions against herself. Even if Ernie gets back, you have fully disrespected the 7 Shard Hero.¡±


    ¡°I can get anyone from Void Nexus to escort you. It doesn¡¯t have to be us. Anyone for free. For life,¡± Siora practically shouted. Sweat had formed along her hairline. ¡°I can . . . Fuck. You¡¯re not affiliated. How are we supposed to know?¡±


    ¡°Anonymity has its benefits. Althowin doesn¡¯t want everyone to know who we are. You know who does know our names?¡±


    Siora slumped onto the bench. ¡°Veph.¡±


    ¡°Veph,¡± Katalin agreed.


    Nikoletta remained standing. She stared at the dented head of her mace. ¡°The goblin and his knight were killers.¡±


    Katalin grabbed Ernie¡¯s backpack and quickly checked the contents. She slipped it over her shoulders. ¡°I knew Artivan personally. Don¡¯t try to convince me he was something evil.¡±


    ¡°Artivan Morro, the Sovereign One,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°Whatever hero you knew wasn¡¯t who I fought at the end.¡±


    Siora, defeated, nodded as she watched the floorboards.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve heard Owin¡¯s story about his escape after you all chased him.¡±


    ¡°Then Siora killed the knight. That should have been the end of it.¡±


    ¡°It should¡¯ve been,¡± Siora muttered.


    Katalin glanced back at the ocean. Nothing. ¡°Tell me.¡± She needed something to occupy her mind.


    ¡°The goblin cursed the knight before fleeing. When Siora struck the knight down, the curse took hold. The dungeon told us the Sovereign One had risen.¡±


    ¡°The Hog became a lich,¡± Siora said bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°My Miklos was ripped to shreds.¡±


    Siora nodded slowly. ¡°The lich killed four of us in seconds. Before I went through the nexus, he talked to me.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s mind was turning. Artivan was a lich? Did that mean he was still alive? She had never once heard of the Sovereign One, and she had been in the Great Forest a number of times. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    Siora turned her gaze back to the floor.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Katalin demanded.


    ¡°Owin will never let you find peace.¡±


    Katalin found herself mimicking Siora¡¯s earlier smirk. ¡°Was that all?¡±


    ¡°No. I keep hearing the words in my fucking head. He stood there, a monster covered in the viscera of my friends, of heroes.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Katalin asked again.


    ¡°He¡¯s a better human than you.¡±


    ¡°And that bothers you, huh?¡± Katalin shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Pathetic?¡± Siora jumped to her feet. ¡°The first time I approached them, the Hog cut Titus in half. We didn¡¯t even need to fight, but the fucking goblin leapt at Elas and couldn¡¯t stop him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Katalin sat on the edge of the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°You¡¯re not convincing me that Owin or Artivan were in the wrong. You¡¯re too scared to even say their fucking names.¡±


    Nikoletta¡¯s eyes flashed yellow as Luminous Surge triggered for just a second before vanishing. ¡°Your threats don¡¯t intimidate me. I survived without Void Nexus before, and I will again. I will fight for the cathkabel and the gods, and your goblin and his abyssal allies will fall.¡±


    Siora sighed. ¡°Let me talk to Althowin.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. She has no time for you.¡± Katalin watched Minolitana Prima grow bigger as they neared the dock. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t stuck on the ferry, I would also have no time for you. You two are quite the duo of dumbshits.¡±


    ¡°At least the goblin is gone,¡± Siora said. Her face was red and sweat glistened her skin, even with the ocean breeze.


    The captain slowed the ferry down as it drifted to its position on the dock. A few scattered heroes were waiting for a ride to the Ocean.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°I have no reason to stop you. Just because you¡¯re a piece of shit doesn¡¯t mean you broke the law.¡± Katalin glared at the two Void Nexus heroes. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised when you hear from Veph.¡±


    Siora sighed. She strapped her sword belt back around her waist and waited at the edge of the ferry.


    ¡°One thing,¡± Katalin said as Siora and Nikoletta readied to depart.


    Siora looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Artivan never lied. What was it he said to you?¡± she asked with a smile.


    Siora scowled and stormed off the ferry. Nikoletta clenched her jaw and followed the soldier silently into Minolitana Prima.


    Katalin remained at her same spot on the Thunderstrike Maul. The captain stopped on the deck and stared at her for a second.


    ¡°I¡¯m riding the ferry until we pick up my friends.¡±


    ¡°The goblin isn¡¯t coming aboard.¡±


    ¡°Those heroes murdered a hero that protected the goblin in the Great Forest. They¡¯re killers and they baited him into attacking. I don¡¯t care what your opinion is on a goblin walking Verdantallis, but Owin, the hero, is going to be getting back on the ferry when we find them.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She really is going to kill me. ¡°My master, Althowin Alegarra, will have her own opinion on the matter. I am going to send her a message quickly. Hold the ferry until I return. If this hammer is gone, I¡¯ll bring my master here to handle it.¡±


    The ferry captain¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Katalin marched off the ferry, pushing past heroes who had just overheard the conversation. She really needed to stop dropping Althowin¡¯s name to solve her problems. A message booth was nestled into the retaining wall beside the stairs leading into the heart of Minolitana Prima. Some vandals had painted over bits of the message booth, but that was fine. It didn¡¯t interfere with the equipment.


    Katalin picked up the device and typed out Althowin¡¯s identification code. She slipped a dungeon gold into the machine. It took a few hours for a message to reach its destination, but it would reach Althowin long before Katalin could. When one considered the hours of time it took to travel through the portals, messaging was still the quickest way to communicate.


    Void Nexus has attacked me, Ernie, and our Nimble Hog escort.


    I am alive. Ernie and the goblin, our escort, are missing. I am searching for them.


    We will be late delivering the gilled mushrooms. We will bring the goblin back to Atrevaar before returning.


    Void Nexus heroes: Siora Rilokos, Nikoletta Olah.


    See you soon.


    Katalin sent the message and set the device back down. She walked back to the ferry to find it fully loaded with the hammer untouched. The captain watched warily as Katalin boarded again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mention you in my message.¡±


    The captain nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re bringing them back safely.¡±


    She nodded again.


    Katalin ignored the looks of the other heroes and sat on the edge of the Thunderstrike Maul.


    They¡¯re going to be safe. Katalin wanted to lay her head down and let her eyes drift close. Sleep would take her in seconds, even with so many people looking at her. But she couldn¡¯t.


    Ernie is safe. He was a strong swimmer. He was a strong person. After her outburst outside Ligala Lepis, he wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to Owin. She knew that. Ernie prioritized Katalin over anything else, no matter how many times she told him to stop.


    He needed to move on from their childhood, but it wasn¡¯t that simple, was it? Vekuborg had remained in both their minds, never pulling its tendrils free. It clung as a constant reminder of the loss and the horror.


    Nobody should feel unsafe. Katalin leaned her head against the hammer¡¯s shaft and watched the blue sky. The sun was harsh with so few clouds, and her skin already felt like it was starting to burn. At least she felt dry.


    Katalin started sorting through recipes in her head, filing in the new frenzy poison she had made on the third floor. She knew she could sit and worry, or she could use the time to let her mind work through some alchemical problems that would help both Owin and Ernie in the future.


    And they would have a future, because they were going to be waiting for a ride back to the mainland.

 Book 2 - Chapter 30

    The ocean was a dark, endless void, not unlike the portals between cities or the doorways between floors. Owin felt like he floated in the middle of nothing. The only familiarity was the noise. The muffled washing of water was the same as what he had just dealt with for days inside the Ocean Dungeon.


    At least in the Ocean Dungeon, he could breathe and he had a sense for where the surface was at all times. Now, he couldn¡¯t tell which way was up, and he only had a brief chance to suck in air before he fell under the surface.


    Ever since the labyrinth, Owin felt as though he would die drowning. Water was everywhere, and somehow it was the most terrifying of his opponents.


    A boss? Easy. A river? Impossible.


    There was no technique or weapon that could defeat water, and without knowing how to swim, he had no way to traverse even the smaller bodies. The best he could do was jump or avoid water altogether, but this time, he hadn¡¯t been able to help himself.


    And that was the end. No revenge for Artivan. No showing Void Nexus what it means to be afraid. Just a cold, dark grave.


    At least he had helped Ernie and Katalin complete their mission. They had a full batch of gilled mushrooms to bring to Althowin. Owin didn¡¯t want to die over some mushrooms, but he had promised to help.


    That was something, however small, he could be proud of.


    Something grabbed a fistful of Owin¡¯s hair and yanked. Pain shocked him into awareness as another hand clambered over Owin¡¯s face, finally finding purchase on his shirt.


    Owin turned his head up as the figure let go of his hair. Ernie was barely visible in the dark. The alchemist grabbed both of Owin¡¯s arms, squeezing with all his strength. Owin felt pain in both arms as Ernie kicked his feet and dragged Owin through the water.


    Owin felt like a bag of rocks as Ernie tried dragging him up. His arms moved without the rest of his body wanting to budge.


    ¡°Kick, dammit!¡± Ernie¡¯s voice was muffled, distant in the rough water.


    Owin watched Ernie¡¯s feet flutter and tried to do the same with his own. He didn¡¯t move quickly, but he was suddenly less of a hindrance as Ernie dragged Owin toward the surface.


    Ernie gasped in air as soon as they broke the surface. Water splashed into Owin¡¯s face, spraying into his mouth even as he took a deep breath in. They bobbed as the water sloshed. All Owin could spot as he fought to stay afloat was more water. It was everywhere, surrounding him in every direction.


    ¡°Keep kicking,¡± Ernie grunted as he dragged Owin.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Owin asked. Only about half his words made it out as his head dipped below the surface or a wave splashed into his mouth.


    ¡°To the sandbar.¡± Ernie didn¡¯t waver, heading straight forward.


    Owin wanted to protest. How did he know which way to go? But talking took effort and air, both of which Owin was running low on. His legs ached, but without truly getting tired, he knew he could keep kicking. If only he wasn¡¯t weighing Ernie down too.


    As they swam, Owin dropped like a rock more than once, sinking without any hope of getting back to the surface. Each time, Ernie dove down, hauled him up, and helped him stay afloat just enough to keep moving on. Owin never felt like he had a good lungful of air, but he was able to breathe enough to survive.


    As they neared the sandbar, Owin first spotted the giant void nexus. Some heroes were still lined up, waiting for their turn to enter the Ocean Dungeon. They were small at first, Ernie waved and shouted, only managing to get one word out.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    A whole clump of heroes moved at the same time. Hunters shed their bows and dove into the water. A mender swirled luminous energy, lighting up the whole area as a bright spotlight. A magus froze a line through the water, creating a path for the mender to tread out.


    Hunters each grabbed Owin and Ernie, helping them stay at the surface. Ernie was nearly unconscious as the hero grabbed his arm.


    The mender skidded to a stop above them, standing on the ice. The air rumbled as a shard appeared over the mender¡¯s shoulder. Spells shone around him as he restored their health. Owin¡¯s health, still low from his horror poisoning, climbed, filling up his whole bar.


    Ernie was practically shocked awake as the spell hit. The hunter calmed him, and soon they were crawling onto the edge of the sandbar.


    Other heroes waited, unable to dive in with their heavy armor. The whole area was filled with commotion.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Skip my turn,¡± the mender said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the end.¡±


    ¡°More will be on the next ferry,¡± a knight said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. Go in if you¡¯re ready.¡± The mender dropped to one knee beside Ernie.


    The hunters sat heavily in the sand, panting with effort. They looked almost identical with only different hair and headbands.


    The shard had vanished from the mender¡¯s shoulder. He had dark brown skin and wore armor that reminded Owin of Artivan. It was a full matching metal suit, each piece cleaned and polished to perfection. He held a long staff and had a curved sword sheathed at his side.


    ¡°Are you in danger?¡± he asked.


    Owin stared blankly.


    Ernie groaned and sat upright. He punched Owin gently. ¡°He¡¯s asking if you¡¯re losing health.¡±


    Owin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s full now.¡±


    The mender nodded. ¡°Brimras Mernhadra,¡± he said, extending his hand.


    Ernie took it and shook once. ¡°Ernie Eckelson, prime apprentice of Althowin Alegarra.¡±


    That caused a wave of murmurs through the small crowd of heroes gathered.


    ¡°And you?¡± Brimras asked.


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    Brimras smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain we¡¯ve all heard of you. Did you fall off the ferry? We all saw you board.¡±


    ¡°A Void Nexus hero tossed Owin overboard. He can¡¯t swim.¡± Ernie groaned again and lifted his shirt. The knife wound from the third floor was still festering.


    Brimras touched his gauntleted hand to Ernie¡¯s stomach. His fingers glowed yellow, immediately causing the wound to stitch closed.


    Ernie sighed and fell back onto the sand. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus did that? Ailred, any idea why?¡±


    A heavily armored man stood nearby. He had a red bushy beard with streaks of gray. ¡°There were some young ladies on the ferry. Don¡¯t know them well.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Siora and Nikoletta,¡± Owin said.


    Ailred nodded. ¡°Aye. It was them?¡±


    ¡°They killed my friend in the Great Forest. They won¡¯t stop chasing me.¡±


    Ailred sighed and squatted. ¡°Veph mentioned the goblin. A target, she said. Killed some Void Nexus with the help of a Nimble Hog.¡±


    ¡°I was defending myself.¡±


    Ailred and Brimras exchanged a glance. ¡°Aye. I believe you. Brim, can you get them ready for the next ferry?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Void Nexus?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    Brimras nodded slowly. ¡°He won¡¯t do you harm. He¡¯s no hero killer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think there¡¯s more of them than I thought,¡± Ernie said. ¡°We got attacked in the Ocean too.¡±


    Brimras held a finger to his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s keep things private. Strictly things I need to know.¡±


    Ernie nodded. His index flashed as he looked over many of the heroes. Owin couldn¡¯t be bothered. There were too many people, and knowing one had a shard already meant he was outclassed. He laid back and stared at the cloudless blue sky. He wouldn¡¯t get sick of seeing that. Even the fake sky in the Great Forest hadn¡¯t looked as good as the endless one above him.


    ¡°Are you in a party with hero companies?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°No. Simply traveling adjacent to one another.¡± The shard hummed as it reappeared over Brimras¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doom shardless heroes to fight alongside me. After some time crawling, you learn names. I¡¯ve seen many of these people before, and now I know to watch for the Donotola brothers in the future.¡±


    One of the hunters lying beside Ernie sighed. ¡°See, Vova?¡±


    The other hunter sat up. ¡°Yeah, Yuri, I see.¡±


    ¡°I will inform Isaak of your heroism,¡± Brimras said. ¡°Now, goblin.¡±


    Owin continued staring at the sky. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are these Nimble Hogs located?¡±


    ¡°Atrevaar,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Right outside the portals. Chorsay Eoghet is the leader.¡±


    Brimras¡¯s index covered his eyes. He scanned through, nodding slowly. ¡°A 2 Shard Hero? I don¡¯t recall hearing of these Nimble Hogs before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small company.¡± Ernie gestured to Owin. ¡°A Nimble Hog was the first human he met.¡±


    Owin sat up. Artivan was far from the first human he had met. Artivan was maybe the only human he had met in the Great Forest that wasn¡¯t trying to kill him. Ernie kept Owin quiet with a touch to his arm.


    ¡°Ah. Void Nexus perhaps has its quarrels, but you would do better with Magna Regum or the Three Heads.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with the Hogs,¡± Owin said. He heard Siora in his mind, mocking the name. She had said the words with such disdain.


    ¡°See you on the other side, Brim.¡± Ailred stood just outside the doorway and waved to Brimras. A few ordinary looking people stood beside him, almost hiding from the other heroes. Owin quickly used Examine, seeing that both were still marked as citizens.


    ¡°Safe travels,¡± Brimras said. ¡°Enjoy the Ocean.¡±


    Ailred gestured for the citizens to step through first, then followed them into the doorway. They vanished quickly, leaving the sandbar a little more empty.


    ¡°The ferry won¡¯t be here for quite some time. Do you two need anything? Food? Water?¡±


    ¡°A small snack and a drink of water would be incredible,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What about you, goblin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Brimras found a small jar and handed it to Ernie. ¡°I assume your alchemist spells can make this stew palatable.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I appreciate it.¡±


    Yuri Donotola pulled a small metal flask from his pant leg. He held it out and raised an eyebrow.


    Ernie grinned, unscrewed the top, and took a swig. He coughed and nodded, then took another swig. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Vova special.¡± Yuri took his own drink, screwed on the top, and tossed it over Ernie and Owin.


    Vova caught the flask and took a long drink. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    Brimras sighed. ¡°You would do better with water.¡±


    ¡°I would do better with a lot of things. I appreciate your help, and I am grateful for the food. I owe you one,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°When I have earned your master¡¯s attention, perhaps I will ask for a favor.¡± Brimras stood and brushed sand from his armor. ¡°I will leave you to your rest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Owin said.


    Brimras nodded and joined the line of heroes still waiting outside the door, leaving only the twins.


    ¡°Drink?¡± Vova tried handing the flask to Owin.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Vova squinted and glanced at his brother. ¡°Vodka.¡±


    ¡°That is not,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Let me taste it again.¡±


    That earned a grin from Vova, who tossed the flask back over.


    Ernie took a drink and swished it in his mouth before coughing again. ¡°That is flavorless.¡±


    ¡°It is for relaxation,¡± Vova said, taking the flask.


    ¡°If by relax you mean pass out, then yeah, it¡¯s great.¡±


    Yuri clapped and laughed. ¡°This one gets it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, by the way,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Nothing special,¡± Vova said. ¡°Best swimmers in Stobrukha.¡±


    ¡°Did you give up your turn to save us?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°No, no.¡± Yuri shrugged. ¡°Yes, but we will wait for the Shard Hero to pass. Not interested in fighting stronger fish.¡±


    ¡°How do hunters fight underwater?¡± Owin asked. ¡°Can you use your bow?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Yuri said. ¡°Arrows go nowhere. We use these.¡± In unison, Yuri and Vova drew kukri from sheaths on their thighs.


    ¡°Cut the fish,¡± Vova said.


    ¡°You have more of that?¡± Ernie asked.


    Vova took a drink and passed it back. ¡°We have two. Keep for your travels home.¡±


    Ernie had one more sip before screwing the top back on. ¡°Appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yuri patted Ernie on the shoulder. ¡°We will wait in line. Glad you¡¯re breathing.¡±


    Ernie nodded.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Owin said as the twins left, joining the line outside the door.


    Ernie scooted over until his shoulder brushed against Owin¡¯s. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Owin stared at him, unsure of how to answer. He had seen the people who had killed Artivan, and he did nothing. He had accepted his fate, assuming he was going to die, only for Ernie to risk his life. None of it really made any sense to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ernie put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to know. Not everyone is bad, right?¡±


    Owin nodded slowly. ¡°But what if we saw any of them in a dungeon?¡±


    Ernie grunted. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, Owin. People will always act a little differently when they¡¯re in front of others. They perform like they¡¯re on stage, like they¡¯re an actor. That doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re evil though. Am I the same as when you first met me?¡±


    Ernie had been intense when he first arrived at the Nimble Hogs. He had spoken arrogantly and confidently when they went to rescue Chorsay. Since entering the dungeon, Owin had seen a different side. He was scared, vulnerable, sad. He had been embarrassed about his choices, about trying to abandon Owin.


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said. Ernie had become one of the few humans who Owin truly trusted. ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve died too. I was going to drown and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Owin, stop. I didn¡¯t even consider not diving in after you. I¡¯m a strong swimmer. Maybe it¡¯s been awhile, but trust me when I say that Kat and I used to spend entire days in the lake. But even if I wasn¡¯t a good swimmer, I would¡¯ve been in there right after you.¡±


    ¡°What if Katalin is in danger?¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t actually think the Void Nexus heroes would touch Kat. She probably made them terrified for their own lives the second you went overboard. If they were aggressive, the whole hero company would pay the price. You have nothing to worry about. I get it, Owin. You know I would put myself in danger to save Kat. She comes first to me, and I will never regret risking myself for her.¡±


    ¡°Artivan insisted the heroes would leave him alone when I escaped.¡±


    Ernie ran his hands through his wet hair, plastering it back, and sighed. ¡°In the dungeons, it¡¯s a little different. No laws are held within. How would anyone know what¡¯s true and what¡¯s not? Outside, people are held more accountable. Kat is fine. If I believe it, you should too. Nothing is going to happen to her. When that ferry arrives, she¡¯ll be standing right at the front with the world¡¯s worst scowl. You know why?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°Because she¡¯ll be so pissed that we aren¡¯t already dry by a fire with a strong drink. That includes you, you know. Did you want to get your clothes soaked again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s angry for you. Trust me. If she had more pipe bombs . . .¡± Ernie shook his head. ¡°Not actually. She¡¯s not murderous.¡± He ran his hands over his wet hair again. ¡°Usually.¡±


    Owin let himself fall back into the sand. The sun was warm, making his drying skin feel tight as he moved his eyebrows and attempted to wiggle his ears. Scars from the lich magic and his various other battles mottled his face.


    ¡°I know I didn¡¯t do as well as Artivan,¡± Owin said. ¡°Was I a good escort?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to compare yourself, Owin.¡± Ernie took another drink from the twins¡¯ flask. He coughed at the strong liquor. ¡°Wow, that is rough. Here¡¯s the thing. You are a level one deficient hero. Do you think anyone else in the same position can fight a fourth floor boss? You¡¯re strong and smart, even if goblin brains are a little smaller than the average toddler¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Ernie laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I need to find a good wisdom buff recipe to test on you.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 31

    The line of heroes had thinned considerably by the time Owin spotted the ferry. A few heroes including Brimras and the Donotola twins still waited, mostly sitting and snacking on the thin sandbar.


    Owin¡¯s clothes had mostly dried after lying in the sun for a long time, and he wasn¡¯t thrilled with the idea of getting back on the ferry. He was excited about getting back to Atrevaar, and the only way to do that was to ride across the ocean once again.


    Katalin stood right at the front railing, gripping it with intensity as the ferry neared. She didn¡¯t wave or even crack the slightest smile upon spotting Owin and Ernie. She remained still as a small group of heroes filed off the ship. They eyed Owin and glanced back nervously at Katalin as they joined the line outside the door.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Ernie said. He climbed up the ferry and joined Katalin at the front.


    Owin hopped up the side and noticed the captain staring at him.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Stay on the deck this time.¡±


    Owin frowned. The Thunderstrike Maul sat in the middle of the deck, right by Ernie and Owin¡¯s bags. He took a second to watch Ernie and Katalin as the ferry set off before slinging his bag over his shoulder.


    The Thunderstrike Maul acted as a makeshift seat again, giving Owin an opportunity to enjoy the breeze and watch the water slide past. He stayed directly in the center of the ferry, avoiding the sides. He didn¡¯t expect to get tossed overboard again, but the extra distance did help give him a sense of comfort.


    Several minutes passed before Katalin walked in front of Owin. She squatted, glared at him, then fell onto her bottom. Wind whipped at her loose black hair. It had curled and tangled as it dried. Her headband was still damp, leaving a few drops clinging to her forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why do you look angry?¡±


    Katalin closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you.¡± She shook her head and slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking over some things Siora and Nikoletta had said. I think now is perhaps the best time to tell you, but . . .¡± Katalin took a drink from the flask she had received from Ernie. ¡°Do you know anything about a being called the Sovereign One?¡±


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to answer, but his tongue suddenly felt dry and no words came out. Owin rested his head in his hands, blocking his face from Katalin. ¡°Artivan,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°After Siora killed him, they told me he came back as a lich and killed the rest of the heroes. They escaped before he killed them too.¡±


    Owin squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°The halo.¡±


    He felt her hands gently grab his arm. ¡°Tell me later, okay? I¡¯ll be over by Ernie.¡±


    Owin nodded without raising his head. What else was there to say? The Halo of the Doomed Harbinger had killed Artivan. From the moment Owin had read the description, he knew nothing good would come of it.


    It hadn¡¯t been worth the risk. The castle had nearly killed them both and it had given Owin¡¯s location to all the heroes on the floor. All it brought was pain.


    Owin could have tried to convince Artivan to skip the secret, to rush to the exit before Void Nexus could find them. They had been so confident. Owin wrapped his arms around his head, trying to flatten his ears, to block out the noise of the ocean.


    See you soon, little goblin.


    It had been a lie.


    Artivan knew he wasn¡¯t getting out. He knew he was going to die.


    He had been doomed by the gods.


    Owin squeezed his hands into fists. He had let Artivan stand alone, without his weapon, to die for nothing. What was Owin going to do with the life Artivan had given him? The old knight¡¯s life had been worth more than Owin could ever hope his own was worth. Everyone had loved Artivan. People only wanted to kill Owin. It wasn¡¯t a fair trade.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Not interested.¡± His footsteps thumped on the deck before he slumped onto the ground directly beside Owin.


    ¡°Ern, you bitch,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°Kat told me to leave you alone. It¡¯s not happening.¡± Ernie¡¯s fist gently bumped into Owin¡¯s lower leg. ¡°Despair is a deep, never ending pit, Owin, and you¡¯re diving head first. I thought we had enough swimming for the day.¡±


    Katalin groaned as she sat down beside Ernie. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to talk to us right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does. You know how it is, losing your way inside your own mind. No matter how lost you are, you want someone to pull you out. So, Owin, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Owin said, his voice muffled by his knees.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Ern.¡±


    ¡°I found the Sovereign One¡¯s tomb. I wanted to see what was inside the castle. The heroes were after me.¡±


    ¡°Artivan made his own choices, including saving you in the first place. He could¡¯ve told you to piss off after and sent you to fight the scaltari on your own. What did he do instead?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Gave me food.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Helped me.¡± Owin slowly lifted his head until he saw only a glimpse of Katalin and Ernie sitting directly beside him. Katalin¡¯s face was twisted in a frown and she avoided making eye contact with Owin. Ernie stared at him with no expression.


    ¡°Do you think Artivan regretted helping you?¡±


    ¡°He should.¡±


    Ernie shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask if he should. Did he?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Katalin sighed. ¡°Owin, there¡¯s something I haven''t told you yet.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Nikoletta and Siora both talked about Artivan, saying he had slaughtered their parties. Even after Siora killed him, he knew who he was. He had told Siora that you would never let them find peace, and that you¡¯re a better human than she is. She left before he could attack because his lich form had killed everyone else. Those two are the only ones who survived. Artivan might have known he was going to die, but that didn¡¯t stop him from helping, and he never forgot who he was or who you are.¡±


    Owin sat fully upright. His fists were still clenched at his sides. ¡°What¡¯s it mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Owin. That¡¯s up to you. Does killing them solve anything?¡±


    ¡°Death is peace,¡± Ernie said quietly.


    ¡°What? No, Ern. Dammit.¡± Katalin smacked him softly on the back of the head.


    Death is peace? ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°After you die, there¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s peaceful. Gone. Done. That¡¯s the end of it. Living is painful. Injuries, disease, loss, grief. It all piles on, makes each step harder than the last.¡±


    Katalin scowled. ¡°There¡¯s good in life too.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but not for everyone. Owin, killing a hero is a crime, and Chorsay already fought for you and kept you from execution or prison, or whatever the Unity Force planned to do. Hunting these Void Nexus heroes will only bring Veph¡¯s rage and make you a criminal. You might act tough, but we both know you don¡¯t want that. Instead, you follow Artivan¡¯s last words. Don¡¯t let them find peace.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I am sure you will figure it out.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Owin gave Ernie a single nod. He didn''t know how he truly felt about the idea, but he would give it time to sit in his head. If Artivan didn¡¯t want him to kill the heroes, he wouldn¡¯t. But that wouldn¡¯t stop him from getting some type of revenge.


    ¡°Revenge doesn¡¯t have to involve violence of any kind,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I know, I killed three Void Nexus heroes with pipe bombs.¡± She poked Owin in the chest. ¡°They hate you. Becoming a famous Shard Hero will make them look like idiots. It won¡¯t stop them from hating you, but others will support you. There are plenty of heroes all over Verdantallis that would be on your side. Get revenge by being a better hero, by getting the shards.¡±


    Owin flicked his gaze back and forth between the alchemists. ¡°You really don¡¯t want me to kill them.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want you to end up dead, Owin,¡± Ernie said.


    Katalin nodded.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Katalin smiled softly. ¡°What dungeon is first? The Great Forest?¡±


    Owin immediately shook his head. ¡°Ruvaine will kill me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say she won¡¯t,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Usually, I would say it¡¯s unlikely. The gods rarely show themselves. A few say they¡¯ve seen them, like Althowin, of course.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°But for you . . . she might. If you had six shards and higher attributes, a god is closer to a normal mob.¡±


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    ¡°Ernie, no!¡± Katalin shoved him. ¡°The gods aren¡¯t mobs! That¡¯s terrible advice!¡±


    ¡°Owin¡¯s not a normal hero either. He¡¯s not limited to a hundred levels! What if he gets his attributes high and multiplies them?¡± Ernie gestured to Owin. ¡°He could maybe do it.¡±


    ¡°I can do it. Great Forest is last.¡± Owin pointed over Katalin¡¯s shoulder, back the way they had come from. ¡°I¡¯ll conquer the Ocean first.¡±


    Ernie grabbed Owin¡¯s arm and shook it gently. ¡°Yes. See?¡±


    Katalin took the flask from Ernie¡¯s pocket and took another drink. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to the Nimble Hogs first. We all need some rest and you need to leave your damn hammer before you jump back in the water.¡±


    ***


    Minolitana Prima was a beautiful city in the sunlight, and one Owin would¡¯ve enjoyed spending some time in. Instead, they rushed through the city, paid the portal fee, and hopped to Vraxridge before running across the circle into another portal for Atrevaar.


    He was assaulted by darkness and pain before appearing in the familiar city center. The Nimble Hogs¡¯ headquarters was being actively rebuilt with some unfamiliar people working on the front wall and doorway. Others were painting the outside, making the building look nicer than it had when Owin had first arrived.


    Katalin led the way past the workers, stepping carefully to avoid nails, paint buckets, and other tools that had been scattered on a tarp. She walked right up to the counter and slammed her hands down.


    Potilia, who had been fully immersed in her reading, squealed and threw the book at Katalin. It smashed into Katalin¡¯s forehead and tossed the alchemist into Ernie. Both collapsed onto the ground.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Potilia scrambled around the counter, grabbed Katalin, and pulled her onto her feet. ¡°Oh, no.¡± She rubbed her fingers on a small bump that had already formed on Katalin¡¯s head.


    Katalin slapped her hand away. ¡°Stop touching me. That was my fault.¡±


    Ernie sighed and stood. ¡°You should¡¯ve known better.¡±


    Potilia looked at both alchemists, then down at Owin. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Ernie gestured to Owin. ¡°We followed through.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay!¡± Potilia¡¯s voice was so much louder than it needed to be.


    The floor creaked as Chorsay stepped out of his office. He appeared at the railing, leaning carefully to peer at Owin. ¡°Welcome home, Owin. Come to my office.¡±


    ¡°You owe us a drink before we head back to Vraxridge,¡± Ernie said.


    Chorsay nodded. ¡°Wait inside. I¡¯ll join you in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else here?¡± Katalin asked. She walked over and knocked loudly on the door beside the stairs.


    It flew open, revealing Suta with his hands raised, ready to punch.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Myrsvai asked from inside.


    ¡°Enemies,¡± Suta said.


    Myrsvai loudly sighed. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Katalin and Ernie,¡± Katalin said loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you in a moment.¡±


    Suta watched Owin approach and nodded as he passed. The familiar didn¡¯t even try to punch Owin. Owin nodded back and ascended the stairs. Chorsay returned to his office and sat behind his desk. Owin walked right inside and jumped into a chair.


    Ernie, Katalin, Potilia, and Myrsvai talked downstairs, their voices quickly fading as they entered the mess hall.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy.¡±


    Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°It never is. Dungeons are unforgiving. The alchemists were happy?¡±


    Owin nodded. They weren¡¯t happy the whole time. Owin wasn¡¯t happy the whole time either. They had all been close to dying at different points of the adventure, but all three had returned perfectly healthy.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Ernie and Katalin said they have work to do for Althowin before they¡¯ll need me again. While I wait, I am going to go back to the Ocean. I think I¡¯m almost strong enough to go to the top to get my first shard.¡±


    Chorsay gestured behind him as two shards appeared over his shoulder, humming quietly. The air shook and all the countless books on the shelves surrounding the room rumbled. ¡°Shards are complicated. Being a career hero with shards is not feasible. Are you aware of this?¡± The shards stopped quivering and dropped, vanishing back into Chorsay¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I can¡¯t escort Ernie and Katalin again if I get a shard?¡±


    ¡°You can, but you are limited. Carrying a shard multiplies your own attributes, but it also increases the strength of all mobs on your floor. That makes it significantly more difficult to bring weaker heroes or to escort citizens. They need to be aware of this risk when hiring you. In organizations like Magna Regum or the Three Headed Hero Company, a hero with any number of shards is cheaper than a hero without because of risk. Right now, we have no heroes with shards in the Nimble Hogs.¡±


    ¡°Katalin and Ernie told me to get a shard.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps they will be the only ones to hire you. You are free to do what you choose, Owin. I only want to help guide you to what will ultimately be your safest and best option. Do you have anything else before we go celebrate with Ern and Kat?¡±


    Owin stared into Chorsay¡¯s eyes. The old man was consistently calm. Owin thought about telling him of Artivan and the Sovereign One, but the soft smile on Chorsay¡¯s face would vanish at finding out his friend had become a lich. They were celebrating Owin¡¯s first mission, and sharing anything about Artivan or Void Nexus would only taint the moment.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then let us all share a drink. Drop your things off in your room. There is a change of clothes if you wish. Miya helped find some that should fit.¡± Chorsay stood, immediately towering over Owin. ¡°Do you remember where it is?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Chorsay smiled. ¡°Then join us as soon as you are ready.¡± He left Owin in his office and headed down the hall to the stairs.


    Owin watched him go, imagining a purple halo bobbing above his head. The Doomed Harbinger. The Sovereign One. How much of Artivan remained in the Great Forest? If Owin found his way back to the tomb, would Artivan be waiting for him?


    Once Chorsay was out of view, Owin headed down the hall, turned the corner, and found Artivan¡¯s old room. Owin left the hammer beside the wall, dropped his bag, and shed his chitin armor. The orange shirt and pants were clearly made for kids and were bright compared to the filthy, worn out tunic and trousers Owin had on when he first awoke in the Great Forest.


    The new clothes were comfortable and soft, which was worth the obnoxious colors. It made him stand out more than he already did with his purple hair and green skin. He moved around a little, even jumping onto the bed. The clothes moved easily and didn¡¯t limit him as he hopped around the room. Once he was satisfied, Owin prepared to leave the room, only to find Suta standing in the doorway.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Watching.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Suta blinked. ¡°Fight?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯re friends, remember?¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Friends fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called sparring.¡±


    Suta raised his fists. ¡°Okay. Spar.¡±


    ¡°Can we do it a different time? Everyone is waiting downstairs for a drink.¡±


    Suta approached and poked Owin in the chest. ¡°We do not drink.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the same.¡±


    The fins on Suta¡¯s head flared a little. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a familiar. I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    ¡°I do not eat, drink, sleep. Do you?¡±


    Owin frowned. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We are the same. Owin is Suta, Suta is goblin.¡±


    ¡°Is Myrsvai downstairs?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Maybe you should come too even if you aren¡¯t going to drink.¡± Owin tried sidling around the familiar, but Suta moved incredibly fast, side-stepping to block Owin.


    ¡°I will lead you.¡±


    ¡°I know the way, Suta.¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°I will guide.¡± He dashed out of the room and down the hall, vanishing from sight.


    Owin remained in the room, unsure of exactly what had happened. He didn¡¯t have a ton of experience with familiars, but the ones he had seen never acted quite like Suta.


    ¡°Follow,¡± Suta shouted from around the corner.


    Owin left the room, walking slowly. Suta waited at the top of the stairs, hopping back and forth on his feet. As soon as Owin got close, the familiar sprinted down the stairs, turned, and disappeared into the mess.


    Owin followed the path and found Potilia, Chorsay, Ernie, Katalin, Mysrvai, and Miya all sitting together with two bottles of a brown liquid . They each had a small cup that seemed too little to get any real drink out of it. Suta had sprinted all the way across the mess and out into the courtyard where he waited with the door open.


    Owin sat beside Katalin, who poured him a small amount of brown liquid.


    ¡°It¡¯s good whiskey,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± Owin took it and drank it. It felt like fire burning through his mouth and down his throat. He even felt it continue to burn while sitting in his stomach.


    ¡°Wow. You really just went for it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sorry about Suta,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°You could always unsummon him,¡± Ernie said.


    Miya snorted as she took a drink of whiskey. The liquor shot out her nose onto the table top.


    ¡°Is that funny?¡± Ernie asked.


    ¡°Suta is . . . complicated,¡± Mysrvai said. ¡°There are times I unsummon him, but he is not like other familiars. Perhaps it is the abyssal aspect, or perhaps it was part of my personality that was imprinted when I first created him as a youth. I don¡¯t know. ¡±


    Everyone looked at the doorway where Suta stood, waiting for Owin to join him for sparring.


    ¡°He refuses to use any spells, yet he is perhaps the strongest familiar I have known.¡±


    ¡°A boxer at heart,¡± Miya said, wiping the liquor from her face.


    ¡°Certainly is. If I unsummon him, he is testy for days afterwards. It is better for us all if he remains out, rowdy as he is.¡±


    ¡°Fight,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Later, Suta. Come enjoy a drink with us,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta crept back into the mess. ¡°Same as goblin.¡±


    Owin held his empty glass up. ¡°I already drank one.¡±


    At that, Suta sprinted over and forced a spot between Ernie and Mysrvai. Ernie took Myrsvai¡¯s glass and poured a drink for the familiar. Suta took it, downed it, and set the glass back onto the table with force.


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You acquired all the mushrooms?¡± Chorsay asked, changing the subject. As soon as the huge man talked, Suta calmed down and went silent.


    ¡°Every cluster on the fourth floor. Owin fought Olma while we harvested one cluster, but we left Olmu and snuck out the exit,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°Why leave one of the olm?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill something innocent,¡± Owin said.


    Chorsay smiled and raised his glass. ¡°Honorable choice, Owin.¡±


    Potilia, Ernie, Katalin, Miya, and Myrsvai also raised their glasses.


    ¡°To Owin,¡± Chorsay said. Everyone repeated after him and took a drink. ¡°Owin, who will be one of the next Shard Heroes.¡±


    ¡°Will you?¡± Myrsvai asked. He glanced at Chorsay, who nodded.


    ¡°Is it time, Myr?¡± the old man asked.


    ¡°Perhaps it is.¡± Myrsvai elbowed Suta. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The familiar shook his head.


    ¡°A shard would make us both stronger.¡±


    Suta played with the glass. He slowly nodded without looking at anyone specific.


    ¡°What dungeon are you going to conquer first, Owin?¡±


    ¡°The Ocean. I already know the first four floors.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll have me, I will join you. We can win our first shards together,¡± Myrsvai said. He extended his one arm.


    Owin took his hand and shook. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You two are going to make me hire new heroes. Lera, Raif, Cixilo, and Sanem cannot do all the jobs on their own.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Chorsay. You don¡¯t have that much business,¡± Ernie said.


    The old man laughed. ¡°Harsh, Ern. Though it is difficult to argue.¡±


    Katalin downed another glass of whiskey. ¡°We¡¯re already late on our delivery. Thank you, Chorsay, for the drink. And thank you Owin.¡± She rubbed his head, flattening his hair.


    Ernie finished his glass, filled it up, and slid it to Suta. ¡°She¡¯s right. We better be off. I¡¯ll be in touch soon, Owin. Okay?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Give my regards to Althowin,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°You know, if you fused, she would be more interested in meeting you,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°My time in dungeons is long past.¡± Chorsay stood and shook hands with Ernie and Katalin. ¡°Thank you for taking a chance on Owin.¡±


    Owin climbed off the bench and hugged both Ernie and Katalin.


    ¡°It was the right choice,¡± Katalin said. ¡°He¡¯s a damn good hero.¡±

 Book 2 - Epilogue

    Ernie stopped in the middle of a road in Vraxridge. Althowin¡¯s was a huge compound full of buildings interconnected with raised skyways and hidden tunnels. The casual employees and merchants that visited hardly knew how to get around. It was only her two apprentices that ever received full access.


    From outside, the compound looked like a miniature city on its own. Vraxridge was a bustling place as the heart of trade in all of Verdantallis, but the line outside of Althowin¡¯s dwarfed anything else in the expansive city.


    ¡°Busy day,¡± Katalin said.


    ¡°As if she is going to see any of these heroes,¡± Ernie said. There were undoubtedly some Shard Heroes within the line of hopeful customers, but none that would have drawn her attention. It was like that every day. People waited in hopes that Althowin would allow anybody inside. Sometimes she did, but those days were unpredictable.


    ¡°How late are we?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°Three days.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°Is the plan to wait outside and wallow in your sorrows of the potential punishment or to get inside and actually do the job you have been assigned?¡±


    Ernie felt his heart freeze in his chest. The unassuming, seemingly calm voice directly behind him was unmistakable. No matter how calm it sounded, there was a constant fire behind it.


    ¡°Master,¡± Ernie said, bowing his head.


    Althowin stepped between them, playfully nudging Katalin with her elbow. ¡°Took you long enough. What held you up this time?¡±


    ¡°How did you know we were here?¡± Ernie asked.


    Althowin¡¯s fox tail swished behind her as she cocked her head. ¡°Really?¡±


    The 7 Shard Hero looked like a normal older woman except for her distinct fox ears that grew from the top of her head and the fox tail behind her. The kitsune mob she had fused with had been powerful, but not powerful enough to fully change Althowin¡¯s appearance. Her classic pink and white outfit was marred by the blue work glove she wore, holding yet another toad.


    ¡°Oh, is that Jenny?¡± Katalin asked, leaning close to the toad.


    It croaked loudly.


    ¡°Yes. Jenny has been quite angsty today.¡±


    Jenny croaked again.


    ¡°Come on inside before the plebs notice.¡± Althowin pivoted and strode confidently past the line of heroes, right into the front door of her compound. By the time anyone realized it was her, she was already safely inside. Ernie hurried after with Katalin right beside him. He closed the door and locked it as soon as he entered.


    The front lobby held little more than some benches, exotic plants, and a desk for Indulf, the receptionist.


    Indulf waved meagerly as Ernie rushed to keep pace with Althowin. She went up the stairs, through a skyway, down a set of stairs, two turns, and stopped in her primary workshop.


    ¡°Mushrooms,¡± she said.


    Ernie carefully took the gilled mushrooms from his bag and placed them on a table under a heat lamp to dry. While doing so, Katalin strolled around the room, taking a look at all the new things Althowin was building. There were weapons powered by claverstan technology, swords made from specters, armor made from ogre skin, and more that Ernie noticed just at a glance. Althowin never stopped working, and her creations could vary from a simple health potion to anyone¡¯s wildest dreams.


    ¡°What held you up?¡± Althowin asked. ¡°This is the latest you¡¯ve been.¡±


    ¡°We hired a Golden Bull who died on the third floor. We went to Atrevaar to hire a Nimble Hog, but Chorsay wasn¡¯t there because he was arrested for harboring a goblin that escaped the Great Forest.¡±


    Althowin let Jenny hop from her hand onto a table nearby. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this. I assume you know more about the goblin?¡±


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    ¡°He was our escort through the Ocean.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating. We¡¯ll address the issues with Arkasti later. For now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Arkasti?¡± Ernie asked, interrupting. He sensed agitation in Althowin, but the alchemist remained calm.


    ¡°The hero you promised I would help. A foolish promise, even for you.¡±


    ¡°He traded us a revive¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, he told me the story. He¡¯s waiting now in the guest quarters.¡±


    ¡°He made it to the top?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°The thousandth shard hero,¡± Althowin said. ¡°At least, for now. One or two are bound to die in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the whole story,¡± Ernie said. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to like a lot of it.¡±


    ¡°I figured I wouldn¡¯t when it resulted in you promising my services to a lowly 1 Shard Hero. Katalin, take Jenny to the terrarium and collect as much bufotoxin as possible for our experiment. Use the others if necessary. We need at least one full vial. If Ernie leaves anything out, you can fill me in later. Now, Ernie, I want to hear it all.¡±


    Ernie sighed and bowed his head. ¡°Yes, Master. Owin is a goblin darkblade from the first floor of the Great Forest. He¡¯s kind and scared, but he¡¯s also ruthless when he wants to be. He took on the third floor swarm alone with two knives. And you won¡¯t believe it, but his class is deficient wizard. He fights like a mad berserker and . . .¡±


    The story went on for hours as Ernie recounted every last detail from the moment he had arrived at the Nimble Hogs to the moment they left after Owin declared he would conquer the Ocean.


    ***


    Siora stood outside the Void Nexus Hero Company headquarters on the edge of Atrevaar. Nikoletta harrumphed beside her, still complaining about the alchemist¡¯s threats. Clearly, she was a fucking moron. Nothing about Katalin¡¯s threats had been a joke.


    ¡°Time to get it done,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°You¡¯re overreacting,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°How the fuck am I overreacting? Veph might kill us both.¡±


    Nikoletta shook her head slowly. ¡°The righteous will guide us to the light.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Siora rolled her eyes. She was wasting time for nothing. Even if she fled, Veph could find and kill her in a fraction of a second if she wanted to.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± she muttered.


    As soon as she stepped inside the huge headquarters building, a woman appeared in a puff of smoke. She was stone faced, as always. Not even the funniest thing in the world could crack Sylmare¡¯s face.


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you,¡± Sylmare Virtress said. The umbra gestured toward Veph¡¯s office.


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Sylmare didn¡¯t hesitate in gesturing toward the door again, implying a sense of urgency. Siora rolled her eyes and strode through the expansive lobby, straight into Veph¡¯s office. It was a huge office built by magic, with windows that looked from the top of the building despite being on the ground floor. It was overly bright inside with little decoration except the ancient ticking clock right in the center of her desk.


    Vephthru Veriss, the illustrious leader of the Void Nexus Hero Company, sat at her desk with her feet resting on top. Her flawless brown hair was up in a ponytail, and she wore her normal crystal headpiece and golden face mask combination. Her golden suit didn¡¯t have a single wrinkle or imperfection anywhere, and her leather boots were perfectly polished. She was the image of perfection and confidence. Her legendary wand and crystal sword rested on the desk as her metal hand toyed with the feathers on her familiar¡¯s head.


    ¡°Siora Rilokos and Nikoletta Olah. The two heroes that caused the 7 Shard Hero to ban me from any future business.¡± Veph pulled her feet from the desk and picked up her twisted wand. ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to get business from Althowin?¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Siora said quickly, eyeing the infamous wand.


    ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    Her familiar was a short furry creature with a bird head. It walked around the desk and gestured at the only two seats available, as if Siora couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Siora said, despite the uselessness of the assistance.


    Veph leaned on the desk, carelessly waving the wand in the direction of Siora. ¡°The cause, apparently, of this ban comes from you two assaulting the apprentice of Althowin Alegarra. Is that accurate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Nikoletta said without hesitation.


    Siora wanted to swear and smack the mender, but Veph chuckled, which was out of character, making Siora even more tense.


    The Void Nexus leader was usually difficult to read with most of her face hidden behind a mask. But now, as she chuckled, Siora saw a gentler version of Veph than she had ever seen before. That could only be a bad sign.


    ¡°There are plenty of qualified alchemists working for Void Nexus. Who, other than myself, would Althowin assist?¡± She looked between them. ¡°No one,¡± she said before either could answer. ¡°The 7 Shard Hero doesn¡¯t waste her time with anyone she deems lesser. What I am curious about is this goblin.¡± She set her wand back onto the table and leaned a little farther forward. ¡°This has to do with him, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The alchemists had hired the goblin, who now works for the Nimble Hog Hero Company.¡±


    Veph¡¯s eyebrows dropped. She lost all humor in her voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry about this?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°Tell me everything about this goblin and his connection to the Nimble Hogs. If your story is good enough, I¡¯ll forget about your mistakes.¡±


    Siora¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Book 3 - Prologue

    Bureaucracy was a bore. There weren¡¯t other ways to interpret the unending nonsense of politics. As much as the military would like to place itself above such petty things, the Izylia Unity Force was just as entangled as any other branch of the Izylian government.


    Vondaire had sat up all night, watching a clock, waiting for the exact second his contract ended. As soon as the clock hit midnight, he opened his window and tossed his segmented armor out the window. It was therefore unfortunate that someone happened to be walking on the street below. A quick apology and some carefully dropped dungeon coin made up for the error.


    He walked confidently in the sunlight, electing to wear his pressed suit, even if his time as a portal guard was done. So many people thought themselves better than Vondaire, when all it had been was their title or their years of service. None of that mattered when one had true power.


    Vondaire was more than confident in his own talents. The only thing holding him back had been the contract he had so desperately signed. Now that the Unity Force¡¯s leash was torn, he could finally acquire shards and show the Taralims of the world his talent and power.


    It had been a long time coming. Years of servitude, holding him back. Meanwhile, there was a goblin flaunting itself around Verdantallis without any restrictions. It was bizarre that nobody had taken steps to truly stop the mob.


    Owin seemed a nice enough fellow, but if he was still sauntering around Atrevaar, he was going to take attention away from Vondaire¡¯s rise. Only one star could shine at a time in Verdantallis. Althowin had her moment eighty years ago. Voolyn burned out when he stalled. The rest of the shard heroes were filled with too much cowardice to be famous.


    Killing the goblin wouldn¡¯t solve any issues. Vondaire had already gone out of his way to help Owin survive, after all. What a waste of effort that would be if he simply sliced the little creature¡¯s head off.


    No, it would be more efficient to stall him, the same as Voolyn. People¡¯s interest wanes quickly when one doesn¡¯t improve, no matter how unique they are. Most 3 Shard Heroes and above were hardly human anyway. It takes the uniqueness of Owin away when one looks at the truly powerful of the world.


    What would Vondaire fuse with? Something weak allows one to maintain almost all of their human traits and characteristics. It is something to be recognized for your appearance without having to change any of it to a dramatic degree. On the other hand, there is something to be said about being recognized for your fusion. Althowin is plainly an old hag, generally recognized for her ears or tail above anything else. Few, if any, living shard heroes have managed to fuse with something as rare as a kitsune.


    At the same time, there were the grotesque fusions like Taralim, his old commander. Taralim, who was standing in the alleyway Vondaire had just passed. A foolish assassin assumes they are smarter and more talented with stealth than an umbra.


    Vondaire walked past the alley, far enough that Taralim wasn¡¯t able to follow. As soon as he left the fool¡¯s view, Vondaire vanished. He became invisible, moved like lightning, and let himself reappear directly behind Taralim.


    The assassin didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Your contract is finished.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Vondaire crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Do you have the paperwork?¡±


    Taralim turned around. His eyes glowed brightly in the shade. ¡°Saves us time.¡± He handed a packet to Vondaire. ¡°To acknowledge the end of your service to the Izylia Unity Force.¡±


    Vondiare skimmed the document, ensuring he wasn¡¯t signing away more of his life to the damn government. He signed and initialed in three separate spots before handing the packet back.


    ¡°They should have extended your contract as punishment for helping the goblin,¡± Taralim said.


    Vondaire smiled and walked into the sunlight, making a show of letting it warm his face. ¡°We all have our own motivations, Taralim. Enjoy your service and your leash.¡±


    Taralim scowled and vanished. Vondaire had to admit the assassin was flashy. Even with his heightened senses, Vondaire didn¡¯t have the slightest idea where Taralim had gone. If he were to attack, the warning would flash in Vondaire''s mind moments before the attack. Without intention to harm, Taralim was completely invisible.


    Now that his contract had officially ended, there was nothing left for Vondaire in Oriathria. Its proximity to the Great Forest was the only redeeming quality of the capital city. One day he would return to acquire Ruvaine¡¯s shard, but before then, he had work to do. Some spoke of going through the Great Forest first as its earlier floors are short and often easier than others.


    But Vondaire had another way of looking at the seven dungeons of Verdantallis. Each shard made future dungeons considerably more difficult, meaning it was best to conquer one of the more frustrating dungeons first. The Fortress was by far the most difficult in terms of combat, though Vondaire wasn¡¯t in the least bit concerned about that. In fact, it was likely the last dungeon he would conquer.


    The Subterranean had the most difficult mobs with the claverstan and their horrid cities, but it wasn¡¯t more or less difficult as a whole dungeon, from what he had heard. The level of difficulty relied entirely on one¡¯s class and abilities. The Ocean was difficult for hunters and wizards whose abilities don¡¯t work correctly under the water. The Sky was difficult for those who can¡¯t maneuver with any skill. The Great Forest was difficult for those who can¡¯t fight enemies bigger than a human.


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    Each had its difficulty, so which was the most annoying? Clearing the obnoxious dungeon before he had a shard to complicate things would be the easiest and best option.


    Only one dungeon came to mind.


    The Ocean.


    Who wanted wet socks? It would prune his fingers and ruin his hair, but some things were worth the sacrifice, even if he dreaded them.


    Vondaire strolled through Oriathria, paid the portal guard, cracked a smile at the thought of never doing that again, then stepped through the dark portal to Atrevaar. From there, he could travel to Vraxridge then off to Minolitana Prima.


    The last three floors of each dungeon were a complete mystery. Nobody ever divulged their secrets, especially about the top. While Vondaire was more than confident in himself, he had a single anxious thought: A simple trap could be his doom.


    A trap that caused harm, a trap that pitted him against a mob that he was ill suited to battle. Whatever trap it might be, he wanted to be aware. Through most dungeons, the traps had been obvious or easy to avoid, but he had never gone past the fifth floor of a dungeon. The top half of each was a mystery, and Vondaire hated mysteries. There was no humor in solving puzzles.


    On his way north, why not visit the odd goblin and his hero company? Perhaps there had been some developments since their last tense encounter.


    Vondaire appeared in Atrevaar. Workers covered the front of the Nimble Hog Hero Company, repairing the damage Taralim had caused a few weeks before. The work was nearly finished, leaving the old building looking far more sophisticated than it had been before.


    People moved through the portal circle, appearing in Atrevaar and vanishing to other parts of Verdantallis. The pain that tickled his skin through the portal had helped him feel more awake. Some people arrived, gasping for air. Those people were likely first time travelers, or they hadn¡¯t used a portal in a long time. It was something that required some acclimation. Vondaire now found it refreshing, like a strong cup of coffee in the morning. Or so he assumed. Caffeine had never been for him. An anxious mind was a clouded mind, and Vondaire relied on his mind too much to allow it to be tainted.


    A giant moved down the street outside the portal circle. Vondaire effortlessly spotted him immediately. It was difficult to miss Chorsay. He was at least a foot taller than practically anyone else in Atrevaar. The old man carried a loaf of bread and a bag of groceries so casually.


    Chorsay Eoghet was one of the strongest people in Atrevaar, and here he was going about his own chores. There was no reason someone like Chorsay should not have an assistant, or even a full squad of assistants doing everything on his behalf. His best option would be to train and prepare for another dungeon.


    Unfortunately, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Chorsay had ¡°retired¡± from what Taralim had said before their raid on the Nimble Hogs. The old soldier had decided to stop venturing into dungeons for some unknown reason.


    He walked so calmly, so happy with himself and his fresh loaf of bread.


    It was disgusting.


    Vondaire had intended to wait and watch the goblin from afar. Once the beast had acquired his first shard, Vondaire wanted to know just how high his attributes could reach. Was there a limit? Had he developed any skills or spells? Patience, this time, was not worth the effort. The goblin would likely become a Shard Hero soon, and Vondaire had no interest in letting all the light shine on the little green freak.


    Vondaire left the portal circle and slipped through the citizens of Atrevaar to intercept the 2 Shard Hero, the leader of the Nimble Hogs.


    Chorsay spotted Vondaire the moment he stepped off the platform. Even Vondaire had no idea how a soldier would spot him so easily. Chorsay stopped on the sidewalk under an awning, waiting for Vondaire to approach.


    Before it was going to be an exciting surprise where Vondaire got to reintroduce himself to Chorsay, reminding the oaf of the help Vondaire had been with the goblin. Now, he was the defender as Chorsay¡¯s hard eyes watched every little movement Vondaire made.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of uniform,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°My contract ended last night. I am a free hero.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s face didn¡¯t shift. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Straight to business, I see. I thought one such as you might have fun with the day to day. Having experienced so much in your old age has not lightened your heart.¡±


    ¡°I have little patience for people who try to cause harm.¡±


    ¡°I assisted the gobli¡ª¡±


    ¡°He has a name.¡±


    Vondaire bowed respectfully. ¡°I assisted Owin and his friends in their retrieval of you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I thought, perhaps, that would put us on some type of friendly grounds, but it appears I have misread the situation. I sense an intense amount of hostility, though I am here not as a member of the Izylia Unity Force, but as a free citizen of Verdantallis.¡±


    Chorsay put the loaf of bread under his arm and dug through the bag. He pulled out a grape, popped it in his mouth, and chewed calmly for a few seconds, staring blankly at Vondaire.


    Never before had Vondaire been so unsure of what to do. The soldier swallowed the fruit and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°You never responded.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Chorsay plucked another grape from his grocery bag and walked past Vondaire. ¡°Good luck with whatever you are here to do.¡±


    Vondaire stood in the same spot, dumbstruck. How had he gotten so confused? He had been the one to approach Chorsay, yet he was the one left confused.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Vondaire called, hurrying after Chorsay. ¡°I want to know more about the dungeons.¡±


    Chorsay finished eating another grape and slowed on the sidewalk. The Nimble Hogs¡¯ headquarters were just up the street, barely another minute away. ¡°Why would I tell you? I have heroes I care for that would do more with that information.¡±


    Whether Vondaire wanted to admit it or not, Chorsay knew things that Vondaire desperately needed to know. There was no doubt that Vondaire¡¯s talent and skills could take him far in the dungeons, but the top three floors of all seven were a complete mystery. Someone like Taralim would never give up any secrets, and the other shard heroes in Verdantallis weren¡¯t the friendliest lot. If Vondaire was going to truly become a shard hero, he needed to survive all the way to the end of the tenth floor, which meant he needed to know what he would face.


    He couldn¡¯t believe the words that came to his mind. Was he really so desperate? ¡°I¡¯ll join the Nimble Hogs.¡±


    Chorsay stuck out his hand. ¡°Deal.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 1

    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 55*


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 24


    Charisma: 60


    Two weeks had passed since Owin had returned from his escort mission with Ernie and Katalin. He already missed them, but they were busy with work. Ernie had said he would reach out when Owin could visit, if Althowin decided to let him visit.


    Owin stood in the doorway to the courtyard, keeping a safe distance from the sparring match that had already scorched the metal walls. Chorsay stood just behind Owin, watching from his own safe distance, though Owin was sure the old man could stand right in the center and not take a single point of damage.


    Myrsvai leaned against the wall near Owin. The magus seemed entirely calm as he watched the incredible duel taking place. It seemed to Owin that Myrsvai should be exhausted, or at least expending mana to keep the fight going, though Owin admittedly didn¡¯t understand how summoning worked.


    Suta, the abyssal familiar leapt back from his opponent with his hands up, ready to fight. They had already been at it for a half hour. At level 48, the Suta was stronger than Owin, and as Myrsvai¡¯s familiar, they had the exact same abilities, even if Suta refused to use spells.


    Across from Suta was a massive demon, even taller than Chorsay. Its red skin shone brightly in the sunlight. Two huge horns curved from its head, with three more smaller horns going across the center of its bald head.


    Myrsvai had summoned Gavvuntar without explanation, and the huge demon arrived through a portal to the Abyss, ready to fight. The brawler demon knew nothing but fighting, according to Chorsay, though Owin didn¡¯t know anything about the different types of demons.


    Gavvuntar only wore metal briefs and metal gauntlets. His body was covered in bruises, scars, and even some fresh wounds that he had when he crawled out of the Abyss. When he grinned, he showed a smile of chipped and missing teeth.


    The familiar dashed forward, causing Gavvuntar to adjust his stance. The demon¡¯s hooves clicked on the concrete ground as he tried to intercept Suta. The little familiar slipped right past Gavvuntar¡¯s strike and hit the demon in the knee.


    ¡°Brawlers live for the fight,¡± Chorsay said, narrating as he had been.


    If Owin had been hit like that from Suta, he would have been launched, or he would have at least collapsed in pain from the strike. Instead of falling, Gavvuntar kicked with the same leg, even as Suta¡¯s strike tore the demon¡¯s pants. His hoof hit Suta in the chest, sending the familiar back a few feet.


    Before Suta could land and recover, Gavvuntar beat his wings and sent himself forward, throwing a flurry of punches. Suta weathered some, dodged a few, and eventually slipped all the way past to land his own strike on the demon¡¯s face.


    The sparring match went back and forth, always resulting in a bout of trading blows. Both Suta and Gavvuntar bled, but neither seemed to care. Myrsvai watched every little movement. His eyes flitted about, catching every movement by both participants.


    At first, Mrysvai had promised to go to the Ocean with Owin and expected to go the next day.


    Suta refused.


    ¡°Practice,¡± Suta had said.


    Myrsvai had insisted he didn¡¯t need practice, though Owin wasn¡¯t sure about that. The magus hadn¡¯t been in a dungeon recently, and Owin had yet to see him fight. If they were going to dive into the Ocean together, Owin wanted to know how Myrsvai would fight.


    Unfortunately, Chorsay had insisted that Owin let¡¯s Myrsvai do what he wished. No practicing or sparring.


    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Chorsay had said in private.


    ¡°You need to use spells, Suta,¡± Myrsvai said as Suta took another solid hit to the face.


    The familiar bounced off the concrete and skidded on his knees.


    ¡°Do you need health?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Suta shook his head. The familiar remained on his knees.


    ¡°Spells, Suta.¡±


    Suta shook his head again.


    ¡°The bug fights with honor,¡± Gavvuntar said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Myrsvai said quickly.


    Gavvuntar glanced at Myrsvai, then nodded. ¡°Come, Suta.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight like this, use spells. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t use Dread Bind to slow enemies or Summon Weapon to form an abyssal sword.¡±


    Suta jumped to his feet and formed fists. He bounced back and forth, dripping a slow stream of blood onto the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°You are giving up half your power by refusing to use Myr¡¯s magic.¡±


    It was difficult to read Suta¡¯s expressions because of his insect face, but his disappointment was clear to Owin as the familiar avoided eye contact. Usually Suta was intense, staying right in people¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Go again if you¡¯re ready,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta walked to the other side of the courtyard, squaring up to Gavvuntar.


    ¡°Use at least one spell.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Chorsay said, closing the door to the courtyard. ¡°We will give them some privacy.¡± The old man guided Owin back inside the mess, closing the door behind them.


    ¡°Suta isn¡¯t going to use a spell, is he?¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai has been trying to reason with him for years. When Myrsvai was attacked, something happened to Suta.¡± Chorsay strode right through the mess and into the lobby.


    Potilia didn¡¯t flinch at all as they passed. She remained reading some new book, not paying them any attention. Owin wondered if she actually did any work or if she just sat in the lobby and read every day.


    ¡°Will they be okay in the dungeon?¡± Owin asked.


    Chorsay scratched his jaw and stalled for a moment at the bottom of the stairs. He leaned on the railing, which creaked under his weight. ¡°They are a complicated pair. I personally sought Myrsvai and recruited him many years ago. He has more potential than anyone else.¡± He paused, looking back at Owin. ¡°Except, perhaps, you.¡±


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°He will when he needs to. Suta will keep Myrsvai safe. All you will need to worry about is winning your own fights and doing what you already know how to do. Use what Artvian, Ernie, and Katalin have taught you and get a shard. Easy as that for you. Okay?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°You will get stronger. A shard will provide you with that boost to make even Void Nexus hesitate before confronting you.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°What does it feel like having one shard?¡±


    ¡°One?¡± Chorsay raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why do you think I have one shard?¡±


    ¡°When Taralim came to get me, he insulted you. He said you were old and only had one shard.¡± Owin tried to remember everything about that encounter, but it had been so quick and chaotic that only bits remained in his mind.


    ¡°Taralim¡¯s mind is lacking. All Shard Heroes can see who has shards and how many they have. He simply could have checked before attacking us.¡± Two silver gems hummed as they appeared over Chorsay¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°I stopped after my second shard. I only activated one in that moment. If Taralim activated his second, I would have needed to activate mine to match his power. If we had both used two, there would be nothing left of my beautiful headquarters.¡±


    ¡°You can see a list of every hero?¡±


    ¡°With a shard, yes.¡±


    ¡°How many with seven?¡±


    Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°Two. There is much to be said about them both. Now is not that time. Do you remember the Unity Force soldier who helped you?¡± Chorsay asked. He continued up the stairs toward his office.


    Miya yawned and stretched as she walked around the corner from the personal quarters. It was nearly midday and she had just awoken, which wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise. She was up late working every single night.


    Owin had visited Miya in the basement a few times over the last two weeks where they sat quietly and burned things.


    The alchemist rubbed her eyes, then produced her goggles from somewhere and put them right over her red eyes. ¡°Morning, chief. Morning, wizard.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Miya. Check with Po on your way downstairs,¡± Chorsay said.


    Owin smiled at Miya, who yawned again.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Chorsay said as he sat at his desk.


    Owin hurried down the hall and sat across from Chorsay. The giant leaned on his desk, taking a second to glance at the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth.


    ¡°Vondaire joined the Nimble Hogs this morning,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Vondaire?¡± Owin thought about the odd man that kept appearing. ¡°I thought he was part of the Unity Force.¡±


    ¡°His contract ended.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Chorsay scratched at the stubble on his cheek. ¡°I thought you might be upset.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t join Void Nexus.¡±


    Chorsay smiled. ¡°He didn¡¯t join Void Nexus. You are right, Owin. Don¡¯t be surprised when you see him around. If you see him around.¡±


    ¡°Umbra,¡± Owin said.


    Chorsay nodded slowly. ¡°When are you and Myr leaving?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll leave my hammer here and just bring the wands and knife.¡±


    ¡°You can leave it in my office if you¡¯re worried.¡± Chorsay wrapped his hand around the grip of the winged blade. ¡°A single knife isn¡¯t going to be enough for you. Is it the lich bone?¡±


    Owin pulled it from his belt. The white knife shone even in the dim room.


    ¡°What will you do when you fight Graliel?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°I thought Suta would do it.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Chorsay held up a finger and dug through some containers behind his desk. His office was anything but clean. Most of the clutter came from the incredible amount of books overflowing from the shelves into piles on the floor. The old man pulled out a sheathed knife, about the same length as the lich bone. He pulled it from the sheath and held the straight, polished blade in the faint sunlight. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡±


    Owin took the knife and moved it around. It was lighter than his old knives, but not nearly as light as the lich bone.


    Steel Knife


    Apprentice Item


    ¡°It barely has any information,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a plain knife. Use it as you wish. If you lose it or break it, I won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Owin placed the knife back on the table. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll use my own weapons.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Chorsay sat back, noticed a book in the pile beside his chair, and picked it up. He flipped through a few pages before setting it on his desk. ¡°Do you know how I met Artivan?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°Before I had decided to retire, I would frequent the Great Forest Inn over in Izylia. Artivan had moved all over Verdantallis after he retired from the dungeons, trying to find a job to sustain himself. He struggled for years before becoming a bartender. That was it. The amazing man was cleaning mugs and serving drinks. All the patrons loved him, of course. He could talk to anyone about anything.


    ¡°I had been working through the first few floors of the Great Forest, over and over. I had just founded the Nimble Hogs, and I wanted to find a fusion. I was nearly killed by a proteunia on the fifth floor, so I left and came back, stopped at the inn and ordered a tall whiskey. Artivan talked to me about it, opening up for the first time about his own struggles in the dungeons before he left. I finally looked at his attributes and class.¡±


    Chorsay stared at the book on his desk. ¡°We talked about this book, and when he effortlessly tossed someone from the bar, I began convincing him to join me. I only had Sanem with me at the time and needed more heroes.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever wish he stayed at the bar?¡± Owin asked.


    Chorsay ran his rough hand over the book. ¡°No. He found joy in being a hero, and a man as selfless as Artivan needed an opportunity to shine.¡± He opened the cover of the book and silently read a few lines. ¡°Visit Miya this evening. She has been working on something for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin waited a moment before realizing that Chorsay had become fully invested in the book. He quietly left the office without the old soldier even noticing. He crept through the hallway and down the stairs to the lobby.


    Potilia was also reading and didn¡¯t seem to notice Owin at all. He passed right by into the mess where Myrsvai and Suta were now sitting a table. Steaming mugs of tea sat before them both with a massive teapot on a little plate nearby. The mugs were the biggest Owin had seen.


    Suta pointed at the seat beside him when he spotted Owin. Myrsvai didn¡¯t even bother looking over, focusing instead on lifting the overfilled, giant mug of tea. He blew gently before taking the smallest sip.


    ¡°Did you use any spells?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta crouched on the bench instead of sitting, letting him more easily reach the top of the table. It made Owin feel even shorter than usual.


    ¡°No,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°I thought you agreed.¡±


    Myrsvai set his tea down, splashing some over the side. He didn¡¯t react to the heat as it spilled over his fingers. ¡°He agrees every time and never uses one.¡±


    ¡°I use spells,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai gestured to Owin. ¡°See? You like Owin. He uses spells and fights with his fists.¡±


    Suta raised his hands as if they were going to fight at the table. Owin shook his head. The familiar grabbed his mug of tea, took a drink, and offered it to Owin.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Suta took another drink and offered it again.


    ¡°Suta, just put it down,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Are you ready to leave in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Chorsay told me to visit Miya tonight, but I will be ready to go when you¡¯re awake.¡± Owin tried to think of anything else he had to do. It wasn¡¯t as if he had all that much to prepare. He had no reason to pack food and water or anything like others needed. As long as he had his weapons and chitin armor, he would manage.


    ¡°I was going to buy some health potions. I¡¯ll give you some gold to grab extra when you talk to her tonight.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we do it right now?¡±


    He laughed quietly as he lifted his mug to his lips again. After blowing on it and taking another tiny sip, he set the mug down. ¡°Never visit Miya in the morning. She¡¯s down there right now drinking the strongest coffee in the world as she is trying experiments or reading something. Her mornings are chaotic.¡±


    ¡°Where did Gavvuntar go?¡±


    ¡°Back to the Abyss. He has no interest in remaining in our world unless he¡¯s fighting.¡±


    Owin nodded slowly. He still didn¡¯t understand how summoning worked. ¡°Have you seen Vondaire?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That umbra? No, why would I?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Nimble Hog now.¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s eyes glowed. ¡°There is a hero in one of the previously unoccupied quarters. Should we visit him?¡±


    ¡°What about the tea?¡±


    ¡°It will stay warm. Suta, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The familiar hopped over the table and positioned himself directly on Myrsvai¡¯s flank. Owin walked around the table and followed the magus into the lobby and up the stairs. Potilia flipped the page, glanced up, then went right back into reading.


    Myrsvai led the way through the hallway to the room he had somehow detected Vondaire inside. As he lifted his hand to knock, the door opened, revealing Vondaire and his obnoxious smirk.


    ¡°A delightful visit from the infamous Maimed Magus himself,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re a Nimble Hog now,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Vondaire gave a slight bow. ¡°I could not resist the opportunity to work alongside a defeated magus, his unruly familiar, and an escaped mob. What a delightful bunch.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°Why did you help me if you hate us?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I do not hate you or the Maimed Magus. You see, I find you both fascinating, though you are unremarkable in most senses. When I acquire my first shard, you will begin to understand the differences between us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting our first shards soon,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Stop telling people that,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Shard,¡± Suta said.


    Vondaire raised a single eyebrow. ¡°Are you? Then, perhaps, we can make it a challenge of sorts. As we are allies now, I suppose we can divulge some secrets, no matter how tame they may be. In good faith, I will tell you first, therefore breaking the discomfort or the wall of secrecy between us. I plan to conquer the Ocean.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re also going to the Ocean,¡± Owin said.


    Vondaire smirked. ¡°Excellent. I will not travel with you inside the Ocean, though I have an idea of how to craft this into a competition.¡±


    ¡°How are you a Nimble Hog if you¡¯re going right for a shard? That¡¯s not helpful to us or Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°The old man and I came to a deal.¡± Vondaire leaned on the doorframe. ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Suta said.


    Myrsvai sighed.


    ¡°We will speak our terms of the competition on the ferry. I will see you in the morning.¡± Vondaire took a step back in his room. ¡°Until then, I have business to attend to. Farewell.¡± He swung the door shut, closing it in Myrsvai¡¯s face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Me either.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 2

    Miya waited for Owin in the lobby. She held two health potions that looked almost identical. Almost.


    ¡°Owin!¡± She ran at him as he stepped off the last stair and thrust both potions in his face. ¡°Can you tell the difference between these?¡±


    ¡°One is dark red, the other is light red.¡± Owin tapped the lighter red potion. ¡°This looks like a normal health potion.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t colorblind? Damn.¡±


    ¡°Miya,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    She held both potions in front of her goggles. ¡°Are we sure there is a difference?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t the same color,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°But are you certain you aren¡¯t colorblind?¡± Miya shook both potions. ¡°Which is the real health potion?¡±


    Owin tapped the lighter one again.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Miya sat on the ground, pulled off her glove, and drew a knife from a sheath on her belt.


    ¡°Miya,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Ooh.¡± Suta squatted beside her. ¡°Let Suta.¡±


    Miya handed the knife to the familiar and held out her open palm.


    ¡°This is idiotic,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to send you with health potions, I need to know mine will work just as well.¡± Miya shook her hand. ¡°Get it over with, demon.¡±


    Suta stabbed the knife right through her palm, eliciting a cry from Miya. Owin immediately popped the cork of the darker potion and helped Miya bring it to her mouth. Suta carefully pulled the knife out and cleaned the blood on the bandages wrapped around his hand.


    The wound closed, leaving a scar right through Miya¡¯s palm.


    ¡°It works,¡± she said quietly.


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°Are you okay, Miya?¡±


    She nodded and fit her glove back over her hand. ¡°I did just want a little cut, Suta.¡±


    The familiar looked at the knife, then back at Miya¡¯s hand. ¡°Apology.¡±


    She took the knife and sheathed it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re good now. Are you happy to take some of my creations?¡±


    ¡°It looks like it worked. Is your health full?¡± Owin asked.


    Miya nodded. ¡°Back to normal. Just a little lingering memory of getting a knife all the way through my damn hand.¡±


    Suta shrank back a little.


    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to take whatever you can provide,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Suta, let¡¯s go back to our work for now. I¡¯ll see you in the morning, Owin.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin waited a moment as Myrsvai went into the room beside the stairs. Suta gave Miya one more look before following the magus inside. As soon as the door closed, Owin took a step closer to Miya. ¡°Everyone told me to avoid you in the morning.¡±


    Miya smiled. ¡°Nah. You¡¯re fine. It¡¯s the others, the ones who don¡¯t understand fun who should avoid me. They think I¡¯m cranky when they¡¯re just boring.¡±


    ¡°Did you get any buff potions?¡±


    She scowled. ¡°I will admit, I tried. I was able to make two, but I wasted the rest of the ingredients I had. They are incredibly complicated. Not something an alchemist can easily create. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Two is great.¡±


    ¡°They are only apprentice level.¡± Miya sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been considering becoming a hero, you know. I would be a lot more helpful if I could gather my own ingredients, and I would level up a lot faster.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Other alchemists have done it.¡±


    ¡°Althowin¡¯s apprentices are only allowed to enter with another hero to escort them.¡±


    Miya scratched her hand where she had just been stabbed. ¡°Maybe Sanem or Raif will help me. We could go through the first floors of the Tundra Dungeon, I think.¡±


    ¡°Just be careful,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever.¡± Miya lifted her goggles. Owin didn¡¯t realize how much soot had been on her face until he saw the clean skin around her eyes. ¡°Want to take those buffs and burn some things? Got anything else to do tonight?¡±


    Owin scratched his head. ¡°Uh, no. Nothing at the moment.¡±


    The newly constructed front door swung open, creaking loudly. A woman in a golden suit and brown boots stood in the opening. Her shining hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her face was hidden behind a golden mask that matched her suit. Her ice blue eyes flicked down to Owin. ¡°Where is Chorsay?¡±


    Miya¡¯s eyes widened. Potilia fell off her stool behind the counter.


    Chorsay¡¯s heavy steps thumped on the floor above. He leaned on the railing. ¡°Veph.¡±


    She looked up. Her hands hung at her side. Her left hand was covered in a fingerless leather glove, and the right was entirely metal, reminding Owin of Myrsvai¡¯s leg. Veph had no weapons on her, yet Owin felt entirely intimidated. He had heard the name so many times.


    Hero


    Vepthru Veriss


    Wizard


    Leader of the Void Nexus Hero Company


    Level: 81


    Strength: 301


    Constitution: 418


    Dexterity: 431


    Intelligence: 535


    Wisdom: 286


    Charisma: 254


    Owin took an involuntary step back. Her attributes were beyond anything he had seen before. Every single stat dwarfed Owin¡¯s. There was a reason he kept hearing about Veph, the leader of Void Nexus.


    ¡°I have been informed some of my heroes have been slain by your stock.¡± Her voice was calm and even. Owin couldn¡¯t sense any hostility, though if she wanted to attack, Owin doubted he could even react before he was dead.


    ¡°In defense.¡± Chorsay slowly crept along the balcony and down the stairs. He stood beside Owin with his arms crossed. ¡°You already know this.¡±


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    ¡°I could sway the councils. The militaries are eager to claim the mob. Plenty of tests to be done.¡±


    ¡°Leave him alone, Veph.¡±


    Her metal hand brushed her jacket aside, revealing a wand tucked into an inner pocket. Chorsay clearly saw the weapon and shifted to stand in front of Owin.


    ¡°Leave the Nimble Hogs out of our quarrel,¡± Chorsay said.


    One of her eyebrows twitched. ¡°Quarrel? You think this is some petty argument? You killed him.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing, Veph. You know this.¡±


    ¡°He loved you.¡±


    Chorsay let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Veph, we¡¯ve had this talk. I¡¯m sorry for your loss, I really am.¡±


    A shard lifted from Veph¡¯s shoulder, but dropped back down and vanished before fully forming. Her metal hand touched the wand as she looked between Chorsay, Owin, and Miya.


    ¡°Let¡¯s grab a coffee, or some whiskey if you prefer. We can even have it in the mess.¡±


    Veph¡¯s eyebrows lowered. ¡°You think I want to spend time in this shack?¡± Her index flashed before her eyes. ¡°You stalled.¡±


    Chorsay nodded once. ¡°I haven¡¯t stepped into a dungeon since his death.¡±


    Veph stared at Owin for a moment, then turned and left, closing the door gently behind her.


    Chorsay let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Is everyone alive?¡± Potilia asked, peeking from behind her counter.


    ¡°I swore we were going to die,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± He turned and patted Miya¡¯ shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re up here early today. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°I made health potions for Owin and needed to test their effectiveness.¡± She glanced around the huge man at the front door. ¡°What if she comes back?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Who was she talking about?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°A story for another time. Why don¡¯t the two of you go downstairs? Relax, find some fun. Po, are you okay?¡±


    She was back on her stool with her book open. ¡°Good as always.¡±


    ¡°Figured.¡± Chorsay gestured to the basement door. ¡°I have some things to attend to, and I believe Myr is currently preparing for your departure in the morning.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Miya grabbed his shoulder and guided him away. ¡°Got him, Chief. We¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Owin took one more look at Chorsay, who stared at the door, deep in thought, as Miya dragged Owin behind the counter and down the basement stairs.


    Her workshop was a mess. Not that it had been all that clean in the past. Things were placed on every surface. Papers were stacked and weighted down by bones. Scrolls were tossed carelessly aside. A chair was tipped over in front of the doorway.


    Miya picked up the chair and set it to the side. ¡°Sorry, tripped over that on my way to show you the health potions.¡± She stepped through and gestured to a cluster of bottles in the corner. Some were in a box, most were on the floor. There were five real health potions, ten dark red ones, a handful of mana potions, a few shield, a few invisibility, and two buffs.


    ¡°Did you make everything?¡±


    ¡°Except the normal health, yes. Mana, shield, and invisibility are easy. Easy enough if you have the materials.¡± Miya cleared her throat. ¡°I could really use some compensation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you whatever dungeon gold I have,¡± Owin said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I would spend it on.¡±


    ¡°If you do that, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for equipment and give you anything I manage to make, unless another Hog needs it, of course.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Miya picked up the two buffs. ¡°You said you needed these, right?¡±


    One potion was rose pink and the other was a dull green.


    Apprentice Dexterity Buff


    +10 Dexterity


    Duration: ???


    Apprentice Wisdom Buff


    +10 Wisdom


    Duration: ???


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said, taking both potions. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Miya grinned. ¡°Hurry up and drink those. I have a new crop of blaze vine. Have you seen it before?¡±


    ¡°Artivan used a torch made of some.¡±


    Miya¡¯s grin faded a little, but she seemed to flip it back on after a second. ¡°It¡¯s fantastic for experiments. It can boil water all day. Do you know what else it can do?¡±


    ¡°Burn things?¡±


    Miya pointed to an oven by her counter that was still raging with flames.


    ¡°Is it safe to leave that going?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Do you want to try it out?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said quietly. He popped the corks from both bottles and drank one after the other.


    Dexterity +10


    Dexterity: 60


    Wisdom +10


    Wisdom: 34


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 65*


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 34


    Charisma: 60


    He carefully set the empty bottles with Miya¡¯s other ones on the stone table. She was already at the oven, flicking in pieces of tinder ore. Each one made the flames pulse, nearly causing the fire to shoot out the front.


    Owin joined her, sitting at a chair Miya pulled up beside her own. She handed him a few sticks from some tree.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t just wood. I wouldn¡¯t be that boring.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Owin said.


    She gestured to the oven. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Miya looked at her hand for a long moment. ¡°It hurt terribly.¡±


    ¡°I know. Suta thought he was helping.¡±


    She closed her gloved hand into a fist and smiled widely. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if it still hurts. Health potions aren¡¯t perfect.¡±


    She patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m good. Go ahead.¡±


    Owin slowly put the stick in through the front. As soon as the flames touched the stick, it glowed and turned the fire touching it to a bright blue green. Owin dropped the stick inside, turning all the fire to the same blue green color.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Nothing special, I found out. It was just something I wanted to test. Found out it could do this.¡± Miya grabbed a basket full of items. ¡°I used all the more exciting things in your potions, so this is all I have left.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to burn stuff. I can sit around while you work.¡±


    She set the basket in his lap. ¡°We have this stuff to burn. We can see what time it is after that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Miya smiled and grabbed a full bundle of similar sticks. ¡°Once that one is done, we should toss all of them inside.¡±


    ¡°What will it do?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°One way to find out.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± she asked, eyes on the fire.


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    ¡°Getting a shard. I¡¯ve heard they change people.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Artivan told me he didn¡¯t want one because of the effect they have. But Chorsay has two and he¡¯s not a bad person.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay has a long, complicated past.¡± Miya shifted the sticks in her hand. ¡°How much do you know about Veph?¡±


    Owin thought about the woman he had just met. At first she seemed timid and calm, but she quickly became angry. Owin had no doubt she could be dangerous, but the calm person who had opened the door was not what he had imagined before. He had expected her to be some monster.


    ¡°Only that she is the leader of Void Nexus.¡±


    ¡°Her grandfather was the one who founded Void Nexus. The Three Headed Hero Company and Magna Regum have been around for, uh, forever, I think. Void Nexus started small, but it only took a few years for it to become the third biggest hero company. Now it might even be the biggest.¡± Miya shrugged. ¡°Chorsay was a member at one point. I don¡¯t know the details. I¡¯m sure Sanem does. Veph seemed calm today but I¡¯ve heard horror stories. A tyrant. Everyone is scared of her. Everyone except maybe Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°He seemed sad.¡±


    Miya nodded and shoved the bundle of sticks into Owin¡¯s arms. ¡°Burn this, then you can help me with something stupid.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to try to make a grenade like Ernie and Katalin.¡±


    Owin quickly shook his head.


    ¡°We can do it.¡±


    ¡°This is a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many good ones.¡± Miya smiled and grabbed a pair of goggles from the counter. ¡°You will want to wear these.¡±


    Owin tossed the sticks in the fire, causing it to turn a rainbow of colors. The flames built and soon poured out of the opening, causing Miya to cackle and pull Owin back before he was burned.


    He fit the goggles over his head and was surprised to find how well they fit. They appeared to be custom to fit his face.


    ¡°Are they good?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Great.¡± She tossed a pair of gloves at him.


    He managed to catch one while the other smacked him in the face. ¡°I caught one!¡± He held it up triumphantly.


    ¡°Look at that dexterity fighting for its life,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Ready to build a grenade?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Great. We¡¯re doing it anyway.¡± She tossed the entire basket and its contents into the oven and closed the door. Something popped inside, causing the whole oven to shake. She paused, watched it for a moment, then confidently strode away to another workstation.


    Owin sighed and followed. What else did he have to do?

 Book 3 - Chapter 3

    By the time Owin walked up the stairs to the lobby, his hair was charred and pushed back from the blasts. Soot covered his face, leaving a line when he moved his goggles. They had worked through the day and into the night. When Miya finally fell asleep at a table, Owin helped her up the stairs and into her room. She fell onto her bed, smeared soot on her pillow, and started snoring.


    Owin stood beside her for a moment, contemplating grabbing a clean pillow, then spotted all the other soot covered things in her room. It was simply the way Miya was. He closed the door and went to Artivan¡¯s room.


    He sat on the bed, holding the Thunderstrike Maul. The dull metal barely reflected the electric light that hung from the ceiling. Owin stared blankly into the flat metal, imagining what Artivan might be doing.


    The Doomed Harbinger.


    The Sovereign One.


    When the lich had appeared, it had told him a Cursed had risen. When the Malignant Spirit had formed from its statue, it had mentioned a Lord of the Abyss. That meant whatever the Sovereign One was, it was something called a Cursed.


    Was the Sovereign One and the Doomed Harbinger the same thing? Why were there two titles?


    He tried to focus, to remember Artivan¡¯s face as clearly as possible. What would it look like as a lich? Would it be desiccated or wrinkled? Could he still smile? What about his beard?


    Owin gently set the hammer back on the floor and used it as a footrest. His mind continued imagining different versions of Artivan as the Sovereign One. Maybe he looked younger. Maybe he looked more like the wight that had nearly killed them both.


    ¡°A legend long forgotten, twisted by time. A king anointed by the gods, corrupted by the Abyss, and cast into the world to act as a warning¡ª A curse that would never end. Whoever wears the halo becomes the Doomed Harbinger, destined to become a lich who will haunt and kill for the rest of eternity.¡±


    Owin quietly spoke the words over and over, trying to sort out what it meant. It said that whoever wears the halo becomes the Doomed Harbinger, but the boss had been called the Sovereign One. It was the same title Katalin had said Siora used, which meant Artivan was also the Sovereign One and not the Doomed Harbinger.


    Owin scowled. He didn¡¯t get it.


    He sat on the bed, working through the story until the sun finally shone through his window. He was no less confused, but he was ready to let his mind be occupied by other things. Letting himself get lost in the story wasn¡¯t going to help him anymore.


    Footsteps creaked on the wooden floor, signaling that at least one other person was awake. Owin hopped out of the bed, grabbed his bag, and slid the wands and lich bone knife into his belt. He took one more look at the Thunderstrike Maul before leaving the room.


    As soon as Owin started down the stairs, he heard a loud gasp. Potilia ran around with a huge smile on her face.


    ¡°Owin!¡± She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. ¡°You got a gift!¡±


    ¡°From who?¡±


    She dragged him off the last stairs and brought him to a massive box sitting beside the counter. ¡°There¡¯s a card!¡±


    More footsteps creaked on the floor above.


    ¡°Po, what has you so excited?¡± Chorsay asked. He leaned over the railing. ¡°Oh, yes. I heard that was coming.¡± He came down the stairs and leaned on the wall. Chorsay was only wearing loose trousers, having just awoken.


    Owin simply stared at the giant man for a moment, surprised by just how massive his muscles were. Chorsay¡¯s torso was spotted with scars, some looking like they should have ended his life. A dark dent of a scar covered his heart.


    Owin grabbed the card and flipped it open.


    It was the best we could do. Althowin has us busy at work. Hope it helps.


    - Ernie


    I wanted to be more helpful, but we both know this isn¡¯t my specialty. I did as many chores as possible so Ernie could make all these potions. He stayed up working nonstop. Chorsay sent us a message about you leaving soon. We will try to make some more while you¡¯re gone so you can have extra when you get back. Good luck in the Ocean. We know you¡¯re going to do amazing. Say hi to Baby Head and Graliel for us.


    - Katalin


    Owin smiled and opened the box. It was full of bottles.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Chorsay said quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many potions,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°They¡¯re not all buffs.¡± Owin picked up a percussion grenade. ¡°Ernie made me some grenades too.¡±


    Chorsay gently patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Take your time drinking them. Don¡¯t make yourself sick. We¡¯ll gather the Hogs for a final farewell before the three of you head out.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Chorsay yawned. ¡°Wake me in another hour, Po.¡±


    She nodded and hopped back onto her stool.


    Chorsay walked back up the stairs, yawning again, before he disappeared around the corner to the quarters. Potilia opened her book, but kept her eyes on Owin.


    ¡°Will those actually make you stronger?¡±


    ¡°A lot stronger.¡± There were buffs for all attributes, but specifically many rose pink and purple. There was also a whole cluster of orange. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how strong he would be after. ¡°I¡¯ll need to practice after drinking these.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Vondaire said.


    Potilia squawked and fell from the stool as they both noticed the umbra standing nearby. She thumped to the floor, which made Vondaire actually lean to the side.


    ¡°Are you unharmed?¡±


    ¡°Relatively.¡± She climbed back up, scowling. ¡°You can¡¯t sneak up like that.¡±


    ¡°I would say I cannot help it, but alas, I can. I¡¯m not a basic assassin, after all. Those boring classes with their passive abilities.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, would you? Is this from Althowin¡¯s alchemists?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Kind of them.¡± Vondaire wore his black suit and adjusted his jacket sleeves. ¡°I will spar with you in the little arena after you are done leveling up, as it could be called for someone in your circumstance.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± Owin said. That wasn¡¯t true, and Vondaire clearly sensed the sarcasm. Owin didn¡¯t have anything specifically against the umbra, but he was suspicious and so odd.


    ¡°No need to concern yourself over something like that. I would be surprised if you could even land a strike.¡±


    Owin glared.


    ¡°Perhaps we can treat it as a challenge.¡± He turned to Potilia. ¡°Is food prepared or do I need to request something?¡±


    ¡°Make your own damn food,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hm. Fine.¡± He stepped over the box of potions and walked right into the mess without another word.


    ¡°What an ass,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°He can definitely still hear you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re an ass,¡± she said toward the mess door.


    ¡°Acknowledged,¡± Vondaire said.


    Owin pulled the potions from the box and separated them by attribute, making little collections right in the middle of the floor. Potilia left the counter and sat beside Owin, grabbing potions to help organize by color.


    ¡°Are these all the same?¡±


    Owin had been using Examine as he grabbed each one. Most were artisan quality, though a few were journeyman and two were master. He didn¡¯t actually know what caused the quality difference in buff potions. Was it the ingredients used or the steps taken? Miya could only make apprentice quality, and even those had taken her a ton of effort. Ernie was the apprentice of the world¡¯s greatest alchemist, so he wasn¡¯t surprised that he would manage to create high quality buffs.


    ¡°Mostly. It¡¯s a little overwhelming,¡± Owin said.


    Potilia held up an orange strength potion. ¡°If I could drink this and become stronger, I would probably be a hero.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already strong?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I should be deficient. Intelligence is my highest by a lot.¡±


    ¡°From reading?¡±


    She nodded as she swirled the orange strength buff. ¡°Chorsay provides me with any book I want to read. Even if he doesn¡¯t have it, he somehow finds it.¡±


    ¡°What do you read?¡±


    Her eyes darted to the counter, then back to the potion. ¡°Things.¡± She noticed Owin still staring at her. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± she said quickly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin carefully pulled the cork from a wisdom buff. He had three of them, though he wasn¡¯t confident it would make all that much of a difference. These were artisan and journeyman. Apparently Ernie also wasn¡¯t worried about his wisdom. At least, not as much as Katalin had been.


    Before drinking any buffs, he pulled the Band of Dexterity off so he could see his attributes properly. He opened his index and took one more look at his attributes before drinking all the potions.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 216


    Constitution: 140


    Dexterity: 60


    Intelligence: 155


    Wisdom: 34


    Charisma: 60


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Potilia asked.


    ¡°It should be. If Ernie wanted to kill me, he . . . he could¡¯ve done it easily in the Ocean.¡± Owin imagined the pain that flooded through his body after consuming Baby Head¡¯s blood, or the fear in his mind as he fell over the side of the ferry and splashed in the freezing ocean water. If Ernie wanted to kill Owin, he could¡¯ve just left him either of those times.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    There wasn¡¯t a single ounce of Owin that was concerned about the buffs. He trusted Ernie and Katalin more than he trusted anyone else alive.


    Wisdom +80


    He had to wait a moment after drinking all the wisdom buffs. His head felt fuzzy and the potions tasted like grass smelled. It left a waxy coating on his tongue that he wanted to scrape off. Potilia watched him with concern. Owin placed the bottles back into the box when he finished. That way, he could send the whole box back to Ernie to reuse the bottles. It made Owin smile when he thought about all the potion bottles he chucked to the side or the ones he had broken on his face back in the Great Forest. He had been wasteful, but he had hardly known better.


    Charisma was next. Owin remembered the golden potions tasting sweet. There were fewer of these as well, but still plenty to get him over 100. Owin removed the corks of all three potions and stared at the golden liquid.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Potilia asked.


    Vondaire stepped out of the mess with a bowl of something that had steam trailing off the top. He ate a spoonful and leaned on the wall, watching.


    ¡°I have spent a lot of time thinking about getting stronger, but I had no way to do it. Ernie and Katalin helped me learn a lot and they helped me get a few small buffs during our adventure, but I felt like I was moving so slowly. Now . . .¡± He picked up the first charisma buff. ¡°I¡¯m moving faster than ever before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°Finish your potions, and I will help evaluate your standing. As you are now, you will not make it through the Ocean.¡±


    Owin glared. ¡°You still hide your attributes.¡±


    Vondaire smiled. ¡°If you impress me during our sparring session, I will reveal everything. Now, drink up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Vondaire asked. He took another bite and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re no hero.¡±


    ¡°Receptionist. Assistant to Chorsay. Why are you here? You¡¯re an ass.¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯ve already stated. I am here to bring fame to the Nimble Hogs as the most prolific Shard Hero.¡± Vondaire smiled. His black eyes looked over the potions.


    Charisma +90


    The honey-like charisma buffs were much easier to drink. Owin downed them quickly, corked each one, and placed them back into the box. He figured it would be best to save strength for last so he didn¡¯t accidentally break anything.


    There were only two intelligence potions, which Owin thought was a little odd. While he couldn¡¯t learn more spells, his mana was still important so he could caste the few he had. Still, two artisan buffs added a good chunk to his mana bar.


    Intelligence +60


    Ernie had really spent his time on the last three types. There were more potions, plus there were the two master level buffs.


    He had fifteen potions left. There were five of each strength, constitution, and dexterity. Both strength and dexterity had master quality buffs, which added 50 attribute points. Owin set them up in order to take them as dexterity, constitution, then finally strength.


    Dexterity +170


    Constitution +150


    Strength +170


    Owin finished the last strength buff and carefully handled the bottle. He could hardly believe what had happened. His constitution more than doubled from drinking the potions. Instead of the health bar growing even longer, it appeared to become more dense, like any damage suffered would move less of it at a time.


    Owin opened his index and stared in disbelief.


    Level: 1


    Strength: 386


    Constitution: 290


    Dexterity: 230


    Intelligence: 215


    Wisdom: 114


    Charisma: 150


    He slipped the Band of Dexterity back on, pushing his dexterity to 235. Now, that five point difference seemed somewhat insignificant.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°In a matter of moments, you have jumped from roughly a level 30 to nearly equal to level 60. If only others could become so strong without any effort.¡±


    ¡°I earned it,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You drank your way through thirty levels.¡±


    Vondaire dropped his spoon into the bowl. ¡°Come on.¡± He stepped into the mess and vanished.


    ¡°Are you actually going to spar with him?¡± Potilia asked.


    ¡°I want to know how strong he is, and I need to test myself.¡± Owin put the lid back onto the box and slid it behind the counter, out of Potilia¡¯s way. ¡°Can you help me write a note later before we send this back?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Why do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how to read.¡±


    Potilia snorted, then covered her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll learn eventually.¡± He checked his wands and the lich bone knife. He could go grab the Thunderstrike Maul, but he would be fighting without it all through the Ocean Dungeon, so it felt more reasonable to practice without it.


    ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t trust him,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡± Owin walked through the mess and out into the courtyard. Vondaire already stood outside near the back wall. He ran his hand along the metal sheet.


    ¡°I have to admit, this is more impressive than I would have assumed at a first glance. It is not simply a makeshift arena, but a durable barrier that can withstand even a Shard Hero¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried about me beating you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Vondaire turned and adjusted the collar of his jacket. ¡°I am not even worried about you dirtying my suit, dear goblin.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to go through the Ocean wearing that?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. I will wear attire more fitting for the situation. Not like your unflattering chitin, of course.¡±


    ¡°Unflattering?¡± He looked down at his chitin breastplate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    Vondaire positioned himself across from Owin with a mocking smirk on his face. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±


    ¡°You insult me then just skip it?¡±


    ¡°Then I shall begin.¡± Vondaire disappeared.


    Was it an ability or a spell? If a spell, what Power?


    The very tip of a ghostly blade appeared in the corner of Owin¡¯s eye. He leaned back so fast that he launched himself onto his back. With almost no effort, he rolled backward and landed on his feet. The whole exaggerated dodge took a blink of an eye. With his Goblin Cunning racial feat and his enhanced dexterity, he moved even faster than he had expected.


    Vondaire stood where Owin had just been, holding an odd looking knife. The blade was a diamond shape and it looked almost like the gray mist attack from the liches Owin had faced.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Ghostblade. A basic umbra spell.¡± He relaxed his hand, causing the knife to disappear. ¡°I wanted to ensure you could fight before I used anything more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Vondaire pointed. A beam of magic the same color appeared, immediately piercing through Owin¡¯s heart.


    He staggered back, looking at his chest as the beam vanished. There was no damage to his armor or his health . . . but his mana was partially grayed out. ¡°Apparition damage?¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t dodge that.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps someday, if you survive. Now¡ª¡± Vondaire vanished and reappeared directly beside Owin. ¡°Are we going to fight?¡±


    Owin stabbed with the lich bone knife and passed through nothing as Vondaire was already on Owin¡¯s opposite side.


    ¡°Still too slow.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were sparring.¡±


    Vondaire formed another ghostblade in his hand. ¡°This is what it means to fight an umbra. Let me humor you. I will not dodge or teleport. Try to strike me.¡± He stood with his feet together and one arm behind his back, only wielding the ghostblade in his right hand.


    Owin dashed and leapt. He aimed to drive the knife right into Vondaire¡¯s chest, but the ghostblade swung up and perfectly blocked. The ghostblade bent in just slightly before Owin dropped to the ground.


    He slashed at Vondaire¡¯s shins, but the ghostblade once again appeared to block at the perfect moment. No matter how fast Owin was moving, Vondaire moved faster.


    It went on for ten minutes as Owin dashed, stabbed, leapt, and attacked in every possible way he could manage. While there were a few brief moments of pushing Vondaire back or directing the ghostblade to the side, Vondaire was simply too fast and agile to not block every attack thrown his way.


    Even when Owin tried to use Smoke Cloud, Vondaire became impossible to locate. It was an easy lesson for Owin. Don¡¯t use anything to obscure the view when fighting an umbra.


    Vondaire suddenly teleported as Owin jumped, causing Owin to crash and bounce off the ground.


    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t teleporting!¡±


    ¡°Well, this is the end of our sparring.¡± Vondaire adjusted his sleeves. ¡°You failed to strike me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡± He pointed to Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°That knife. What is it?¡±


    ¡°A lich bone.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I hadn¡¯t accounted for that.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean I win? Are you quitting?¡±


    Vondaire looked back at the Nimble Hogs¡¯ headquarters, avoiding looking at Owin. ¡°I suppose in a manner, it does. Your knife has drained me of mana. Each clash dispersed my ghostblade.¡±


    ¡°I never saw it disappear when we were fighting.¡±


    ¡°I can form them that quickly.¡±


    ¡°Undead is strong against apparition?¡±


    Vondaire raised an eyebrow. ¡°Certainly you knew this.¡±


    ¡°I do now.¡±


    Vondaire sighed. ¡°I have dropped the veil. Look at my attributes so we never need to speak of it again.¡±


    Hero


    Vondaire Faikel


    Umbra


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 87


    Strength: 382


    Constitution: 374


    Dexterity: 586


    Intelligence: 303


    Wisdom: 582


    Charisma: 301


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a shard and you¡¯re that high of a level?¡±


    Vondaire put a finger to his mouth. ¡°We will not speak of it. You and Chorsay are the only ones that I will allow to possess this knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Are you stronger than Taralim?¡±


    ¡°After I acquire the first shard, I believe I will be. Until then, no.¡±


    Chorsay opened the door from the mess and leaned on the doorframe. ¡°I see you two are bonding.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it that,¡± Owin said. ¡°I need to visit a mender before I leave now.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s index flashed before his eyes. ¡°This is what I wanted to see, Owin. Very good.¡±


    ¡°Will I be able to do the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You will perhaps find it easier than Myr will, unless Suta starts using magic again.¡± Chorsay waved them in. ¡°We are eating breakfast together before you head out. I¡¯ll send for a mender.¡±


    ¡°I have already eaten,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Vondaire walked right past Chorsay and found a seat inside the mess.


    ¡°Why does he listen to you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We made a deal.¡± Chorsay stepped outside and closed the door. He lowered himself to his knees, and still had to bend further to meet Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even with your new attributes, the Ocean will not be simple. The top floors are isolated. Remember, that you are not alone. We will be waiting for you here in Atrevaar, and Myrsvai will be expecting to see you when he conquers the final floor. I know you have been on an isolated floor once, but that was long ago now.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°You know your way through almost half the dungeon. Be a smart hero and see if you can¡¯t inspire Suta.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Chorsay patted him on the shoulder. ¡°When we eat, is there anything you want?¡±


    ¡°I like having the drinks.¡±


    ¡°Usually we have tea or coffee in the mornings. Are you thinking of one of those drinks or when we have wine or whiskey?¡±


    ¡°Any of the drinks.¡± Owin shrugged.


    ¡°You have a long time of portal travel ahead of you. There is no harm in a celebration early in the morning.¡± Chorsay stood and gestured inside.


    ¡°Sparring only proved that Vondaire is faster than me. I still need to test out my new attributes.¡±


    Chorsay closed the door, leaned on the wall, and folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Show me what you can do.¡±


    Owin nodded. He slipped the lich bone knife into his belt and returned to his normal spot, back on the cracks Chorsay had formed long ago. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Jump.¡±


    Owin squatted and pushed himself off the ground. He launched himself into the air, soaring almost twenty feet up before slowing. Normally, he would feel like he had lost control at the apex of a jump, but with higher dexterity, he felt in control. As he landed on his feet, he rolled forward and bounced on his feet.


    ¡°Better.¡± Chorsay walked to the cracks and stood with his arms hanging at his sides. ¡°Go to the wall and dash. Punch me in the stomach. If you can speed blitz me, you can handle just about anything in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Vondaire is way faster than me.¡± Owin stopped at the metal wall and ran his hand over the surface.


    ¡°An umbra should be faster than you. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Umbras, hunters, and assassins will always be the fastest classes. When you outpace them . . .¡± Chorsay shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll have a reason to celebrate.¡±


    Owin nodded once. A straight sprint into a punch. Full speed. As fast as he could go. Simple as that. Chorsay wasn¡¯t known for his speed, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Owin pushed off and dashed straight across the courtyard. He hopped off his last stride and punched right at Chorsay¡¯s stomach. The old man¡¯s fist appeared, taking the full force of Owin¡¯s punch.


    Chorsay was grinning when Owin looked up. ¡°Incredibly quick.¡±


    ¡°You still blocked it.¡±


    ¡°I cheated.¡± He winked.


    ¡°You used an ability?¡±


    ¡°I did. Run more. Jump more. Get used to your new strength. When you¡¯re done, come inside. This morning, we¡¯re celebrating.¡± Chorsay opened the door to the mess. ¡°Grab the whiskey.¡±


    Miya pounded her fists on the table. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Sanem was just walking in as she rolled her eyes. ¡°Chorsay, bad idea.¡±


    She was followed by a smiling man. He had a trimmed beard and a bald head. ¡°Let him celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Raif,¡± Sanem said.


    Owin walked right up to the man and held out his hand. Raif stopped and crouched. He shook Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Owin.¡±


    ¡°Raif. I¡¯ve heard about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you too. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Sanem¡¯s index was in front of her eyes as she kicked Owin. ¡°What happened? You¡¯re so strong!¡±


    ¡°Ernie and Katalin sent me a box of buffs.¡±


    Raif¡¯s index also flashed before his eyes. ¡°You are formidable.¡±


    Myrsvai and Suta slipped past. Raif lifted his hands, causing Suta to do the same. Myrsvai rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Everyone take a seat. We¡¯ll have a toast to Myrsvai, Owin, and Vondaire,¡± Chorsay said.


    Suta pounded on the table.


    ¡°And Suta, of course.¡±


    The familiar nodded.

 Book 3 - Chapter 4

    Owin had enjoyed his morning, but it was over so quickly. A mender had visited to check on everyone before they set off. Owin¡¯s apparition damage was immediately healed again, reminding him just how powerful menders were. All of the Nimble Hogs wished them luck before dispersing, leaving only Owin, Myrsvai, and Vondaire with Chorsay in the lobby. Potilia watched from behind her counter, fighting to keep her eyes off her book.


    It felt odd to be without Suta. Myrsvai had unsummoned him to ¡°save money.¡± Apparently even familiars had to pay a portal fee.


    Before officially leaving, Owin had given Miya most of his gold, hoping she would find a good use for everything he had collected. He had kept fifty for himself to buy a buff from Arimeda on the second floor, but that seemed less useful now that he had his extra buffs from Ernie and Katalin.


    Chorsay placed his hand on Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you certain you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not helpless, Chorsay.¡± Myrsvai stared right into his eyes.


    The old man patted his shoulder. ¡°I know, Myr. You will have a shard before you know it.¡±


    Chorsay cleared his throat and positioned himself in the middle of everyone. ¡°Keep an eye out for each other. The last floors are isolated. I never finished the Ocean. I don¡¯t know what boss is waiting on the tenth floor. Just remember, there is no exit once you reach the top.¡±


    ¡°Bottom,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Right. Bottom.¡± Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°Your only option is to defeat the boss or die, and I am planning on all three of you winning.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded. He adjusted his grip on his staff and prepared to set out.


    ¡°If any of you return without the others, you will be talking with me,¡± Chorsay said, looking right at Vondaire.


    ¡°I understand. I will be patient upon slaying the boss.¡± Vondaire gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°I gain nothing from angering you.¡±


    ¡°Be off. Be safe.¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Potilia shouted from the counter.


    Owin waved to her as he followed Myrsvai outside. The day had barely started for most of Atrevaar. The sun had risen and traffic had started around the portals, but it was still calmer than the city would become later in the afternoon.


    Myrsvai stopped at the portal guard, paid his fee, and stepped through.


    Owin looked up at the guard. ¡°I only brought enough to pay for a potion from Arimeda.¡±


    Vondaire sighed and stepped in front of Owin. ¡°This is for both of us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You owe me.¡±


    ¡°At least we can skip paying in Vraxridge,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°A criminal? I should have known.¡± Vondaire strolled right to the Vraxridge portal and stepped through without hesitation.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t linger,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin watched the magus step through the portal. He didn¡¯t want the burning feeling again, though with a higher constitution, he wondered if it would even hurt.


    ¡°Are you fucking joking?¡±


    Owin reached for the lich bone knife in his belt. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Siora stepped up beside Owin. Her shield was on her back and her glowing sword was sheathed. Nikoletta stood a few paces back with some other Void Nexus hero. Siora didn¡¯t look at Owin. She just stared at the swirling portal instead.


    ¡°I thought I was seeing things,¡± she said.


    ¡°I made a promise not to kill you,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dumb fucking promise. I didn¡¯t make the same one. In fact, Veph put an unofficial bounty on you.¡±


    ¡°I met Veph.¡±


    Siora grunted. ¡°I¡¯d kill you now if it wouldn¡¯t get me arrested.¡±


    ¡°The first time we met was just like this. My friends went through the portal first, and I waited.¡± Owin turned to her. ¡°But this time, I¡¯m the stronger one.¡±


    Siora tried to raise an eyebrow, but the scars across her face pulled her skin tight. Her index appeared, causing her eyes to widen. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Still want to fight me?¡±


    ¡°He is a demon in goblin skin,¡± Nikoletta said.


    Owin grinned. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll fuse with a demon when I get two shards just to make you angry.¡±


    A portal guard appeared beside them with a hand on a sheathed sword. ¡°I have been warned about the three of you. Any aggression will result in arrest.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Siora said. ¡°We¡¯re leaving anyway. We have a dungeon to conquer.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Why would we tell you?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°Ocean,¡± Siora said.


    Owin nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± He stepped through the portal, leaving the Void Nexus heroes behind. A grin spread across his face.


    Even if they tried to kill him, Owin wouldn¡¯t let them die.


    Revenge doesn¡¯t have to involve violence.


    Katalin had been certain Owin would be better off letting the two murderers live. And maybe she was right. He wouldn¡¯t let the Ocean Dungeon kill them, but he wouldn¡¯t let them get a shard if he could help it.


    Owin didn¡¯t even notice the pain of the portal and soon appeared in Vraxridge. Myrsvai and Vondaire were watching him as he appeared.


    ¡°Get lost?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°No. We have some company.¡± Owin pointed behind him as Siora, Nikoletta, and the other hero arrived.


    Myrsvai¡¯s index appeared.


    ¡°Ah, the Hog killers,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°I remember them from our first encounter.¡±


    ¡°The Maimed Magus?¡± Siora asked. ¡°You¡¯re a Nimble Hog? After everything that happened?¡±


    Myrsvai tapped his staff on the ground. Suta appeared in a burst of fire. He immediately raised his hands and jabbed in the air.


    ¡°Suta, these are Owin¡¯s enemies,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The familiar¡¯s eyes flicked between each of the Void Nexus heroes. ¡°Rip them in half?¡±


    Nikoletta pushed Siora out of the way. ¡°What did I say? The fools work with the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°No, Suta,¡± Owin said. ¡°They can¡¯t do anything here. If I attack, you can join me.¡±


    Suta nodded. He stood directly beside Owin and fixed the cloth wraps on his hands.


    ¡°He might as well be your familiar,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Who is this ¡®Maimed Magus?¡¯ Why do you know a demonic magus?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°You act as if there aren¡¯t abyssal menders,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°Move out of the way so people can go to Atrevaar.¡±


    People were having difficulty maneuvering into the portal, as they had barely moved upon appearing in Vraxridge. Owin and Suta followed Myrsvai to the middle of the platform where a fountain lazily spurted water into the air. Vondaire took the time to chat with a portal guard near one of the entrances.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The Maimed Magus was a Magna Regum prodigy. You haven¡¯t heard this story?¡± Siora asked, staring at Myrsvai.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ve heard the title,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°I don¡¯t know the story.¡±


    ¡°He was attacked by a hero company that was kind of infamous for hunting in the dungeons. Couldn¡¯t be proven, but . . .¡± She gestured to Myrsvai. ¡°The entire company attacked him, and he killed every single one.¡±


    ¡°A simplification. They followed me like hounds and I defended myself.¡± Myrsvai placed a hand on Suta¡¯s shoulder.


    Owin watched Siora¡¯s face. She caught his eyes and scowled.


    ¡°I was a kid. Barely twenty years old. Nothing good comes of killing heroes. And I already know you two. I know everything I¡¯ll ever need to know. Hunting those weaker than you. Killing an old, kind man.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I believe people deserve chances to grow and change. The Nimble Hogs are an opportunity, a second chance for many. You have already set off down a terrible path. Artivan was only kind to everyone.¡±


    ¡°The old bastard isn¡¯t even dead,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°Ruvaine wouldn¡¯t let an anomaly like him live.¡±


    Siora looked back at Owin. ¡°Then why did she let a goblin leave the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Not dead?¡± Myrsvai asked quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Owin said. ¡°I only learned recently.¡±


    Vondaire appeared between Siora and Nikoletta. ¡°I hate to break up this reunion, but you are causing a stir within Vraxridge. It turns out the Maimed Magus is more recognizable than I would¡¯ve thought, and of course our little goblin friend is quite the talk around town.¡±


    Owin looked around the portal circle. Every single person was watching them. If he wandered around town, he could find Ernie and Katalin, but knowing what they said, Althowin wouldn¡¯t want to see him. Not yet. He would rather stop on the way back after getting a shard so he could see them and meet with Althowin.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I hope I never see you again,¡± Siora said.


    Owin smiled. ¡°You go first.¡±


    Siora eyed him warily, then guided her party through the portal to Minolitana Prima.


    ¡°Is she going to the Ocean?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°This is going to be an interesting experience.¡±


    Vondaire rolled his eyes and stepped through the portal.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the story,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It was many years ago. There¡¯s much more to the story, of course. What she knows is more rumor than fact. When we have time, we can exchange stories.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°You go first this time so we don¡¯t wait.¡±


    Suta grabbed Owin¡¯s arm and dragged him into the portal. He had a few moments of darkness to think. His mind mainly focused on Myrsvai¡¯s arm. Why did he have a replacement for his lost leg but not his lost arm? Was it rude to ask?


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Siora shouted.


    Owin waved as he appeared outside the portal. ¡°Ready to ride the ferry together again? Try not to attack me this time.¡±


    Nikoletta whispered something in Siora¡¯s ear, which Siora apparently agreed with. They spoke quietly as Myrsvai manifested.


    Vondaire stood near the exit with his arms folded across his chest. ¡°Come on, children. If I need to escort you like your parent, I will. All of you, this way.¡±


    Owin, Suta, and Myrsvai joined Vondaire, but the umbra had yet to move.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Void Nexus. All of you are joining us on this adventure.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going through the dungeon as a party,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re not,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°You think I would subject myself to their mindless wandering? I will go first, followed by whoever wants to go next. I really could not care less. We might as well go in order so we know who is before and behind us. It helps us pace appropriately. That way, we can avoid being on any floor with a Shard Hero.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Not all Shard Heroes are courteous enough to make sure a floor is clear.¡±


    Siora scowled as much as she could with her scarred face. ¡°He¡¯s right. We¡¯ll go in the middle. Before the goblin.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said. ¡°You will go last.¡±


    Siora¡¯s scowl deepend. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way we¡¯re doing it. If you go first, we¡¯ll follow you right away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of shit,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°If they get close?¡± Suta whispered in his ear.


    Owin mimicked punching, which got an excited nod from Suta.


    Vondaire led the way through Minolitana Prima, into the beautiful seaside city. It smelled of the ocean, which Owin didn¡¯t hate as much as he expected. He knew once he was submerged in the dungeon for a few days, that opinion would change dramatically.


    ¡°How did we end up here at the same time?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°The timing couldn¡¯t be accidental,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°Your leader has an obsession with the Nimble Hogs, doesn¡¯t she? Perhaps she was spying and decided to send you.¡±


    Siora grunted. ¡°Doubt it. Veph has better things to do than spy.¡±


    ¡°Then what of the umbra lingering outside the Nimble Hogs?¡± Vondaire asked. ¡°One Sylmare Virtress?¡±


    ¡°How . . .¡± Siora wiped sweat from her forehead.


    ¡°I am not one to judge. I have done my fair share of spying. I saw the goblin here nearly blow himself up while working with an alchemist last night.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I enjoy knowing what¡¯s happening.¡± Vondaire pointed to a building off the main road. It was made of white plaster and red, salt-covered bricks. ¡°That is the Bank of Graisetus. It¡¯s said they have more dungeon gold in their vault than anywhere else in Verdantallis. Can you imagine?¡±


    ¡°Do you do this for money?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°No, of course not. You have the wrong idea. I do this for fame.¡± Vondaire gave her a genuine smile then gestured to the stairs down to the ferry. ¡°After you.¡±


    ¡°Fame? Really?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°I know. With the company I keep, I am falling behind. You two were already familiar with the magus and the goblin, and yet you have no idea who I am.¡±


    ¡°He is stronger than both of us,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°While it is true, I prefer the goblin doesn¡¯t reveal all of my secrets.¡± Vondaire gestured down the stairs again. ¡°Somebody start moving so I am not forced to shove you all down the stairs.¡±


    Suta waited for others to pass and clung to Myrsvai¡¯s left side where he was missing an arm. He looked up at Myrsvai, who seemed to be listening to something.


    ¡°I know,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Just worried about the water.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad as it sounds,¡± Owin said. ¡°You don¡¯t swim and you don¡¯t need to hold your breath. You just move a little slower.¡±


    Suta held onto Myrsvai¡¯s cape. He nodded.


    ¡°I need to pay your ferry fee too, don¡¯t I?¡± Vondaire asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You are lucky the Unity Force paid me so well for my service.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think portal guards would get paid a lot.¡±


    ¡°I was more than a portal guard. Do you not remember my assistance when Taralim was sent to capture you?¡± Vondaire stopped at the ferry entrance and paid for the two of them. Nikoletta, Siora, and their other party member were already through.


    ¡°Of course I remember. I just thought you were following for fun.¡±


    ¡°For fun? Nothing I do is for fun, unfortunately. Not everyone has that luxury. I was part of Taralim¡¯s team, which . . . I cannot actually say what we did. It would be best to just avoid that blood sucking dunce whenever possible.¡±


    Myrsvai argued with the ferry guard about paying for Suta before simply dismissing the familiar. Suta vanished in another burst of flames. As soon as Myrsvai was through the gate, he resummoned him, much to the frustration of the ferry guard.


    A few unaffiliated heroes in a party were waiting near the end of the dock. They waved upon spotting everyone. As soon as they noticed Owin, a knight rushed over. She looked like she had been through plenty of tough fights.


    Hero


    Avani Conastra


    Knight


    Level: 47


    Strength: 196


    Constitution: 258


    Dexterity: 112


    Intelligence: 259


    Wisdom: 130


    Charisma: 128


    ¡°You¡¯re Owin the goblin,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Avani scanned the rest of the group and stopped at Myrsvai¡¯s missing arm. Her index flashed in front of her eyes. ¡°And the Maimed Magus? You¡¯re friends?¡±


    Vondaire stood to the side with a scowl on his face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said again, unsure of how to respond.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Myrsvai said. He let go of his staff and shook her hand. Suta immediately grabbed the staff and held it until Myrsvai took hold once again. ¡°Good luck in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Avani nodded and rejoined her party. They all spoke excitedly, looking over at Owin and Myrsvai again and again.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know them,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point of fame. People will know me before long, though I am currently held back by the speed at which you all move. Perhaps I will hop straight to Stobrukha to climb the Sky Dungeon next.¡±


    ¡°Before even going back to Atrevaar?¡± Owin couldn¡¯t imagine climbing all the way through one dungeon just to jump to the next. Even going through four floors had been exhausting the two times he had done it. ¡°Somebody I met said you need wings to do the Sky Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°If you are a simpleton, I suppose.¡±


    Suta tugged on Vondaire¡¯s jacket. ¡°Ferry.¡±


    Avani, her party, Siora, Nikoletta, and the other Void Nexus hero had already loaded onto the ferry. Owin hurried over and caught a glare from the ferry captain, who happened to be the same woman as his last trip.


    Owin found a spot to sit directly beside Siora. While Vondaire and Myrsvai sat on the other side of the ferry, Suta followed Owin and sat a little too close. The familiar¡¯s shoulders butted up against Owin¡¯s, but Suta refused to move.


    ¡°Leave us alone,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°No.¡± Owin leaned forward and looked at Nikoletta. Her eyes glowed yellow. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit if you¡¯re scared. We¡¯re here to get a shard. I would¡¯ve gone somewhere else if I knew you would be here too.¡± Siora scratched at the scars on her face. ¡°Could¡¯ve gone back to the Great Forest.¡±


    ¡°Why did Veph put a bounty on my head?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she does anything. If you weren¡¯t a Hog, I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t even care about your existence. But you are and she would pay for a full set of unique items if I brought your head to her.¡± Siora sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to try to kill you right now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe in the future,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgiven you,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°Remember, you attacked me first. All I wanted was a health potion and you never stopped chasing me. I hate both of you and nothing will change that. I promised I would make you regret meeting me.¡±


    Suta also leaned forward. His eyes glowed red and some drool dripped from his mandibles. All three Void Nexus heroes watched silently until Suta sat back without saying a word.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that familiar?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°Nothing. He doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Suta nodded. He adjusted the wrappings on his hands then jabbed the air a few times.

 Book 3 - Chapter 5

    Avani and her party were the first to enter the Ocean. Vondaire stood outside the door impatiently, watching the waves crash onto the sand bar. The ferry had left the second the heroes stepped off, as the captain likely wanted to avoid dealing with Owin more than she had to.


    Siora, Nikoletta, and their party member stood awkwardly at the end of the sandbar, nearly in the water. Their new party member was a fresh faced magus who had yet to summon his own familiar. He hadn¡¯t spoken a word and warily watched everything Owin did. He had barely hit level 30, so he wasn¡¯t directly a threat, but all three Void Nexus heroes together would still be formidable, especially with how fast Siora and Nikoletta had been growing.


    As soon as the half hour mark hit, Vondaire bowed. ¡°See you two on the other side. Remember, Chorsay made me promise to wait. Do not make me wait long.¡± He stepped into the void before Owin could reply.


    ¡°We probably don¡¯t need to give him a half hour,¡± Owin said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to do the quests.¡±


    ¡°We should give him the time. It¡¯s a sign of respect,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°We respect him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hog,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Owin walked back and forth for the entire half hour. Myrsvai sat and meditated with Suta sitting across from him, matching his posture and position perfectly. Before long, the magus stood and gestured for Owin to enter.


    Siora, Nikoletta, and their magus watched impatiently.


    ¡°If you come after me¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°It might not be today, but I will kill you,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± Owin stepped into the void.


    Entering Ocean Dungeon


    First Floor


    A fish darted in front of his face, followed by a whole school that swam through the coral reef. Owin opened his map and was happy to see his old path still marked on his map. There was plenty more he wanted to see, especially since Ernie and Katalin weren¡¯t willing to explore at all on the first floor. There was a chest guardian and a secret to uncover.


    Suta and Myrsvai appeared beside him. They both looked about, taking in the colorful coral reef. Suta reached out and snatched a fish, but dropped it when Myrsvai bumped him with his staff.


    Owin pointed to the right, immediately heading into the clouded section of his map. They rounded a mushroom-covered boulder and passed a group of spiky pink plants. Some leafy seaweed danced near the boundary wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the chest guardian first,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai gestured for him to continue. Suta looked at just about every little thing they passed. He squatted to look at colorful pebbles, he poked the coral, ran his hand over leaves, scratched at the moss, and caught a few more fish before they reached the narrow passage Owin had seen from a distance last time. It was shaded from a massive pink flower-like coral that hung over the passage, making it feel like a tunnel.


    Owin hadn¡¯t seen the boss last time. Ernie had specifically gone the other direction to avoid wasting time, which didn¡¯t matter in the end because they were still late with their delivery.


    Owin walked confidently through the passageway and stopped as the shimmering boundary wall appeared before him. Did he go the wrong way?


    Suta tackled Owin, throwing him to the ground right as a dark shape passed over. Owin rolled to the side and drew his lich bone knife.


    Ocean Mob


    Argyro


    Diving Bell Spider


    Level 10


    Suta placed his hand on Owin¡¯s arm. ¡°Mine.¡±


    ¡°Let him work out some frustrations,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The spider kicked up sand as it rotated. Its long, spindly legs stayed out far to the side as its mouth quivered.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Owin said.


    Suta walked right up to the boss. It stabbed with a leg as soon as he was in range, but the familiar deftly brushed it aside. When he was closer, Argyro lurched forward to bite. Suta¡¯s fist flashed out as he jabbed, catching the spider in the center of the face.


    ¡°That¡¯s decent experience,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Argyro fell to the ground, spilling blood from the hole in its face.


    ¡°You get experience for Suta¡¯s kills?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s an extension of me.¡± Mysrvai limped forward. His prosthetic leg hadn¡¯t been an issue before, but it was slipping in the sand. He muttered something and leaned against the rock. ¡°Go ahead and open the chest.¡±


    ¡°Suta killed him. He can open it.¡±


    ¡°No, Owin. Go ahead.¡±


    He looked back at the corpse of Argyro. It was obvious he was stronger, but he wondered if he could¡¯ve even killed the spider in a single punch. Suta didn¡¯t seem to think much of it because he walked along the boundary wall with his hand dragging over the barrier.


    ¡°Thanks for getting me out of the way,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Spider wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Probably not. It still helped.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Owin walked over to the chest. It was the same chest he had seen by Baby Head and Chaeta. He flipped it open and found a pile of dungeon gold. ¡°It¡¯s just gold.¡±


    Suta scooped it up, carried it over, and dropped it all into Myrsvai¡¯s bag.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re holding onto the gold,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. A lighter bag will help me jump around more.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Owin. Your bag is already full of potions.¡±


    It was about as full as it could be to fit all of Miya¡¯s health and mana potions. Myrsvai had taken about half, and Vondaire took a few even though they hadn¡¯t been directly offered to him.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Myrsvai stood in the passage, under the shade of the coral, and looked out at the reef. ¡°What else do you want to do on this floor?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to fight the wandering boss, but first I want to find the secret.¡±


    Myrsvai leaned on his staff to peek around the edge of the nearby rocks. ¡°And how does one find a secret? Plenty know of their existence, but that does not mean they can find an entrance.¡±


    Owin closed the chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re still here when Void Nexus arrives, we should be ready for a fight.¡±


    Owin joined the magus and watched fish swim about the reef. Thinking about the mobs in the floors below made the fish seem so small and harmless. The cetanthro were big, angry creatures compared to the regular fish swimming about.


    Suta snatched a fish out of the water and bit its head off.


    ¡°I can find it.¡± He led the way back into the coral reef and followed the right path, continuing through the unexplored areas. A little crevice covered in shadows caught his eye. Not as a secret, but as an obvious ambush location. ¡°Suta, there¡¯s an eel in there.¡±


    Suta nodded and walked right up to the hole. Before he got too close, an eel lunged out and was caught by the face, unable to even open its mouth. Suta turned, holding up the eel. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Kill it,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°You know this.¡±


    Suta grabbed the tail of the eel and tore it in half.


    ¡°A simple spell would¡¯ve been enough.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡±


    ¡°As we walk, Owin, what was that about Artivan?¡±


    Owin waved him on. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about the Sovereign One and the Doomed Harbinger.¡±


    Myrsvai and Suta listened closely to Owin¡¯s story as they walked. Myrsvai had already heard the main story about Artivan back when Owin had first joined the Nimble Hogs, so there wasn¡¯t too much information to share. They discussed the possibility of Artivan¡¯s survival as they cleared more of the map, looping back to the entrance before running into Amkati.


    Owin leaned against a mossy boulder with his index open. They had swerved through the coral reef, making a small loop back to the chest guardian. If they went back the way they just came, they would eventually end up in new areas that Owin had yet to see. If they went to the other side of the floor, they would follow Ernie¡¯s preferred path.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow the path I went last time. There are only two places I haven¡¯t really seen. One of them is a snail that Ernie didn¡¯t let me fight.¡±


    Myrsvai opened his own map. ¡°Do you have an idea where this secret might be? I would like to see them for myself as well, but I¡¯m unfamiliar with any in the Ocean.¡±


    ¡°I thought it might be by the snail.¡±


    ¡°Suta, what do you think? Insight or summon?¡±


    Suta climbed on top of a mossy rock and over a piece of coral. ¡°Summon.¡±


    ¡°Summon what?¡± Owin looked between the two. ¡°Isn¡¯t Suta summoned?¡±


    ¡°Certainly is.¡± Myrsvai waved his staff through the water. ¡°I am uncertain about summoning a demon into the Ocean. They certainly won¡¯t enjoy the water.¡±


    ¡°Suta doesn¡¯t seem bothered.¡±


    ¡°The difference is that Suta is an abyssal familiar. He is part of me combined with demonic qualities, though he is not a demon. With Repeated Summoning, I can have Suta in our world and pull a demon from the Abyss.¡± Myrsvai raised his staff. Abyssal fire spun around the wood and engulfed Myrsvai¡¯s gauntlet. The water did nothing to suppress the colorful flames. As soon as he hit the butt of the staff on the sand, a circle of the same fire appeared a foot in front of Owin.


    ¡°There are different types of demons. The one I am hoping to find is an old ally who can assist our search.¡±


    A black hole that looked like the void nexus doorways formed in the center of the circle. A red hand reached out and clawed at the sand. A second, then third, fourth, and fifth hand appeared and pulled the demon from the portal. As soon as its long, pointed tail emerged, the portal closed and the flames vanished.


    The demon was about eight feet tall with two hairy, hoofed feet. On its left side, it had three arms connected at the shoulder. On its right, it had an arm that split at the elbow into two separate hands, each one bigger than any on its left. It kicked at the sand and looked down at Owin. On its back, between its folded wings, was a massive double sided axe. On its hip were three identical swords, all sheathed a clump.


    Master Demon


    Thalgodin - 70% Manifested


    Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion


    Level 50


    ¡°Is this why you¡¯ve dragged me from my home, Myrsvai?¡± The demon¡¯s voice was deep and loud, even in the water.


    ¡°No. This is our party member, Owin.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Thalgodin reached back with his right arm and grabbed the axe with both hands. He looked about with a scowl. ¡°The Ocean Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We need your assistance.¡±


    Thalgodin glanced once more at Owin before walking back to Myrsvai. Suta hopped off the coral and landed gently beside the demon, who didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°Assistance without an enemy to fight? It has been nearly a year since you last summoned me. Yet, my kin have tainted your familiar.¡±


    ¡°Tainted?¡± Suta put up his arms, ready to fight.


    Thalgodin dropped to one knee and placed all three hands on top of Suta¡¯s head, stacked atop one another. Abyssal flames flowed over his hands like lava, fully covering Suta.


    Owin felt the urge to dive in and disrupt whatever was happening, but both Suta and Myrsvai were incredibly calm. The power of whatever was happening caused the water to shake and swirl, forming a sort of whirlpool.


    By the time Thalgodin moved his hands, Suta glowed with the same shining color of the flames. It soon faded from his skin, leaving only his eyes shining.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Thalgodin glanced at Owin. ¡°Empowered him.¡±


    ¡°Familiars can be enhanced by other creatures,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°If I was an elemental magus, I could bring Suta to the Tundra or the Subterranean dungeons to find ice or fire elementals to assist, or I could summon an elemental that would add its own power to his. In this case, Thalgodin and Suta are well acquainted.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the Malignant Spirit?¡± Owin asked.


    All three turned to him like he was an idiot. He had hoped that would happen less with higher intelligence and wisdom, though some things never seemed to change.


    ¡°Yes. Baron of the Soundless Forest. A Lord of the Abyss.¡± Thalgodin¡¯s axe glowed with red energy. ¡°What is it you need, Myrsvai?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a secret.¡±


    The demon nodded slowly. Its huge horns cut through the water. ¡°I know of the secrets. The three of us should find a hint with ease. Can the goblin assist?¡±


    ¡°Not with this.¡±


    Owin frowned.


    ¡°Let us hunt.¡±


    The energy from his axe shot like bolts from a wand into Suta and Myrsvai. Their eyes took on the same red, shining brighter than he had seen them before. Suta¡¯s eyes were a spiral of colors.


    Suta hurried past and grabbed Owin¡¯s arm, dragging him along. They passed into the narrow area where Owin had first run into a gnarled moray. Suta ran past it quickly enough that the mob completely missed. Thalgodin brought his axe down in a quick swipe that cut the eel in half.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Something I wouldn¡¯t normally notice. Thalgodin is a neural demon from the Plains of Awakening. There is nothing with better vision than him and his kin.¡± Myrsvai lagged behind, still struggling a bit to walk on the sand.


    Thalgodin and Suta looked in opposite directions from each other. Even as they swung their heads about, they were in sync, always keeping both sides covered.


    Owin walked beside Myrsvai, matching the magus¡¯s pace. Myrsvai was also looking around, but seemed less intense compared to the demon and Suta.


    ¡°I feel useless right now,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I may have summoned both, but they are capable of far more than I am. Our times will come.¡±


    They continued around a huge rock, past more coral and schools of fish. The sun shone through the surface of the ocean, giving them plenty of light when the plants weren¡¯t growing overhead. Ahead was a mountain Owin recognized from his previous trip. He had passed it, and there was another gnarled moray hidden around the side.


    Thalgodin stopped and pointed his axe at the mountain. ¡°This is a cathkabel fortress.¡±


    ¡°The secret is a cathkabel fortress?¡± Myrsvai walked past the demon, right up to the edge of the mountain. Coral, leafy plants, and moss grew all over, hiding whatever might lie underneath. He reached his staff through and tapped, hitting something made of metal.


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret?¡± Owin swore it had just been a big mound of stone. Even the map showed it as stone and plants, though the map didn¡¯t really reveal the labyrinth either back in the Great Forest. ¡°Where¡¯s the door?¡±


    Suta grabbed a small boulder and moved it aside. At the same time, Thalgodin chopped through a piece of coral. As it fell, the black doorway leading into the secret became visible. It was small enough that the demon would have to duck. Even someone like Artivan would have been too tall.


    ¡°I guess we found it,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Ready?¡±


    Owin led the way, confidently stepping through another dark doorway.

 Book 3 - Chapter 6

    Sound rushed in as he stumbled onto a stone floor. There was no water inside the secret, making the torches burning all over the room sound like something roaring. Myrsvai, Thalgodin, and Suta all appeared right behind Owin.


    Thalgodin sniffed loudly. ¡°Cathkabel are here.¡±


    ¡°Let me eat them before they die,¡± Owin said.


    Thalgodin nodded slowly. ¡°I like this one, Myrsvai.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll eat a demon too.¡±


    Thalgodin grinned. ¡°A true demon himself then.¡±


    Owin scratched his head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a goblin.¡± His hair was still wet, so he shook it out, sending droplets across Suta¡¯s face, who was suddenly standing very close.


    ¡°Following,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Am I leading?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°None of us are familiar with this fortress, so it won¡¯t matter who leads. If you are willing, you can,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The entrance was in a long, rectangular room. There were doors on every wall, with the exit back to the first floor directly behind them. Ahead was a metal gate that Owin approached. He grabbed the bars and looked out across a vast endless pit. On the opposite end, very far away, was a grand doorway with shining luminous light beyond.


    ¡°Won¡¯t luminous also hurt all of you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It will with Suta and Thalgodin. Abyssal magi aren¡¯t demons ourselves.¡± Myrsvai stood beside Owin and looked into the pit. ¡°Reminds me of the doorways. I wonder if one fell, would they reappear where they were before or would they die?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to find out.¡±


    ¡°No. Neither do I. Lead on, Owin. Our friends are ready to follow you.¡±


    Thalgodin and Suta had followed Owin to the gate, but remained a few feet back. He watched them for a second before drawing the lich bone knife. ¡°Oh. I can¡¯t use this. It¡¯ll shatter from luminous damage.¡±


    Thalgodin drew one of his three longswords and held it out. ¡°Can you use this?¡±


    Owin swung it a few times. The extra size didn¡¯t make it all that heavy, especially as he had grown used to the Thunderstrike Maul and had used greatswords in the past. It was a narrow blade, but if a demon used it, it had to be strong.


    Adept Magical Item


    Longsword of Dispel


    The Longsword of Dispel causes a neural disruption upon dealing damage to a given entity.


    Note: An attack to the brain may cause failure and death of the target


    Note: Golems, constructs, specters, and undead are immune to neural disruption


    ¡°You don¡¯t need this?¡± Owin asked.


    Thalgodin drew his other two swords, then formed his third hand into a fist. ¡°I will make this work. If Myrsvai unsummons me, the weapon will vanish.¡±


    ¡°So this is temporary?¡±


    Thalgodin nodded.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Owin tested the weapon a few more times before deciding he could wield it fine.


    The doors leading to the left or right of the entrance looked identical. Each was a great gray slab of stone that would need to be forced open. Owin walked left and forced the door open with one hand. It was heavy, but far from too heavy for his strength. The next room beyond looked almost the same as the last, though the stone was a lighter gray and an open door sat on the far end of the right wall. Ten columns lined the room, guiding Owin to the cathkabel standing at the far end.


    Ocean Mob


    Cathkabel Fortress Guard


    Level 8


    ¡°I thought all cathkabel had names,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°The lowest levels of demons and cathkabel are mobs like anything else,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Elysium would not waste its time naming fodder. The Lords do the same. Only those of us who prove ourselves are named,¡± Thalgodin said.


    The cathkabel slouched against the far wall with its head buried in a book. It had the same white, damp looking skin as Graliel with the same oversized silver eyes. It wore a skin tight suit and bulky boots without any obvious weapons on its hips or back.


    Owin approached slowly with the party following a few steps behind. A feast of cathkabel would help his wisdom climb higher, but he didn¡¯t want to give the mob room to harm Thalgodin or Suta. Owin stopped just in front of the cathkabel and gently set his longsword on the ground.


    The cathkabel looked up from its book. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you meant to be guarding the fortress?¡±


    The cathkabel nodded. He blinked and finally took in his surroundings, noticing the two demons and Myrsvai, who had demonic eyes. ¡°Oh.¡± He dropped the book and reached for something behind his back.


    Owin leapt, crashing into the cathkabel with his new speed. The mob¡¯s head smashed against the stone wall from the impact, splattering brains and silver blood.


    0 Experience


    They crashed onto the floor, spilling more silver blood across the stone. Owin quickly ripped apart pieces of the cathkabel and ate. It took a full arm¡¯s worth before his wisdom bumped up.


    Wisdom +15


    Wisdom: 129


    ¡°That was much worse than I had expected,¡± Myrsvai said as Owin wiped cathkabel blood from his face.


    There was still plenty of cathkabel left to eat, but Owin figured he had spent enough time and it would be good to move on. Thalgodin simply watched, amused, and handed Owin the sword again before they set off.


    The next room appeared normal, except for a glowing blue crystal on the far side. It was placed into the wall right beside the door and had small blue lines spreading out through the bricks. It was the same type of crystal he had seen back in the labyrinth.


    ¡°It¡¯s powering something,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Perhaps it is because this is a first floor secret, but . . .¡± Myrsvai walked through the doorway and used his staff to gesture at the nearest column. A blue line ran down it and disappeared into the floor.


    The floor was separated into six tiles across, only interrupted by the massive columns. Not all tiles had a blue line running to them, but each section had at least two. Owin followed the blue lines, finding the two center tiles to be trapped. He hopped right over and easily landed on the next section.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What do you think it does?¡± Owin asked.


    Myrsvai reached forward with the butt of his staff and pressed on a tile. Luminous fire shot into the air, magically appearing from within the tile. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have felt good.¡±


    Thalgodin, as tall as he was, effortlessly stepped over the trapped tiles. Suta moved to hop over, then hesitated, looking back at Myrsvai.


    ¡°I will catch up once the power is removed,¡± the magus said.


    Suta nodded and jumped, joining Owin and Thalgodin. It wasn¡¯t as big of a room as the others, so Owin moved through quickly, checking the blue lines before jumping. He landed gently each time.


    The trapped tiles changed each row from the center to the outside, until the final row where all six tiles were trapped. Owin effortlessly hopped over and looked up at the mana crystal. It was embedded into the wall about six feet up. Before he could jump to grab it, Thalgodin ripped it from the wall and held it out to Owin. Before long, Myrsvai joined them.


    ¡°This already feels bigger than any secret I¡¯ve been in before,¡± Owin said.


    Suta peeked into the next room.


    ¡°Hey!¡± someone shouted.


    ¡°Punch?¡±


    Owin leaned through the door and saw a cathkabel running. It was another level 8. With how much he had to consume to even get wisdom when they were so weak, it didn¡¯t feel worth the time. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Suta sprinted through the door and lunged, catching the cathkabel halfway down the hall. He punched its head clean off and landed in a splatter of silver blood.


    ¡°The quest on the second floor involves a cathkabel city. Do you think there is a connection?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The gods have their favored mobs. Ruvaine built countless things to the Abyss, and it appears Sloswen focused on the cathkabel and Elysium.¡± Myrsvai walked into the next room and waved Owin on. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say what the gods intended, but cathkabel and demons remember things unlike other mobs. I¡¯ve summoned Thalgodin . . . how many times?¡±


    ¡°Eleven.¡± Thalgodin crushed the cathkabel corpse under his hooves. His footsteps left silver prints down the hall to where Suta was also dripping cathkabel blood.


    The next room was a short hallway, no more than twenty feet long. Myrsvai stood in the doorway, leaning on his staff as he examined the room.


    ¡°There¡¯s certainly another trap.¡± He adjusted his stance, causing his prosthetic leg to thump.


    Owin peered into the room. ¡°It looks like a plain hall. There isn¡¯t a mana crystal.¡±


    ¡°So far, the rooms have gone cathkabel, trap, cathkabel. What would come next in the pattern?¡±


    ¡°Trap. How do we test it?¡±


    ¡°It would certainly help if we knew what type of trap it held. Different traps have different triggers after all.¡±


    ¡°Scoot aside.¡± Owin handed his sword back to Thalgodin. He hadn¡¯t even used it yet, but everything was so weak on the first floor that he could just use his hands if he needed to. Still, it was nice to know he had access to a weapon if he needed it.


    As soon as Myrsvai stepped aside, Owin walked back, then sprinted and jumped across the entire room. As he soared, spikes shot up from the ground, splashing poison onto the ceiling. Owin passed through the opposite door, hit the ground, skidded, and gently bumped into the wall.


    ¡°Spikes,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai walked into the room, signaling for the others to follow him. He followed a path beside the spikes. Each trap shot up right beside him, missing by a hair each time. He weaved his way through and nodded to Owin as he entered the next room.


    ¡°Your pattern is wrong,¡± Owin said. The next door was directly beside him, but the room extended the opposite direction. Columns identical to those in previous rooms lined the sides, surrounding a well in the center. A potion sat right on the lip of the well, which felt like an obvious trap. They could easily use the door to the side and enter the next room instead.


    ¡°It seems it is,¡± Myrsvai said. He leaned on the wall and watched the well. ¡°There is something suspicious about that, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin watched the way Myrsvai put his weight on his leg. He relied on his staff for walking more than he had for magic, though he had also used it as a medium for summoning both times Owin had seen it.


    ¡°Who is willing to check the potion?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡± Owin asked.


    Myrsvai glanced at Owin before nodding to the well. ¡°We have seen luminous fire, spikes, and cathkabel mobs. A trap could contain any or all, so we should be cautious. I believe¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep going if there is something wrong. I see how you¡¯re shifting your weight and you are always behind everyone else.¡± Owin gestured to the metal leg. ¡°Is it the prosthetic?¡±


    Myrsvai shifted his weight. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. Go fetch the bottle.¡±


    ¡°Pity? It¡¯s dangerous for both of us if you can¡¯t walk. If fire shot from the wall right now, would you be fast enough to dodge it or would Suta have to drag your corpse out of the dungeon?¡± Owin clenched his jaw as soon as he said it.


    Suta slumped and took a step closer to Myrsvai.


    Myrsvai¡¯s eyes flared as magenta flames spun around the top of his staff. ¡°You little cretin.¡± His voice was quiet. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m some useless child?¡±


    ¡°We can leave the secret and go straight to the exit. Ernie can fix your leg and we can come right back.¡± Owin moved toward the door they had just come from, but Myrsvai blocked his way.


    ¡°I can climb this dungeon with a single leg.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You know you can¡¯t. You have been through the dungeons more than me and I know that you need to move faster than what you¡¯re doing now. Let¡¯s go before anyone gets hurt.¡±


    Myrsvai used the butt of his staff to push Owin back. There wasn¡¯t much strength behind the move, but Owin still let it force him back a step.


    Owin pointed to the well. ¡°Then go grab the potion if everything is fine.¡±


    Myrsvai, as expected, didn¡¯t move. He glared at Owin with his glowing, demonic eyes.


    Suta tugged on Myrsvai¡¯s pants, drawing the magus¡¯s attention. ¡°Owin is friend.¡±


    Myrsvai seemed to consider for a moment before the magic faded from his staff. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Suta shook his head slowly and tugged on Myrsvai¡¯s pants again, causing the magus to sigh.


    ¡°Something is wrong with my prosthetic. It¡¯s not bending or reacting properly. It will slow me down, though it doesn¡¯t make me less strong. These prosthetics are meant to react how a limb normally would, but mine is old and possibly in disrepair.¡± Myrsvai continued looking at Suta as he spoke.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s wrong?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°A connection must have severed, though I couldn¡¯t guess how. It''s an alchemist''s creation, and their ways are a mystery to me.¡± Myrsvai leaned on his leg and tried to move the prosthetic. It bent part way, then locked and stuttered. ¡°Althowin would not allow her apprentices to help me. Despite what you¡¯ve heard, I¡¯m far from famous enough to work with the likes of Althowin or her apprentices.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to fix it here?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°We are going to finish the secret, then we can decide what we¡¯re doing,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I will not leave, so if you flee, you are on your own. There are options we can work with when we are finished here. Suta, would you like to grab that potion?¡±


    Owin grabbed Suta¡¯s shoulder before the familiar could sprint ahead. ¡°If there are any luminous traps, they could really hurt you. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re weak. I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this if I thought you were. I don¡¯t want my friends to get hurt.¡±


    Myrsvai gave an almost imperceptible nod. Thalgodin leaned on the wall beside Myrsvai and spoke quietly. Owin gave them a look before walking to the well. He hopped onto the ledge and looked into the black depths. It was a health potion, which felt questionable, but Owin snatched it anyway. As soon as the potion moved, the well trembled.


    Owin dove off the side and landed just as luminous fire exploded from the center of the well. It hit the ceiling and cascaded across the room. A few points of damage ticked down until Owin joined the others, out of the fire¡¯s range.


    ¡°Appreciate the thought,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°That could have caused permanent damage to Suta.¡±


    Suta patted Owin¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Here.¡± Owin put the health potion in Myrsvai¡¯s bag. ¡°I already have enough.¡± Before Myrsvai could reply, Owin strode right into the next room. It was another long hallway with columns running down both sides. As soon as he stepped foot in the room, luminous fire spewed from traps, filling the center of the room. Owin walked back and looked along the wall, behind the columns.


    He sidled along the wall slowly, waiting for a trap to spring, but nothing happened. He easily walked between the wall and the row of columns until he reached the door about a hundred feet down.


    Myrsvai, Suta, and Thalgodin all stood at the entrance.


    ¡°I promise it¡¯s safe,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I trust the child,¡± Thalgodin said. He barely fit between the wall and the columns, but that didn¡¯t stop him as he hurried down and stood in the next doorway. ¡°This cathkabel is another weakling. May I?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Owin said. He backed up to watch as Suta and Myrsvai followed the path to join Owin.


    Thalgodin walked right down the center of the hall. The cathkabel noticed him immediately and sprinted. It drew a sword from its waist, but before it could swing, Thalgodin¡¯s wings unfolded and beat once, sending the demon straight down the long hallway. His split arm swung the greataxe with such force that it cracked the stone floor after he chopped the cathkabel from head to toe in a single swing.


    Owin joined Thalgodin and chewed on a piece of cathkabel while watching the next room. Myrsvai and Suta waited behind, doing their own analysis of the next room. It was another hall with more columns. The only difference from previous rooms were the four doors on the right wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sprint all the way down. If a trap triggers, I should move fast enough to dodge it,¡± Owin said. ¡°Then we can check the doors.¡±


    ¡°This strategy has flaws,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Owin didn¡¯t wait for another word and sprinted between the columns. Nothing had happened by the time he reached the other wall, so he jogged back. ¡°No traps.¡±


    ¡°It appears so.¡± Myrsvai walked into the room, hesitated, then approached the first door, just a few feet inside the hallway. ¡°We can check them in order. Be prepared for anything.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 7

    The cathkabel inside had no time to react as Owin punched straight through its head, splattering blood across the stone columns and the wooden chest nestled in between. He picked up the body and tossed it to the side, allowing Thalgodin to approach the chest. The demon ran his three free hands over the surface.


    ¡°Cathkabel treasure. What lies inside?¡± He flipped it open and barely moved aside as a spinning blade swung out of the front. Luminous fire spewed from a jet on the lid, brushing Thalgodin¡¯s shoulder. The demon lifted his three arms, pulling the bottom one close to his chest. Blood dripped from his fourth and fifth fingers, which had been chopped in half.


    ¡°A trick,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Do you need to return?¡±


    Thalgodin leaned his double bladed axe against the column and patted the luminous fire out on his shoulder. The skin was bubbled and warped, but it had stopped on the strap of his breastplate. ¡°I am fine.¡± He looked into the chest without stepping in front again. ¡°A true and lowly trick.¡±


    Owin inched close to the chest until he was certain it wasn¡¯t going to activate again. He leaned over and looked into the empty container. ¡°Will you regrow your fingers when you go back?¡±


    ¡°Consuming another demon will regenerate some injuries, though I cannot be certain it will return lost fingers.¡± Thalgodin checked his shoulder, then grabbed the double bladed axe once again. ¡°It will hardly stop me from slaying cathkabel.¡± He marched back into the hallway.


    ¡°You summoned him to help find the secret, right?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That and more. Another body may be important in swaying those Void Nexus heroes from attacking again. Do you trust them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not strong enough to matter.¡±


    Myrsvai looked down at Suta, who was standing directly at his side. ¡°That¡¯s what we had thought too.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Underestimating isn¡¯t going to help us. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to bother us.¡± Although Owin had his own plan for the Void Nexus heroes. ¡°If he¡¯s hurt, you should send him home. We can handle Siora and Nikoletta.¡±


    ¡°A neural demon can manage minor injuries. Thalgodin wants to be here. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Myrsvai tried bending the prosthetic leg, causing it to squeak.


    ¡°Is this your first time in a dungeon after getting that leg?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Myrsvai gently bumped Suta with his staff. ¡°Let me keep my secrets.¡±


    ¡°Not from Owin.¡± Suta shifted to stand beside Owin. He crossed his arms and looked up at Myrsvai with little beady red eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s our first time in a dungeon since the incident.¡±


    That had been obvious. Myrsvai was too awe-struck to have been frequenting dungeons. And with how famous he had apparently been, his level was too low to be intimidating. Chorsay, Veph, Ernie, Katalin, and even Vondaire were all higher levels than Mrysvai.


    ¡°If we get an option to choose a reward, I am sure we can find a leg replacement. Or something to help,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I would be better off summoning Poti.¡±


    Owin tilted his head. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Potirantoma, a schemer demon.¡±


    Owin nodded slowly as if he understood. ¡°We should catch up with Thalgodin first so he doesn¡¯t lose more fingers. I really think we can find loot that will help your leg.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Owin. We¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Thalgodin was waiting at the next door. ¡°Only a chest at the far end. No traps, as far as my eyes can see.¡±


    ¡°Trap,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Based on the last one, that is a fair guess.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff. ¡°I can hit it with Abyssal Blast.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your staff has?¡± Owin looked at the wooden hand holding a red gem atop the staff. It looked too impressive to use something weak. ¡°What is that, Power 1?¡±


    ¡°Power 3, actually,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Though no, this staff is unique. I can use it to cast my spells.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin pointed his hand and shot a Bolt that hit the chest. ¡°That¡¯s probably a better use of mana.¡±


    ¡°That chest has teeth,¡± Thalgodin said.


    Everyone turned their attention back to the wooden chest, which quivered and drooled.


    ¡°A mimic chest,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I had read about them before, though I had never seen one.¡±


    ¡°Are they used in alchemy? Can I eat it?¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Consider killing it first.¡± Thalgodin stepped into the room with his axe raised.


    Owin followed the demon inside, watching the chest shake a little. There was a scorch mark where Owin¡¯s spell had hit, though the damage looked minimal. Examine brought no information.


    ¡°Let them handle it,¡± Myrsvai said after Suta whispered something to the magus.


    Owin stayed right at Thalgodin¡¯s side. He didn¡¯t want to let the demon get hurt again, though Thalgodin had hardly reacted to losing fingers.


    ¡°What type of enemy are mimics?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°They are their own species. A mimic can appear as nearly any object. They are most commonly seen on the mansion floor of the Fortress Dungeon,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I am curious to see how this one will attack.¡±


    Thalgodin stopped two feet before the creature, who had stopped moving once again. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too big to be scared of a chest.¡± Owin watched blood drip from his missing fingers. ¡°Sorry. It can be my turn.¡±


    Owin drew the lich bone knife and took a big step. Two massive white eyes opened on top of the mimic. They went cross-eyed as they swung inward to look at Owin. The top of the chest popped open, revealing a massive mouth with three rows of fangs. A tongue lashed out, spewing hot spit.


    Owin ducked and slashed the tongue in half. Before he could recover to follow up the attack, Thalgodin brought his axe down, cleaving the chest in two. The mimic went still and oozed clear blood.


    ¡°From what I understand, the tongue is edible and provides a small boost. There may be an actual alchemical use, though I believe that just makes it more palatable.¡± Myrsvai leaned over the chest. He poked it a few times with his staff. ¡°Fascinating creatures.¡±


    Suta picked up the tongue Owin had severed and held it out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Suta.¡±


    The familiar once again held it out, shaking the tongue in front of Owin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Owin took the tongue and shoved it in his mouth. It was incredibly chewy and was hot enough that it felt like it had just been cooked.


    Charisma +10


    Charisma: 160


    ¡°Charisma? Really?¡±


    ¡°Tricking others is a function of charisma, though that isn¡¯t normally how it¡¯s done.¡± Myrsvai hadn¡¯t stopped watching Owin. ¡°How did it taste?¡±


    ¡°Bad. Chewy.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded as if he had known. ¡°Would drinking a potion version be preferable?¡±


    ¡°That also sounds horrible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Thalgodin picked up half the mimic and tossed it aside. It dropped some gold, which he picked up and passed to Myrsvai. ¡°Two more doors. I smell cathkabel.¡±


    They followed the demon to the next door, only to find another identical room with a single cathkabel and a pit with a grate over it in the center. He was ready for them, though he lasted less than a second as Thalgodin ripped him in half.


    They all stood over the pit and looked down.


    ¡°It looks almost as if you would fall to the Abyss,¡± Thalgodin said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way to find out, but I feel like you would just die,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°If I tossed you in, I wouldn¡¯t know what happened.¡± The demon reached all three hands over and faked pushing Owin forward.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you use your wings to fly out if you fell inside?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Thalgodin walked right out of the room.


    ¡°Did I make him angry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Myrsvai watched Thalgodin round the corner. ¡°Maybe. A point of insecurity, I guess.¡±


    ¡°The next door leads to a hall. I smell cathkabel,¡± Thalgodin called.


    Suta calmly left the room, following the demon through the next doorway.


    ¡°Why do you think there was another door on the other side?¡± Owin asked. They had already been through thirteen rooms and still weren¡¯t at the end of the secret. ¡°Artivan didn¡¯t mind skipping rooms when he thought they were too dangerous, but I don¡¯t like missing things.¡±


    ¡°I know less about secrets than you do. If this is as big as it looked from outside, there is likely an entire other half on the opposite end.¡± Myrsvai guided Owin out of the room and through the next door into a hallway. Thalgodin and Suta stood around the next corner, behind the room they were just in. Thin alleys filled the space between the three rooms they had just entered.


    ¡°Gray foot,¡± Suta said, pointing down the alley.


    Luminous flames shot out at intervals, filling the alley with bright fire. Owin had to duck a little to see the object lying at the far end of the hall. A gray, fuzzy-looking, skeletal foot.


    ¡°Oh. I need that. I need that really badly.¡± Owin bounced a little. ¡°That¡¯s what I need the most.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The luminous flames receded. Owin sprinted down the alley faster than he had expected. He crashed into the stone wall and bounced back just as the flames came back to life. He fell onto his back, staring up at the raging fire inches from his face. Its heat was comforting rather than painful, as luminous fire worked differently than regular fire.


    ¡°Owin okay?¡± Suta asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just waiting.¡±


    Suta laid flat and crawled over to Owin. ¡°Foot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab it when the fire is done. This is dangerous for you.¡±


    Suta patted Owin¡¯s arm as if comforting him.


    The flames shrunk back to little pilot lights on the wall. Owin sat up, grabbed the foot and Suta¡¯s arm, and ran back down the alley. As soon as Owin was back in the hallway, he pulled his bag from his shoulder and grabbed the other pieces.


    Bone of the Withered Shade


    3 of 50


    Journal Updated


    He set all three pieces together and waited for a moment. Nothing happened. ¡°Wait a second.¡± Owin opened his journal and found a new spell.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    He noted the spell and read the new entry. ¡®The Withered Shade is a ceaseless phantom, appearing in all seven of the world dungeons. To summon the shade, activate the spell. More pieces will add substance and power to the Withered One.¡¯


    Owin gathered the pieces and put them into his bag. The spell didn¡¯t disappear. He hoped he could summon it without taking the bones out of his bag. If it appeared inside, it might break his potions or rip the bag.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more later. I can summon something, but I think it¡¯s undead, and I don¡¯t want a cathkabel to kill it.¡±


    ¡°Then we shall rip them to shreds.¡± Thalgodin lifted his battle axe triumphantly.


    ¡°I rip,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°The next prey is yours, Suta.¡±


    Owin ignored the demon and checked the next alley. It had the same luminous fire trap. At the end of this alley was a blue sphere, similar to the one he had seen on the fourth floor of the Ocean with Ernie and Katalin.


    ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It appears to be a crystal ball. They can be used as a spellcasting medium, though I need my staff. It could be worth a bit to the right wizard or magus.¡±


    As he watched, the fire didn¡¯t grow or shrink. It stayed a constant small flame close to the wall. Owin inched closer. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason not to get it.¡±


    ¡°I am following your lead, Owin.¡±


    Owin took a step into the alley, and immediately jumped back as the fire erupted, splashing against the opposite wall. ¡°That makes it difficult.¡±


    Suta flattened himself on the floor and mimicked the crawling he had done earlier.


    ¡°Do you think it will be that easy?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    It was. Owin crawled all the way to the crystal ball. It sat on a little ring of stone to prevent any rolling. When he turned around, he rolled it down the alley, then crawled back, joining the others. Suta held the crystal ball, turning it over in his clawed hands.


    ¡°You could use that,¡± Myrsvai said to the familiar.


    Suta opened Owin¡¯s bag and shoved it inside, though it barely fit.


    ¡°It was worth a try,¡± Myrsvai said quietly as Thalgodin impatiently moved through the next door. It was an empty room with an open archway that led directly to the next room with a cathkabel.


    ¡°Intruders this far in?¡± the cathkabel asked. He raised his hand and summoned an axe made of luminous light. ¡°Demons. I should have known.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Owin pushed past Thalgodin and Suta. The cathkabel froze mid step upon spotting Owin.


    ¡°You¡¯re no demon.¡± The cathkabel squinted its oversized eyes. ¡°Purple hair? I believe I¡¯ve heard of you. Have you, by any chance, eaten cathkabel before?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Owin shook his head. ¡°Not me. What¡¯s through that next door?¡±


    ¡°Why would I tell intruders what¡¯s ahead?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to intrude further if there¡¯s nothing over there.¡±


    The cathkabel looked over its shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± It grinned. ¡°You¡¯re already going the wrong¡ª¡±


    Thalgodin chopped its head off before it could say another word. Silver blood splattered across the walls. ¡°I heard enough.¡±


    ¡°I think it was about to tell us we went the wrong way,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Confusion,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Suta¡¯s right. It could just be an attempt to get us to turn around. Push on.¡±


    Thalgodin opened the next door and strode right through, down the hall, around the turn, and into the next room. As he opened it, he ducked. Multiple red beams flew overhead, burning holes into the demon¡¯s wings.


    Suta and Owin both sprinted, easily passing to the sides of Thalgodin. Three ocular mobs floated. Red energy raged inside the little eyes. Each ocular was about a foot tall, making them significantly smaller than the ocular guard Owin had fought back in the Great Forest.


    The eyes each tracked someone separate, with one following Owin. Before he could take more than two steps into the room, the eye shot another blast. It struck his chitin pauldron, which deflected the blast into the wall. One more step and Owin jumped, driving the lich bone knife right into the eye. He grabbed the mob with his other hand and tore the corpse open as he landed, ripping the ocular heart from its core.


    Suta, who had just killed his own, watched Owin then did the same. He tossed the ocular heart to Owin, who caught it. He stared at the little glass-like gem between his fingers, more amazed at his ability to catch than at the ease of killing so many of the mobs.


    Thalgodin grabbed the last ocular and slammed it into the wall, splattering it.


    Myrsvai walked into the room and analyzed the carnage. ¡°This is quite the strategy.¡±


    Owin harvested the heart from the third ocular before pushing open the next door. Two more small eyes floated in the long hallway.


    Ocean Mob


    Ocular Swarmer


    Level 8


    Owin stepped aside as a laser left the swarmer¡¯s pupil. The second fired, catching Owin in the chest, but his chitin armor held strong. Owin sprinted, jumped, stabbed the first, landed and took another beam to the chest. He was in the air killing the second before anyone else could come to assist. He had collected five ocular hearts, which would be a little intelligence buff later.


    Beside Owin was an open archway to the next room. He carefully leaned in, spotting a giant ocular mob embedded into the wall. Sinew surrounded the eye like spiderwebs, keeping it attached to the stone.


    Ocean Mob


    Ocular Lord


    Level 12


    The eye shifted to Owin. Red energy whorled inside. Owin pulled his head out and waited for each one of his party to do the same.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one like that,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°These eyes are of no interest to me,¡± Thalgodin said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find more cathkabel,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Let me handle this one.¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t come here for Owin to fight everything. If we¡¯re getting a shard, I will need to fight. You can¡¯t handle every mob, Suta.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index appeared. ¡°I¡¯m not as familiar with ocular mobs as I would hope to be. We should have asked Potilia for more information about all Ocean mobs before we left.¡±


    ¡°Potilia knows about ocular?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Potilia knows more about every mob than anyone else I¡¯ve ever met. What do you think she¡¯s reading every day?¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°Even with your intelligence over 200?¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index vanished. ¡°I suppose you still need to learn. It would be easy for you to learn with your new attributes.¡± Myrsvai stepped into the room, pointed his staff, and unleashed a barrage of Abyssal fire.


    Suta flinched as the spell left the staff.


    Owin leaned in and found nothing but scorched ocular remains. ¡°Wow.¡± He ran up to it and searched for the heart, but even that had been melted under Myrsvai¡¯s assault.


    ¡°It looked stronger than it was.¡± Myrsvai poked the remains with his staff. ¡°It felt good to use a spell, actually. I believe I have only summoned for . . . some time.¡±


    ¡°Injured?¡± Suta asked. He rushed to Myrsvai¡¯s side and checked his arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Suta. You know I can do this.¡±


    Suta stared silently at Myrsvai, which elicited a sigh from the magus.


    ¡°Stay close, if you insist.¡±


    Suta positioned himself directly in front of Myrsvai.


    Thalgodin had walked right through the room and into the next hall. He stopped at the end, beside the next door. ¡°This is the end. That cathkabel hadn¡¯t lied.¡± The demon pressed one of his hands against a black barrier floating in the archway. ¡°This is advanced magic.¡±


    Owin touched the barrier and was reminded of the boundary walls. This wasn¡¯t made by the cathkabel. It was simply a trick to force them through a whole series of traps and fights with no real reward.


    He could easily see the pit in the center and a wide open archway on the opposite side. ¡°It looks like we need to go back.¡±


    Suta punched the barrier a few times. ¡°Not strong enough.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think strength matters here.¡± Owin scowled. ¡°Sorry, Myrsvai. We need to walk all the way back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. I¡¯m not here to garner pity. If this secret doesn¡¯t provide a solution for my leg, I will summon Poti and get it fixed.¡± Myrsvai used his staff to push Owin forward. ¡°Apologize again and I will let Suta finally attack you.¡±


    Suta lifted his wrapped hands.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not sorry.¡±


    Suta jabbed the air a few times.

 Book 3 - Chapter 8

    Backtracking didn¡¯t take nearly as much time as Owin had expected. Since mobs and traps didn¡¯t respawn in secrets, it was easy to follow the series of rooms and halls back to the start. They immediately proceeded into the following room, killing the cathkabel guard.


    The difference was the nearly four foot tall ocular guard that occupied the third room. As soon as Owin entered the second room, a beam of energy blasted through the next doorway, all the way through the second, and crashed into a column in the room where they had killed the cathkabel.


    The ocular guard was the same kind Owin had fought with Artivan back in the castle in the Great Forest. It was about three times larger than the swarmers they had fought on the other half. That also meant its beam was that much bigger, and that much stronger.


    ¡°It has to recharge after it uses its attack,¡± Owin said. All four of them were still in the first room, pressed against the wall to avoid letting the ocular see them. ¡°I can distract it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what people call being bait,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°A fishing term, as I am sure at least two of you are unaware.¡±


    ¡°I fish,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°You do. You¡¯re much better at it. Perhaps it''s the second arm.¡±


    Suta shook his head. He didn¡¯t seem to find the attempted joke to be funny.


    Thalgodin did find it funny, letting out a deep hearty laugh. ¡°Demons have fished, though it is for souls.¡±


    Owin scratched his head. Thalgodin was fairly quiet most of the time and seemed polite enough, but every so often he said something that reminded Owin that Thalgodin was literally a demon from the Abyss.


    ¡°I believe the act of fishing requires your prey to be fish. Arguing over the semantics isn¡¯t a great use of our time. I can hit this ocular guard with another blast, though if it has an attack charged, it might wipe away an Abyssal Blast.¡±


    ¡°So, you do need bait?¡± Owin shook out his legs. ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain? Putting yourself in danger over something trivial¡ª¡±


    Before Myrsvai could talk more, Owin was sprinting into the room. He ran straight down the center, watching the whorl of red energy inside the ocular guard. As soon as its whole pupil was shining, Owin dropped to the ground, sliding over the stone tiles. The blast passed overhead, missing by less than an inch. Owin rolled out of the way, passing his chitin pauldron through the blast, and hid behind a column. The whole hallway glowed red, pulsing with light.


    The moment it ended, twenty little balls of abyssal fire flew down the center of the hall, each crashing loudly into the ocular guard. Owin ran from behind the column, through the rest of the room and into the third room where the ocular guard had been. Its corpse sizzled, spilling blood onto the ground. It wasn¡¯t as burnt as the ocular lord, so Owin managed to harvest another heart.


    A cathkabel walked into the room just as Suta and Thalgodin were approaching. Without talking, they attacked in sync. Suta punched the cathkabel¡¯s knee, shattering it while Thalgodin simply took its head off.


    Owin chewed on the ocular hearts while Suta and Thalgodin continued their spree, rushing into the next two rooms to kill the cathkabel.


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence +10


    Intelligence: 275


    ¡°How do they taste?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Crunchy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a flavor, Owin.¡±


    They waited near some columns while Suta and Thalgodin continued killing cathkabel. There were far more on this side, and at the sound of fighting, they had been rushing through the rooms to try to help.


    ¡°Why now?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Why am I back in the dungeons? It¡¯s time. I¡¯ve been practicing. My mind and my talents have expanded through the years. I¡¯ve learned to fight and use my spells despite my missing limbs.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a fake arm? I¡¯ve seen some of those.¡±


    ¡°That answer is more complicated than you might believe.¡±


    Suta appeared, covered head to toe in silver blood. ¡°Eye.¡±


    ¡°Go catch up and handle the ocular. I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s leg squeaked as he took a step.


    Owin set off, but looked back at Myrsvai, who shooed him on. Suta guided Owin through two rooms to where Thalgodin waited, pressed against a column. His wings, even while folded, nearly stuck out to the sides.


    Right in the center of the ceiling was the biggest eye Owin had seen. Instead of sinew keeping it attached, it looked like it was buried in the stone, or if the stone ceiling had opened its own eye.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Owin asked. He stayed in the previous room where the eye was barely visible.


    Thalgodin stuck his axe out the side, then immediately pulled it back. The eye cast a sweeping red curtain of the same energy as its beams. It swept in a circle around the room.


    ¡°That looks dangerous,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°There is a reason I am hiding,¡± Thalgodin said.


    Myrsvai analyzed the room. ¡°You¡¯re safe there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then use the columns to move toward the opposite end.¡±


    ¡°We will need to kill the eye if you are to pass through,¡± Thalgodin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. Let me and Suta handle it.¡±


    Owin looked between the magus and his familiar. ¡°You didn¡¯t even see it attack. How do you know how it works?¡±


    Suta pointed at his own eyes.


    ¡°Thalgodin didn¡¯t make Suta stronger. He gave him temporary neural demon abilities. I don¡¯t need to be near to know what¡¯s happening. Now, we need another distraction for me to get a clear shot.¡±


    The demon immediately ran to the next column. His hoofs clicked on the stone as he rushed across. Another curtain of energy passed through the room.


    ¡°It moves faster than it looked before,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The eye didn¡¯t follow a target. It simply released the spell upon seeing anything.


    ¡°I think I can move fast enough to get it between attacks.¡± Owin grabbed his lich bone knife. The ceiling was about fifteen feet above, which was a manageable height to jump. Leap and stab. Nothing new.


    ¡°The time it takes you to jump that high will be enough for it to kill you.¡± Myrsvai looked at Suta. ¡°Good idea.¡±


    Suta hadn¡¯t spoken.


    ¡°What idea?¡±


    ¡°Suta suggested using Abyssal Armor to take the hit without damage, then attack.¡± Myrsvai walked forward, but Owin stopped him.


    ¡°Cast it on me instead.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy this idea, but I can make it work. Thalgodin, are you safe?¡±


    ¡°Impatient.¡± The demon loudly sighed. ¡°Prepared to spill more cathkabel blood.¡±


    ¡°Even at this low of a level, ocular blasts will hurt. Owin will solve it for us now. Wave your arm, Thalgodin.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff and nodded to Owin.


    The demon triggered the attack again. The moment the curtain passed, Owin sprinted and leapt. Red energy was like mist around the eye. It immediately created another curtain to sweep through the room.


    ¡°Abyssal Armor!¡± Myrsvai¡¯s staff thunked on the ground.


    Ghostly red armor formed over Owin¡¯s entire body, even over his chitin armor. The curtain washed over as Owin jabbed the knife into the eye. He sliced the blade across as he passed, then landed and bounced on the ground on the opposite side of the room. Parts of his magical armor had burned away, but most held until Myrsvai ended the spell.


    Thalgodin kicked the next door open. ¡°Come and meet the superior species.¡±


    ¡°That worked,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°Thank Suta. He might not use spells, but he never stops thinking about them.¡±


    Suta purposely avoided eye contact.


    Thalgodin roared from the next room. A cathkabel arm flew through the door.


    ¡°This is my first time seeing Thalgodin in a dungeon. It¡¯s not what I had expected.¡± Myrsvai poked the arm with his staff. ¡°Brutal.¡±


    Some cathkabel from farther ahead heard the demon¡¯s roar and rushed in. Each of the three were quickly slain by the battle axe. Thalgodin waited at the end of the room and cleaned the silver blood off his weapon.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the swords?¡±


    ¡°No need. Cathkabel brains are so miniscule that the neural attack may fail altogether against them.¡±


    ¡°Or do you just like the axe more?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Suta said, running into the next room. He jumped onto a stone table against the wall. There was an identical one on the opposite side, each holding a little jar.


    At first it looked like it might be a buff potion, so Owin hurried over and hopped onto his own table. Instead of a buff, it was a jar of eyes. He shook the jar. The eyes followed him no matter how much he shook it.


    ¡°Those must be ocular. They¡¯re so small.¡± Myrsvai took the jar from Suta. ¡°Let¡¯s hold onto these for now.¡±


    Owin carried his jar over and let Myrsvai put it in his backpack.


    The next three rooms were clear, having already killed the cathkabel.


    Owin stood in the next doorway and stared at the blue crystal on the opposite wall. It was obvious that there was another trap in the room, though he couldn¡¯t see what it might be. The blue crystal led to the door right beside it. Another line went straight up, then vanished from Owin¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Give me a moment and I can figure it out,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Thalgodin grunted. ¡°All I can see are cathkabel magic close by. We¡¯re near the end.¡±


    Owin stepped into the room and immediately regretted it as a blue barrier formed in both doors, locking him inside. Half the room filled with luminous flames, though the area he was standing in was specifically not covered.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t great traps.¡± He stuck close to the wall and walked all the way around. Near the crystal, the fire was much closer, but not close enough to actually harm him. Owin jumped up and yanked the crystal from the wall, stopping the flames and killing the barriers.


    ¡°I imagine if you were level 10 or below, these traps would be enough to cause difficulties, especially after fighting so many ocular and cathkabel. We have quite the advantage in experience and strength,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin agreed, but it was still an interesting comparison to the labyrinth he had been inside with Artivan. This was much bigger, but also much easier. The specters had proven to be difficult enemies and the traps would have killed Owin had Artrivan not used his protection spells.


    He opened the next door and instinctively ducked as a fireball flew over his head. If he had been taller, it would have hit him in the chest. A huge ocular mob floated in the middle of the room with five laser rings orbiting. Red bolts of energy flew between the rings.


    Ocean Mob


    Ocular Occultist


    Level 12


    ¡°An ocular using wizard spells? Or perhaps it was just a fireball?¡±


    A Bolt spell shot from the pupil. Myrsvai blocked it with the crystal on top of his staff.


    ¡°Those are wizard spells.¡±


    Owin pointed his finger and cast his own Bolt spell, which was blocked by one of the spinning laser rings. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can jump at this one.¡±


    A purple Arcane Blast shot from the eye, swerving down to strike Owin. It moved fast enough that he had no time to dodge and took the hit on the center of his chitin breastplate. He landed hard on his back and looked into Suta¡¯s bug-like face.


    ¡°Goblin down.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Suta.¡±


    The familiar pulled him to his feet and shoved him out of the way of the door. The four of them stood just out of sight of the ocular occultist. Its energy hummed inside, though it appeared its spells had no way to reach them when it couldn¡¯t see them.


    ¡°The rings look like a normal ocular beam,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I can hit it with an Abyssal Barrage. Some of those will make it through its protections. Does anyone have a better idea?¡±


    Suta lifted his hands.


    ¡°You can¡¯t punch it,¡± Owin said. ¡°If you could, I would just jump and stab.¡±


    Suta lowered his hands.


    ¡°Range is our best option, leaving me as our only competent fighter,¡± Myrsvai said. As Owin, Thalgodin, and Suta looked at him, he frowned. ¡°That sounded harsher than I intended.¡±


    ¡°I have range,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Power 1 has times it is beneficial.¡± Myrsvai stepped into the doorway and launched a barrage of magenta fireballs. Owin joined Myrsvai and watched many of them smash against the lasers, though enough broke through to puncture the ocular¡¯s iris.


    The mob dropped to the ground and leaked blood onto the stone tiles.


    ¡°Power 1 can be helpful, but it won¡¯t carry you as far as Power 3.¡± Myrsvai strode into the room, heading for the next door while his leg squeaked with each step.


    ¡°I can only use Power 1,¡± Owin said. He quickly checked for the ocular heart, but as he had guessed, Myrsvai¡¯s attack had shattered the red gem.


    Just beyond the occultist¡¯s room was the archway leading to the pit. Owin could see the blocked door about a hundred feet across. He walked through and stared out in the massive pit. Far across was the metal gate near the entrance. Owin waved his hand over the pit, checking for some type of barrier. There was none, which meant if he tripped, he would fall, potentially forever.


    The final room was in the center, straight across from the metal gate near the entrance. It was like a bigger, expanded version of all the previous rooms. There were two rows of columns on each side, leaving the middle as a wide open walkway leading to a shining white statue right in front of a white, fire-filled doorway.


    Ocean Mob


    Cathkabel Champion


    Level ???


    Two cathkabel flanked the statue, holding shining white swords.


    ¡°The interlopers have arrived.¡±


    Luminous fire burst from the doorway. ¡°Ah.¡± A high-pitched, nasally voice screeched from within. ¡°One of the Vile Fiend¡¯s pawns.¡±


    A cathkabel emerged, opening its wings to their full length. He was taller and bigger than any cathkabel Owin had seen. His wings were massive, feathered things that protruded from shining plate armor.


    He slowly, confidently slid brass knuckles onto his fingers and smashed both fists together. ¡°You¡¯ve come to seek retribution?¡±


    Elysium Mob


    Priest Temikiel


    Level 60


    ***


    Vondaire stood before the sprawling city of Ligala Lepis. It was not as amazing as he had hoped. For a golden city, it was somehow lacking in just about every facet. Its most obvious downside was its unfortunate location. Who wanted to be under water? Who enjoyed skulking about in the fish-scented abyss?


    A poorly disguised cetanthro stood across a bridge wearing a girhuma mask. Vondaire assumed the intention was to make it obvious. Surely no hero could miss such a terrible mask.


    What frustrated Vondaire more than anything else was the fish¡¯s speed. No matter how fast Vondaire moved, he couldn¡¯t catch the imposter before he vanished down the hatch. If he was not meant to catch the mob, why give the illusion of a chase?


    The cetanthro tore off its mask. ¡°Fool,¡± the fish said. ¡°You have chased me to our holy city, Ligala Lepis.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Vondaire tapped his foot. ¡°Do you have a monologue or is there a possibility that we can move on?¡±


    ¡°. . . what?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate a good soliloquy as much as the next hero, but monologues? Monologues about the cathkabel or even the cetanthro? Less interesting, if interesting at all. What I find fascinating is the thoughts Sloswen has put into your head. Has the God of the Ocean filled yours with mushy peas? Perhaps some mashed potatoes?¡±


    The cetanthro stared blankly at Vondaire.


    ¡°Is my point proven or have I just diverted us away from this pointless quest? What is the reward again? A deal from a merchant?¡± He tossed a ghostblade that sliced through the water and easily punctured the fish¡¯s head. It ate away at the mana quickly, killing the fish before it even finished passing through the cetanthro¡¯s skull. He strode across the bridge and kicked the fish¡¯s corpse.


    No loot fell out.


    ¡°Well, this is a waste. A boss should provide some decent experience.¡± He adjusted his gloves and looked to the peak of the city. There was no place more obvious for a self entitled ass hole to stand.


    His strut through Ligala Lepis was nothing more stressful than an evening stroll. No mob on the second floor had a chance of hurting Vondaire. Even if he put his guard down, the chances of one landing a deadly blow was minimal, if it existed at all.


    His umbra abilities easily spread blood through the waters of Ligala Lepis. Each strike was a kill on each of the cetanthro guards until he made his way to the top. The cathkabel stood confidently with its golden trident, watching Vondaire approach.


    Deacon of the Aquatic Council


    Graliel


    Lord of Ligala Lepis


    Level 20


    ¡°You must be in the wrong place,¡± Graliel said.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Vondaire stepped through the threshold. A barrier formed behind him, cutting off his exit.


    ¡°Your friends are currently locked in battle.¡± Graliel smirked, but the cathkabel¡¯s mouth was so small that the expression made Vondaire uncomfortable.


    ¡°Are they? And why would that be a concern of mine?¡± He stalked through the water, pacing around Graliel. At first, movement in the Ocean Dungeon had felt awkward, but as expected, he had quickly adapted. While it was a little slower, there was more freedom to the movements. Heroes were unable to swim, but they could hover or drift if they were smart.


    ¡°His Majesty, Sloswen, knows you are allies,¡± Graliel said. He ran his free hands over a prong on the trident. ¡°You cannot deny it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no denying anything. At first you said friends, which they are not. Allies? I suppose, to a degree. They are above on the first floor. What fight could they possibly have found that would be of any interest to me?¡±


    Graliel watched himself poke the trident and draw a drop of silver blood from his elongated finger. ¡°The holy Priest Temikiel has paid them a visit in the Fortress of Venoliel, the Guardian.¡±


    Vondaire formed a ghostblade in his hand and tossed it up. It sliced through the water and dropped back down as if it was thrown on the surface. He caught it by the ring on the end and spun it around his finger. ¡°Should this concern me?¡±


    ¡°Temikiel is a chosen priest. One high above my station.¡±


    Vondaire nodded slowly, still spinning the spectral weapon. ¡°Elysium has sent a priest onto the first floor? For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°That damned goblin ate me!¡±


    Despite years of training to keep his composure, a smile cracked Vondaire¡¯s lips. ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Blasphemous! His traveling companions are demons!¡±


    ¡°One is an abyssal familiar, which you certainly know is different. The other is just an ugly man. You cannot fault the magus for his appearance. He has a tortured past, after all.¡±


    ¡°Not the human! There is a neural demon traveling our hallowed halls!¡±


    Vondaire stopped at the edge of the room, looking out toward the tunnel he had emerged from. There was no barrier around the edge, meaning he could simply step out if he had wanted. Of course, he didn¡¯t. What would be the point in leaving the cathkabel alive?


    ¡°Good for Myrsvai. Perhaps I have underestimated the Maimed Magus. His fame was not misplaced. This demon is working with him?¡±


    ¡°The demon has slaughtered most of the guards on his own!¡±


    ¡°Did the goblin eat any of the guards?¡±


    Graliel smashed the trident onto the golden tiles. ¡°Do not joke! The emperor will not allow these blasphemous acts to continue!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like the goblin feasting on your pale flesh?¡± Vondaire appeared directly beside Graliel, causing the cathkabel to screech and swing the trident. All Vondaire had to do was step to appear on the opposite side, easily avoiding the attack. ¡°Owin is not the first to collect cathkabel flesh and blood.¡±


    Graliel smashed the trident shaft back down, quickly giving up his attack. ¡°No, but harvesting the dead is honorable. Feasting? There is something barbaric about that goblin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to disagree on this topic, though I don¡¯t see the difference in eating it from the source rather than brewing it into a potion. The cathkabel aren¡¯t renowned for their tolerance, but this is perhaps a topic in which you should accept your fate. Owin isn¡¯t going to stop eating mobs.¡±


    Graliel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There will be no more feasting. The Priest Temikiel will put an end to the abomination.¡±


    ¡°What level?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Graliel waved his hand, removing the barrier from the door.


    ¡°What level is Temikiel?¡±


    ¡°A magnificent 60.¡±


    Vondaire let the ghostblade flip off his finger. He caught it as he dropped back down. ¡°Disappointing. And what will you do in a few hours, or maybe tomorrow, when Owin walks up here?¡±


    Graliel¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°A level 60 boss won¡¯t stop Owin. Your priest should have been here instead. I would have enjoyed a challenge.¡±


    ¡°We need not fight.¡± Graliel gestured to the door with his trident. ¡°I gain nothing from battling you, and you are striving for the top. Time wasted will do you no favors.¡±


    ¡°Killing you isn¡¯t taking any time. Give Owin and Myrsvai my regards.¡± With a simple flick of his wrist, the ghostblade flew straight into Graliel¡¯s head and reappeared on the opposite side.


    Vondaire appeared behind Graliel, catching the blade as soon as it emerged.


    ¡°My mana,¡± Graliel said, breathless.


    A quick slice of the ghostblade decapitated the cathkabel. Vondaire let the spell fade, leaving him unarmed once again. One look at the trident was all he needed before tossing the useless weapon aside. He stepped off the ledge and landed easily on the sand far below. There was no time to waste. If Owin caught him, one of them would need to wait for things to respawn, and Vondaire had no intention of taking turns with Owin. He would be the first of the three to get his shard.


    ¡°A priest of Elysium?¡± Vondaire chuckled. He hoped he could acquire the same animosity from the cathkabel.

 Book 3 - Chapter 9

    Thalgodin¡¯s wings immediately opened all the way as he drew all three swords from his side. ¡°A priest?¡±


    Temikiel adjusted the crown that sat on his bald bulbous head. He had a sly smile on his absurdly small mouth. ¡°And what is a neural demon going to do against the likes of me?¡± Temikiel picked up the white statue, analyzed it, then tossed it to the side, shattering the ivory piece. Silver blood dripped from the shards. ¡°A lowly servant like Venoliel will provide no competition for you. Sloswen will forgive me for intervening, I believe. If not, the bishops will have something to say.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s staff glowed magenta. ¡°Secrets are separate from the dungeons, I suppose, but this is abnormal. This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Abnormal?¡± Temikiel asked, his high pitched voice whining. ¡°Are humans capable of seeing irony?¡± The cathkabel cracked his neck. ¡°And you, goblin, feasted on my junior.¡±


    ¡°I did and I¡¯ll do it again.¡± Owin pulled the lich knife from his belt, slipped it into his bag, and took the whole bag from his shoulder. A single touch of luminous damage against the lich bone would shatter the blade. That left him with wands as his only weapons. He was hoping to get one of the swords from Thalgodin, but the demon looked about ready to dive straight in.


    ¡°As if it is a surprise that one such as Ruvaine would allow an anomaly to escape her domain. Those who commune with demons cannot be trusted. A surprise to none.¡±


    ¡°If a priest has been sent after us, we have angered the emperor.¡± Thalgodin beat his wings once. His hooves clicked on the stone floor as he readied himself for a fight. ¡°Use caution, Myrsvai. This fight is not one I expected when assaulting this fortress, but it is one I will gladly take. Eliminating a priest outside of a normal encounter will surely be a devastating loss for Elysium.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°The dungeon cannot respawn what it does not own.¡± Thalgodin grinned, revealing sharp canines. ¡°One of us dies forever today."


    Temikiel fluttered his wings. ¡°Any final words? I will be glad to inform the Vile Fiend of your demise.¡±


    Suta forcefully grabbed Myrsvai¡¯s arm and tried to pull him toward the door. ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Myrsvai pulled his arm free. ¡°We didn¡¯t come here for you to protect me again. I can fight.¡± Myrsvai smashed his staff against the stone floor.


    A flaming magenta knife formed directly in Owin¡¯s hand. He grabbed it before it fell and shifted his stance. Everyone was tense. Fighting was going to start at any second. For once, Owin didn¡¯t want to be the one to get things started.


    Abyssal Knife


    Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion


    ¡°Go,¡± Suta said again. He pushed against Myrsvai without any actual strength.


    ¡°The insect wishes to flee,¡± Temikiel said.


    ¡°I will tear head from shoulders,¡± Suta said without looking back. ¡°After Master leaves.¡±


    ¡°An unnecessary attempt at survival.¡± Temikiel beat his wings, launching himself forward.


    Thalgodin blocked a punch with his axe and attacked, but Temikiel dodged all three swings of the demon¡¯s swords. They went into a frenzy of attacking and blocking.


    ¡°No time for this, Suta! I will stay back this time. Go!¡±


    Owin dashed past Temikiel and leapt at one of the champions. Suta did the same on the opposite side, keeping the cathkabel off Thalgodin.


    Owin stopped himself short as the champion¡¯s sword sliced the air right in front of him, barely dodging the attack. A quick hop brought him over the sword, where the knife easily slashed across the cathkabel¡¯s face. If it hadn¡¯t dodged, Owin would have driven the weapon right into its eye, though he still managed to cut it from its jaw to his forehead.


    A white fist smashed into Owin¡¯s face, throwing him back at the ground. He flipped midair, landed on his feet, and bounced once. It was a move he would have never been able to do before, and one that felt surprisingly easy.


    The cathkabel champion leaked blood down its neck. It spun its sword and let its own small pair of wings extend. ¡°A fast opponent.¡±


    Owin grabbed a wand and pointed at the cathkabel¡¯s feet. It jumped aside before Owin could even cast a spell.


    ¡°A trick,¡± the cathkabel said.


    Owin grinned, as if he had intentionally tricked his opponent. All he had wanted to do was put a magma mine underneath the mob. Instead, he could use it later.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Myrsvai shouted.


    ¡°Help Suta,¡± Owin said.


    Suta bounced off the ground, holding one of his opponent¡¯s arms. Silver blood coated nearly every bit of the familiar.


    Owin wanted to watch the rest of the fight to see what kind of brutal things Suta had done, but he wasn¡¯t given time as the champion launched itself forward. Goblin Cunning gave him an advantage that he didn¡¯t intend to waste.


    A quick lean let Owin dodge most of another swing, though it sliced the tip of his ear off. A leap brought him onto the cathkabel¡¯s face, and like he had learned long ago, he jabbed the knife into one eye and the wand into the other.


    ¡°Arcane Blast!¡±


    Blood ruptured out as the cathkabel¡¯s eye popped, though the mob was still alive and ripped Owin from its face. More silver blood poured out as the abyssal knife was torn out, leaving the cathkabel blind.


    ¡°Beast,¡± the champion said.


    Owin took a step to the side, watching as the blind cathkabel tried to track, but lagged behind. It still had some sense of where he was.


    ¡°You fight with the Vile Fiend¡¯s vigor!¡± Temikiel shouted as he backed away from the demon.


    Thalgodin had been worn down, but the demon still grinned and flapped his wings. ¡°Elysium will lose a priest today.¡±


    Temikiel adjusted the brass knuckles on each hand before crouching low. His long, feathered wings flared out to the sides. ¡°If only the Abyss cared for its servants. No one will miss you.¡±


    Temikiel and Thalgodin flapped their wings, launching themselves at one another. Before Owin could watch the clash, a white sword slammed into the tile beside him. The champion swung wildly, forcing Owin to dodge over and over. Its attacks weren¡¯t accurate, but they were wide, sweeping things that forced him back a step.


    ¡°How are you alive?¡± Owin asked.


    The cathkabel smiled. Silver blood flowed between its teeth. ¡°A blessing of Elysium.¡±


    Owin dashed forward and slid underneath a wild swing of its sword. He pivoted and leapt onto its back, smashing the knife into the top of its head. With one solid yank, he tore the champion¡¯s head open, revealing a pulsing, silver brain.


    Owin looked across, making eye contact with Suta, who stood beside a dead champion. Magenta flames circled him as Myrsvai held his glowing staff in the air.


    Thalgodin backed away as a quick jab from Temikiel tore what little remained of the demon¡¯s forearm free. Thalgodin was bleeding profusely. Despite using brass knuckles, Temikiel had torn skin all over Thalgodin¡¯s body, leaving him looking more like an undead than a demon.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°This is why I prefer to choose my own champions.¡± Temikiel cracked his knuckles. ¡°A four against one? Are you so irreverent that you would intervene in a fight of destiny?¡±


    ¡°Destiny? You¡¯re not even the boss of this secret,¡± Owin said.


    Temikiel looked back to the shattered ivory statue. ¡°It is not every day I get to kill a neural demon, an anomaly, and an abyssal magus. Venoliel will forgive the intrusion.¡±


    Thalgodin continued backing away. ¡°If I was fully manifested, it would be a proper fight.¡± The demon coughed and fell to one knee as his wounds continued leaking a steady stream of blood. ¡°This is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Suta,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The familiar smashed its fists together, mimicking what Temikiel had done before the fight. Temikiel flapped his wings and gestured to Suta as a gale formed and battered the familiar, pushing him back. Owin ran forward, but was immediately struck by more winds, causing him to flip over backward.


    There was plenty he didn¡¯t know about Elysium or the Abyss. If Owin only stuck to his first impressions, he would have assumed Thalgodin was an enemy, much like the Malignant Spirit had been in the Great Forest.


    Thalgodin coughed blood onto the floor. He was barely able to lift his head.


    Temikiel forced Owin and Suta back against the opposite walls with a spell that didn¡¯t let up even as he lowered his hands. The priest remained crouched, ready to pounce. ¡°A failure, as demons always are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you back,¡± Myrsvai said. He raised his staff.


    Thalgodin roared and stood back to his full height. He stomped his hooves and swung his three arms out, splattering blood from his mangled lower arm. ¡°No.¡±


    Myrsvai smashed his staff onto the ground, opening a fiery portal beneath Thalgodin. ¡°Go home. Be safe.¡±


    Thalgodin beat his wings as he hovered in place without dropping through the portal.


    ¡°I can¡¯t truly fight with you summoned,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I know. Suta. Goblin. Let us slay this creature.¡±


    Temikiel smiled. ¡°You can try.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± Myrsvai said. Magenta flames spun off the end of his staff as abyssal tendrils erupted from the ground surrounding Temikiel, latching onto his arms.


    The priest easily ripped through the spell, but not before Thalgodin attacked. Temikiel¡¯s armor was stronger than it looked, taking the full force of the battleaxe. As he was launched, the priest flipped, flapped his wings, and landed on his feet, back in his crouched position.


    Whatever spell had held Owin against the wall vanished. He made eye contact with Suta across the room. At once, they took off. Myrsvai¡¯s summoned knife still glowed in Owin¡¯s hand, though it had lost some of its magic.


    Thalgodin was a demon from the Abyss, but he was also Owin¡¯s ally. His friend.


    Owin didn¡¯t let people hurt his friends.


    Temikiel launched himself forward, throwing a wild punch aimed at Thalgodin¡¯s head. The demon blocked with the flat of the axe, but the cathkabel¡¯s attack shattered the metal, throwing pieces throughout the room.


    One of Thalgodin¡¯s swords managed to cut the priest¡¯s face even as the demon was tossed onto his back.


    Temikiel straightened, stunned, and looked about the room. ¡°Where . . . who . . .¡±


    Owin leapt and drove the summoned knife directly into the cathkabel¡¯s ear. At the same time, Suta smashed his fist into the other side. Bones crunched. Owin left the weapon embedded in the priest¡¯s skull and took a step back. Suta held his hands up, ready to continue the fight.


    Temikiel staggered forward a few steps, then fell to his knees. His wings beat on their own, twitching in the air. ¡°Elysium,¡± he said quietly.


    Thalgodin lumbered forward. He was down one arm and his battleaxe was completely destroyed. Even one of his horns was chipped and cracked. The demon didn¡¯t look the least bit upset, even as his blood drained from his wounds.


    ¡°What does the emperor say about this?¡±


    The summoned knife vanished as Myrsvai approached. The magus was sweating, despite having not moved much at all during the fights. Any magenta glow around Suta had also faded.


    Clarity came to Temikiel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Neural demon scum.¡±


    Thalgodin spat a glob of blood onto the priest. ¡°You won¡¯t be honored in the halls of Elysium.¡±


    ¡°A pawn of the Aby¡ª¡±


    Thalgodin drove both longswords through the priest¡¯s head. He used a hoof to kick Temikiel off, letting his body slap onto the floor. The fiery white doorway in the back of the room vanished.


    ¡°Send me home. Recover your mana.¡± Thalgodin sheathed his bloody swords and faced Myrsvai. ¡°Summon me to kill more cathkabel when you can manifest my true strength.¡±


    ¡°I will, friend.¡± Myrsvai raised his staff.


    Thalgodin nodded to Owin. The demon couldn¡¯t stop himself from grinning as the portal opened under his feet. ¡°Farewell, heroes.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of mana?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Out? No. I am low.¡± Myrsvai cradled his staff in his elbow and wiped sweat from his brow. ¡°I was managing Thalgodin¡¯s summon, your knife, and Suta¡¯s enhancement at once. It is an effort to keep many spells at the same time.¡±


    A flash appeared from where the statue had been standing as a stark white chest formed.


    ¡°Suta, are you hurt?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta shook his head. The familiar had a visible gash from his mandible all the way across his head, though the blood had already slowed.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Owin approached the chest and stared at the wall where the ethereal door had once been. Was that a doorway to Elysium? How did a level 60 appear on the first floor? When he flipped the chest open, a single little gem sat inside.


    ¡°A void gem,¡± Owin said. ¡°Come use it to fix your leg.¡±


    Myrsvai approached and leaned on his staff. ¡°I believe there are better uses.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting a shard if you can¡¯t move quickly. If Thalgodin wasn¡¯t summoned, we would¡¯ve lost that fight. You weren¡¯t going to take on Temikiel.¡±


    Myrsvai sighed and held out his staff. Suta held it upright as the magus carefully bent down and plucked the black gem from the chest. His index appeared before his eyes. ¡°There is an extraordinary amount of options, even if they¡¯re all apprentice level.¡±


    ¡°I thought it might be a higher rarity since we fought a priest.¡± Owin pushed some of the ivory shards with his toes. Who was the cathkabel boss Temikiel had killed? He might never see them. This would be his last time in the Ocean.


    ¡°This might work.¡± A blue mana crystal formed in Myrsvai¡¯s hand. ¡°Along with the ones we collected, Poti could force them into the structure and power the leg.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°It could take hours, Owin.¡±


    Owin kicked another shard of ivory. ¡°Maybe we should leave the secret first so another priest doesn¡¯t appear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to wait. Go ahead without me.¡±


    ¡°No. Not until the Isolated floors.¡± Owin sat on the floor beside Temikiel¡¯s corpse. ¡°Nimble Hogs stick together.¡±


    Suta sat across from him and grabbed the cathkabel¡¯s arm. ¡°Eat?¡±


    Owin smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to waste the stats.¡± He pulled the crown free from Temikiels head.


    Unique Relic of Elysium


    Crown of Temikiel


    A crown signifying the rank of Priest within Elysium. Different sects and regions express ranks in different fashions, but always in the style of a crown.


    The Crown of Temikiel raises the dexterity and intelligence


    Note: Wearing this item opens a connection with Elysium


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should wear this.¡± Owin held it up, allowing Myrsvai to take the item and look at it himself. While the magus read the description, Owin ripped flesh from Temikiel¡¯s mangled face.


    Myrsvai¡¯s index vanished. ¡°A knight or mender would spend a fortune on this.¡± He frowned upon seeing the silver blood coating Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot in my life, but that¡¯s still disgusting.¡±


    Owin chewed on a piece of the cathkabel flesh and shrugged.


    Suta reached for his own piece, but stopped as Myrsvai gave him a stern look.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t eat Thalgodin or any demons you know,¡± Owin said after he swallowed another piece of Temikiel. ¡°Only my enemies.¡±


    Myrsvai laughed softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure that quote would really help with all those people who think you¡¯re a monster. Don¡¯t worry, Verdantallis. He doesn¡¯t eat friends. He only eats enemies.¡±


    ¡°That sounds better than telling them I eat people. I haven¡¯t eaten any humans.¡± Owin squinted. ¡°Have I? I don¡¯t think I have.¡±


    ¡°I certainly hope not.¡±


    ¡°Tasty,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten a mob or a human. You don¡¯t even need to eat,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta crossed his arms and pouted.


    Wisdom +40


    Wisdom: 169


    ¡°I can leave the rest. I can take a bite of Graliel too on the next floor.¡± Owin hopped to his feet and rolled Temikiel¡¯s corpse over. No loot fell out. He pulled the brass knuckles off. They were too big for Owin, but he slipped them into his bag. He set off toward the door facing the black pit.


    ¡°Are you certain you want to wait?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Together,¡± Suta repeated and yawned.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    As soon as Owin passed through the doorway, a faint glow of a path appeared, leading back to the entrance. He followed the shortcut, frequently turning around to watch Myrsvai. The magus was clearly exhausted, moving slower than before and still sweating even after his spells had ended. Suta stuck directly behind him, nearly matching the magus step by step. A rest while the demon worked would do Myrsvai well, even if he had to expend mana to keep the demon summoned.


    ¡°Is Thalgodin going to be fine?¡± Owin pushed the metal gate open and hopped off the last piece of the path, landing comfortably on solid ground.


    ¡°His injuries were more severe than he showed. If he visits the Burning Workshop or Fighting Pits, they can likely help. He won¡¯t die now that he¡¯s back in the Abyss. The flames will clean his wounds and start his recovery.¡± Myrsvai took a look back over the pit. ¡°For Elysium to send a priest, you must be well known to them, Owin.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not the only ones who don¡¯t like me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Owin waited at the door, letting Myrsvai and Suta leave first. He wasn¡¯t eager to be back in the water, but entering familiar territory was welcome after exploring the vast cathkabel fortress.

 Book 3 - Chapter 10

    Fish swam overhead, passing through sunbeams. Myrsvai sat himself down carefully, using a rock as support. Even in the water, an unassisted fall could spur pain back to life while his leg was only partially operating.


    Suta and Owin immediately became enthralled by the fish, lights, and colors. In many ways, they were both like children.


    Myrsvai wasn¡¯t all that much older than most of the Nimble Hogs, but he felt every one of the years that separated him from Raif, Sanem, Potilia, and the others. He had suffered unlike anyone else, and they wouldn¡¯t understand even if explained every agonizing detail.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t want them to understand. If anything brought Myrsvai back to a dungeon, it was to gain enough strength to prevent others from experiencing things like he had. Suta stopped in his tracks and also watched Owin. With their minds linked, occasional bits of information passively passed back and forth, unless anything was urgent.


    Suta had just experienced the melancholy that had washed over Myrsvai, and Myrsvai for a brief moment, felt the joy Suta had felt upon rushing out of the secret toward the fish.


    The familiar looked back.


    I¡¯m okay.


    It was only a thought, and while Suta wouldn¡¯t actually hear it word for word, he would get the impression and understand.


    Owin launched himself up and snatched a fish right out of a school swimming above. He landed, bounced on the sand, and grinned as the fish squirmed in his grip. ¡°I got one!¡±


    ¡°For what? You don¡¯t need to eat,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°The wandering boss will trade a fish for passage.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight the boss?¡±


    Owin looked thoughtfully at his fish. He sighed and let it go. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The freed fish swam quickly to rejoin its school. Suta tracked the fish and looked about ready to pounce, but finally relaxed.


    Owin was, perhaps, the only person Myrsvai knew that could understand even part of his past. The little goblin had practically been fighting from the moment he woke up to his arrival at the Nimble Hogs. And even that hadn¡¯t been as peaceful as promised.


    Myrsvai still remembered the filthy, frazzled goblin telling the story of the Great Forest and Artivan in front of all the Nimble Hogs. His voice quivered with nerves and his hands constantly groped at his belt and knives. No matter how confident he acted, a single question, a single moment of uncertainty, seemed to unravel his whole facade.


    ¡°When did you start caring for mobs?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Owin appeared to droop with the question. ¡°Artivan tried to tell me it was fine to kill mobs . . .¡± The goblin slowly meandered back toward Myrsvai.


    Meanwhile, Suta crawled on top of a rock and sat cross legged. The familiar was ready for rest. Myrsvai could feel it. He had hoped Suta would stick around while his leg was being fixed, but sending the familiar back to the void would help Myrsvai¡¯s energy, as Suta would also feel refreshed.


    ¡°It is fine to kill mobs.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff. ¡°Rest well, Suta.¡± He stomped the staff down, causing Suta to vanish in a flash of abyssal flames.


    ¡°What happened? Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°Suta is fine. After he has been summoned for a while, he can grow tired. He¡¯ll rest until we¡¯re ready to continue.¡± Myrsvai drank a mana potion and immediately felt its energizing effects.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Ask me when you have questions. You learn fast, I¡¯ve noticed.¡±


    Owin nodded slowly. His purple hair floated above his head, somehow staying mostly upright even as he moved within the water. Some small sections were sheared straight from enemy weapons.


    Did Owin¡¯s hair regrow like a human¡¯s would? A fascinating thought that would certainly need to be recorded. His studies had already produced volumes on demons and the Abyss, expanding on what past scholars had found. At Chorsay¡¯s request, the research wasn¡¯t shared. Yet. Someday soon, when Myrsvai was a Shard Hero and Suta was back to his old self.


    ¡°When I was a mob, heroes killed me all the time,¡± Owin said. He sat straight across from Myrsvai, which felt a little odd. Most people would have found a spot beside him, looking out into the coral reef. Instead, Owin was staring directly at him.


    ¡°I am certain they did. It¡¯s no different than you killing the chest guardian or the eels.¡±


    ¡°But if those eels remembered their deaths, would you be willing to kill them?¡±


    Myrsvai laid his staff across his lap. His prosthetic leg was sticking straight out, nearly touching Owin. ¡°I see what you mean.¡±


    ¡°There were some cultists on the second floor of the Great Forest that worshiped the Malignant Spirit. They were my first friends.¡± Owin adjusted his bag and fidgeted. ¡°One of them cried when she was killed. That¡¯s not just some mob that will respawn. She felt fear. Kidibose was terrified and crying for help.¡± Owin finally diverted his gaze. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help her, and I . . . I cut out her heart so I could trick the cult. She was so scared.¡±


    Myrsvai clenched his jaw as Owin¡¯s forest green eyes snapped back to him. There was nothing worse than fear. Pain, he could live with, but fear? No. It was crippling. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°I decided I didn¡¯t want people to feel fear. If a mob can feel fear, I don¡¯t want to be the one to cause it. If I was afraid back in the goblin caves, I hope the heroes killed me quickly.¡±


    ¡°What about those Void Nexus heroes?¡±


    ¡°Katalin and Ernie told me to keep them alive. To be better than them.¡± Owin scratched his head. His eyes looked all over, but especially up at the top of the small mountain hiding the cathkabel fortress. ¡°Artivan never told me to get revenge. He had said that sometimes we need to forgive and forget. But sometimes we need to make people wish they never met us. I don¡¯t know what that actually means.¡±


    ¡°Artivan was merciful. I would never say anything bad about that man. He didn¡¯t understand the horror I had experienced, but he listened and comforted unlike any other. If he told you to make them regret meeting you, I don¡¯t think he would want you to become a killer like that.¡±


    Owin let his head droop. ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of heroes. I killed some innocent heroes outside Oriathria. I didn¡¯t even hesitate.¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡± Myrsvai waited until the goblin looked at him again. ¡°You were attacked. Defending yourself doesn¡¯t make you a criminal. That¡¯s why we stood by your side, and why I¡¯m still with you now. Did Artivan think you were a bad person?¡±


    Owin shook his head.


    ¡°Did Ernie or Katalin?¡±


    Owin shook his head again.


    ¡°I¡¯d hope not after the gift they sent you. After you get a shard, you need to relax. Spend time processing what you¡¯ve been through. I should¡¯ve given you more time before we left. It took me years to process what happened over the course of one day, and I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready. You have been moving non stop, and I am certain you haven¡¯t spent enough time thinking about any of it.¡±


    Owin stared back at him. ¡°Okay.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°When I fight the smarter mobs, I try to kill them as fast as possible. Fast enough that they don¡¯t feel fear before they die.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of you.¡± Myrsvai opened his index and flipped to his spells tab. Opening a portal to the Abyss was far from the most difficult thing he could do, but there was still care in opening the right portal. At his level, he could summon just about any demon, other than the Lords, but if something went wrong, a malicious demon could slip out. He picked the Summon Demon spell, which immediately rushed into his staff, causing it to pulse with magenta energy.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind, but it could get you killed,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°If you¡¯re set on staying, then please wait while I summon Poti.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    Myrsvai lifted his staff and smashed the butt onto the sand. The abyssal energy shot into the ground, snaking its way through the sand until it opened a portal off to the side.


    ¡°Then say hello to Potirantoma.¡±


    The schemer demon groaned as she crawled out of the portal to the Abyss. Her small wings opened and flapped once as she fully emerged and cracked her neck. Half of her body was covered by abyssal fire, causing the water all around her to boil and bubble. The water did nothing to smother the magical flames.


    Potirantoma adjusted her grip on her sledgehammer and immediately spotted Myrsvai¡¯s leg. ¡°Leg bothering y¡ª¡± She looked around, only just realizing they were in the Ocean. ¡°Why is there water around me?¡±


    ¡°Ocean Dungeon,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Finally time, eh?¡± She knelt, dropping her metal knee into the sand. ¡°You¡¯ll feel pain as I pull it out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to ask what¡¯s wrong?¡± Owin asked.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A cloth wrap covered one of Potirantoma¡¯s eyes while the other was hidden by a goggle, making her expressions unclear. The demon didn¡¯t bother even glancing in Owin¡¯s direction as she ripped the prosthetic free. ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    ***


    Owin stared at the newly summoned demon. She was significantly shorter than Thalgodin had been. At most, she was barely taller than Artivan. Without hesitation, she had ripped Myrsvai¡¯s leg free and went to work. The abyssal flames heated the metal, and before long, the whole prosthetic glowed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the bug?¡± she asked.


    Master Demon


    Potirantoma


    Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion


    Level 43


    ¡°Resting,¡± Myrsvai said, his voice strained.


    Poti brought her sledgehammer down on the leg, causing it to illuminate with magenta sparks. From Owin¡¯s perspective, it simply seemed that she was beating the leg with her hammer while gripping it with tongs, but whatever she was doing was making strings of yellow energy form underneath the metal.


    Myrsvai set the mana crystals on the ground beside her, which she immediately grabbed and smashed into the leg. She hammered one after the other, pushing them deep into the leg.


    ¡°I was hoping to see the little bug.¡± Poti smashed her hammer onto the metal again, causing sparks to flare. ¡°Has he had a boon recently?¡±


    ¡°Thalgodin gave him one.¡± Myrsvai adjusted uncomfortably.


    Owin sidled over and crouched beside the large demon. Much of her red skin was exposed, with only some sparing clothing that didn¡¯t touch the metal or fiery parts of her body. Each strike appeared to be powered by some spell or ability that Owin had yet to see.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Fixing this broken thing.¡± Another strike caused the whole leg to glow. ¡°Who made this for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. A local alchemist,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I told you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, Poti.¡±


    She grunted and smashed her hammer against it again.


    ¡°Is this similar to how alchemists make things?¡±


    Potirantoma lifted the magenta leg. ¡°Is this like alchemists? What do you think a schemer demon does?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Schemes?¡±


    Poti cracked a smile. ¡°Good answer, I suppose. Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Owin the goblin. An anomaly, according to the cathkabel. We just fought a priest.¡±


    ¡°Temikiel,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Temikiel? That bastard. Are we mourning Thalgodin?¡±


    ¡°I ate Temikiel.¡±


    Poti set the leg down, letting go of her tongs. ¡°You what? You ate a cathkabel?¡±


    ¡°He has a habit of eating things,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°It raises my wisdom.¡± Owin shifted uncomfortably under the demon¡¯s gaze. Reading her thoughts was more difficult than usual with the wrap and single goggle covering most of her face. Her black horns curved out from her forehead, back over her scalp of shiny black hair that seemed to ignore the water. The metal fingers of her right hand twitched.


    ¡°From the Great Forest?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°One of Ruvaine¡¯s? I guess we¡¯re allies then, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Owin glanced at Myrsvai, but the magus¡¯s pained expression gave Owin no information. ¡°Doesn¡¯t working with Myrsvai and Suta already make us allies?¡±


    ¡°No. That damn Hog alchemist makes a mockery of my craft.¡±


    ¡°Miya? She¡¯s great!¡±


    Poti chuckled. ¡°Great? At what?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s nice,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give her that.¡± Poti sat the leg upright. ¡°What are you looking for, Myr? This thing was clogged with sand, ruining the last bits of functionality. Even without the sand, this thing was going to fail before the week was over. I don¡¯t have the materials or workshop to build a new one, and you don¡¯t have the favor to get an Abyssal leg without paying. What will it be?¡±


    ¡°I need it to respond properly so I can fight without Suta or a summon, if needed.¡±


    Poti leaned on the leg, using it to support her as she looked over Myrsvai. ¡°If you want to fight unhindered, you¡¯d let me make that left arm.¡±


    ¡°You know that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Suta won¡¯t open up until you do.¡± Poti grabbed the tongs and hefted the whole leg up. ¡°You want this scrap acting like a normal leg? Give me an hour.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be running into other heroes soon,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°They¡¯ll pass by. Do you need payment?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Payment?¡± Poti laughed. ¡°If I required payment, a goblin wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it. No, Myr¡¯s debt grows with each task. At least he had these mana crystals. Makes it a lot cheaper.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t try to scare Owin. My debt was cleaned as soon as I helped you,¡± Myrsvai said. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll call us even after this one.¡±


    Potirantoma grunted and lifted the sledgehammer. It glowed with abyssal fire. ¡°Fine.¡± She smashed it down, sending magenta sparks through the water. The mana crystals all pulsed in the leg, sending a wave of blue energy over the metal surface.


    Owin sat and watched while Myrsvai napped. The magus fell asleep so quickly that Owin hadn¡¯t even realized he was asleep until he looked back over. Watching Poti work was unlike anything Owin had seen, but he assumed it was similar to watching someone like Ernie work. If Owin had been able to see Ernie while he prepared the prazene antidote, he assumed it would have looked similar. After striking the leg a few more times with the hammer, Poti produced a sharp instrument that she used to dig inside the leg, causing it to spark and hum with energy. A few times, the energy came back up her instrument, shocking her arm with magic.


    ¡°Fuck me and the Revolting Imp!¡±


    Myrsvai partially stirred.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Potirantoma turned just far enough to look at Owin through her goggle. Her brow furrowed a bit under the bandana wrapping. ¡°My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°The Burning Workshop.¡± She jabbed the instrument back into the leg without looking. ¡°I thought that was obvious.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot about the Abyss. I thought everyone from there was evil.¡±


    Poti twisted the tool, which caused a burst of Abyssal flames mixed with mana crystal energy. She swore again and grabbed the tool with her metal arm, forcing it back into the leg. ¡°These damn crystals are trying to reject the Abyss. If I had a worker with me, they could take this apart.¡± She fully turned back to the leg and hunched over it as she twisted the tool again. Something cracked, causing a warm hum to emanate from within the leg.


    ¡°There it is.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you trying to take my job? Do you even know how to hold a hammer?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have a ham¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop distracting me.¡± She swapped back to the sledgehammer and smashed it against the ankle.


    While she worked, Poti held the leg with the tongs and manipulated it with precision. Without adding any new materials, the leg quickly looked different, causing strands of wires to appear that allowed her to bend and move the leg in ways it wouldn¡¯t before.


    ¡°Are you interested in alchemy?¡± Poti asked after about a half hour of working.


    ¡°Some of my friends are alchemists. That¡¯s all I know.¡±


    Poti looked at Owin for a second before pointing the sharp instrument at him. ¡°Deficient Wizard? And you¡¯re in a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say. Your attributes are broken. I¡¯d rather not agree with a cathkabel, but ¡®anomaly¡¯ might be the best thing to describe you. You were a mob?¡±


    ¡°I was until someone spilled an intelligence buff on me. It was permanent and . . .¡± Owin stuck out his arms. ¡°Here I am.¡±


    ¡°Goblins, hobgoblins, and claverstan have an affinity for demons. Do you feel that?¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± Owin squinted. He tried to think as hard as he could, cycling through as many words as he had learned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means.¡±


    She jabbed the instrument closer. ¡°Connection. Goblins often worship the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t worship anything.¡±


    ¡°No sane hero would. Everything in the dungeons is cursed.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Poti let the leg fall back to the sand.


    ¡°One boss I fought was called a ¡®Cursed.¡¯ What is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you fought a Cursed?¡± She picked the leg back up and stabbed at it a few times. Her tool burst into flames that quickly spread through the metal leg. ¡°How many times have you run into the cathkabel? A few if a priest came after you. Or was it after Myr? I¡¯m sure he pissed off Elysium.¡±


    ¡°They were after me. I ate Graliel¡¯s face. He¡¯s a quest boss on the second floor of the Ocean. I¡¯ve only seen the cathkabel the two times.¡±


    Poti chuckled. ¡°You are as insane as I expected. Gaining Elysium¡¯s ire in such a short time is an accomplishment all its own. As you likely guessed, we don¡¯t follow the same rules as other mobs.¡± She looked up. ¡°We¡¯re on the first floor now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re not going quick.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your pace. That means you will see this Graliel again on the second floor?¡±


    ¡°If we do the quest, yes. I don¡¯t know how to beat the quest. Last time I failed.¡±


    Poti waved her hand, cutting Owin off. ¡°None of that matters to me. When you see Graliel again, do you know what will be interesting?¡±


    Owin was looking forward to figuring out how to beat the quest and also getting a new version of the trident. The last one had warped under the heat of a Magma Mine on the fourth floor, so getting a replacement would be a priority.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Owin realized he had just been staring at the demon as she waited for an answer. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°The cathkabel will remember you. Especially you. There have been plenty who have been enemies of Elysium or the Abyss over the centuries, but to send a priest to a dungeon? That¡¯s a risk most Lords of the Abyss would never take. A death when one isn¡¯t a mob is permanent.¡±


    ¡°So Temikiel is . . .¡±


    ¡°Dead forever. What¡¯s left of him is in your stomach.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t taste good,¡± Owin said. ¡°The Malignant Spirit tasted better.¡±


    Poti froze. ¡°You ate the Malignant Spirit? In the Great Forest?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Well done. He¡¯ll regenerate. I wouldn¡¯t if you ate me now, so . . . don¡¯t eat me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it.¡±


    Poti grunted. ¡°Sure.¡± She drove the tool into the leg. ¡°Look at something else.¡±


    Owin shifted until he looked back at the schools of fish swimming about the open area. The passage with the snail that Ernie and Katalin had mentioned was cloaked in shadows. He was still curious about whatever beast lay inside, but Ernie had insisted it was too dangerous to take the risk, even if it was only the first floor.


    With all of his buffs, surely the snail couldn¡¯t be that strong.


    Potirantoma caused Myrsvai¡¯s leg to spark with abyssal fire. ¡°Damn thing. Who made this?¡± She grumbled to herself, muttering how she could make a better leg in her sleep or on her deathbed.


    ¡°Does the Malignant Spirit remember me too?¡±


    ¡°It might. Not sure the old bastard would care much. Demons and cathkabel are opposites in almost every way. If anything, the Spirit probably thought you eating it was commendable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that word.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well . . .¡± She shrugged and got a feedback of magic again from the leg. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Owin opened his index and looked at his attributes while listening to Potirantoma continue swearing and mumbling. Fish continued swimming about, occasionally casting a faint shadow over Owin. He stared at the absurd numbers of his attributes. They had grown so much since he first awoke, but was he really that much stronger? Every time they increased, he didn¡¯t feel stronger until he fought, but even fighting the cathkabel didn¡¯t make him feel powerful. He had a long way to go before he was going to conquer the whole Ocean Dungeon.


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 386


    Constitution: 290


    Dexterity: 235*


    Intelligence: 275


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160

 Book 3 - Chapter 11

    By the time Poti had finished her work, the leg looked like something entirely new. It was a bit leaner and was filled with strands of magenta energy like the fire covering her arm and leg. Only the foot remained the same solid steel it had been before. Bits of mana crystals were embedded throughout the upper part of the leg, with whole chunks of crystals remaining as the core.


    Owin had spent time watching Amkati wander about, passing by too far to notice, though Owin was sure the boss had seen the bright flames of the demon.


    Poti woke Myrsvai by smashing the top of the leg back into place, which apparently caused agonizing pain. Myrsvai woke up screaming, which didn¡¯t even cause Poti to flinch. She twisted it and fit it in place before Myrsvai finished squirming. Before he could swear or attack, Poti grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. Owin quickly grabbed his staff and placed it in his hand, helping Myrsvai balance.


    ¡°This . . .¡± He bent his knee and moved it in the air, balancing on one foot. He hopped to the prosthetic and balanced on that, even squatting with just the metal leg. ¡°Incredible job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. You owe me. And not some shit like¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Myrsvai interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ll gather the materials and summon you back in Atrevaar. We can make the trade in a few days when I¡¯m home. Same as always.¡±


    Potirantoma adjusted her grip on the sledgehammer. ¡°Fine, but if you¡¯re late, the debt goes up.¡±


    ¡°I thought you both said the debt was even,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t get anything,¡± Poti said.


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°He¡¯s learning.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Fine. Summon the bug before I go.¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s index appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t give him a boon. Thalgodin¡¯s is more useful.¡±


    ¡°Thal give him sight?¡±


    Myrsvai brought his staff down on the sand, causing abyssal flames to form beside Owin. Suta quickly appeared, stretching.


    ¡°Sight that should help us find the dungeon secrets.¡±


    She crouched in front of Suta, who blinked a few times. ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± Suta leaned forward, gently bumping his head against Poti¡¯s. ¡°Leg fixed?¡±


    ¡°It is. Take care of the old man. Can¡¯t rely on a goblin who eats demons.¡±


    ¡°Just the one so far,¡± Owin said.


    Poti pointed her fiery finger at him. ¡°You notice how he added ¡®so far?¡¯ That means he¡¯ll eat more.¡±


    ¡°Owin is friend.¡± Suta sidled over and put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°See?¡±


    Poti laughed. ¡°I do see that. Then you two go show those cathkabel beasts what we think.¡±


    ¡°You leave?¡±


    ¡°Schemers aren¡¯t made for fighting, and Myr needs to keep his mana high for a real fight. Are you using spells to help in fights?¡±


    Suta diverted his gaze and tried to subtly glance at Myrsvai, who was waiting with his eyebrows raised. ¡°No,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°If you use a spell, Myr might let me make an arm prosthetic.¡±


    Owin watched Myrsvai¡¯s expression darken. That one sentence made Suta slump.


    Poti placed her fiery arm on Suta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can do it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back in Atrevaar.¡±


    Poti stayed crouched and looked at Owin. ¡°Keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Myrsvai opened a portal underneath Potirantoma. She flashed a beautiful smile full of sharp teeth before disappearing back into the Abyss. She disappeared faster than Thalgodin had back in the secret.


    Suta kept his arm around Owin¡¯s shoulder. The familiar stared at the spot Poti had just been standing.


    ¡°Did you sleep?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. Rested.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a difference.¡±


    Myrsvai approached, walking deftly on his repaired leg. ¡°Ready to continue?¡±


    Owin gently moved Suta¡¯s arm from his shoulders. ¡°Do all magi have demons to summon? Poti fixing your leg was like having an alchemist to summon. If I could just summon Ernie when my knives broke, I would have the best weapons.¡±


    Myrsvai cracked a smile and walked on, making Owin rush after him. ¡°Most, if not all, Abyssal Magi have demons they summon. If they¡¯re newly level 15, they would only be able to summon random demons. I have the handful I have made deals with that will come when asked. I have to get the spell right, or I could summon one I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you summon demons without a deal?¡±


    ¡°Suta?¡±


    ¡°Fight,¡± Suta said, lifting his hands. The familiar walked on Owin¡¯s other side. He seemed as energized as he had been upon entering the dungeon. When Myrsvai had tired after using too many spells in the fortress, so did Suta. What would happen if Suta ran all over, tiring himself while Myrsvai sat still?


    ¡°Fight?¡± Owin repeated.


    ¡°Demons aren¡¯t the kind to willingly obey. Even the Lords fight their subordinates from time to time if a demon thinks they¡¯ve climbed high enough. As far as I¡¯m aware, no Lord has lost its position. At least not in my lifetime.¡±


    ¡°The Malignant Spirit didn¡¯t seem that strong. It did when I first fought it, I guess, but now I could rip it in half. I know it was only partially manifested, but I think I could beat it if it was fully manifested now,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°On Verdantallis, I am certain it would be a close fight, but you would come out on top. Probably with a full stomach.¡± Myrsvai paused at that comment, giving Owin a look.


    ¡°Do you want me to stop eating mobs?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just something new. Something to adjust to.¡±


    ¡°Gross,¡± Suta said. ¡°I want to try.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯re not eating mobs,¡± Myrsvai said quickly.


    ¡°Are you saying if I fought the Malignant Spirit in the Abyss it would be different?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. Demons and cathkabel lose power when they come to our world. The portals sap energy. If they were in our world long enough, I suppose they could return to their full power, but no magus is strong enough to keep a demon in Verdantallis that long. Not without Power 7. And even when I unlock Dreadlord¡¯s Ascendancy, I can¡¯t imagine a time when I would use it.¡±


    Owin stopped them in front of the snail¡¯s pass. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that spell is. I¡¯ve never heard of any Power 7 spells.¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for a lesson. What¡¯s through here?¡±


    ¡°A snail that Ernie wouldn¡¯t let me fight. I never stopped thinking about it. He didn¡¯t let me go through. We went that way and fought a single eel instead.¡± Owin pointed to the far path. ¡°We should go this way.¡±


    ¡°You want to fight this snail?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Eat it?¡± Suta asked.


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Owin shook his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea. Katalin was really specific about not eating things I wasn¡¯t familiar with.¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Bad idea.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Suta nodded again.


    ¡°Is it a boss?¡±


    ¡°Ernie didn¡¯t really tell me. I don¡¯t think it is. There are wandering bosses and chest guardians on every floor, but the first floor doesn¡¯t have a floor boss.¡± Owin stared into the dark pass. ¡°I don¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°Are you hoping to fight this on your own?¡±


    ¡°No. You two can help. They said it was dangerous, but not what made it dangerous. I don¡¯t want to die. I just want loot.¡± Owin tapped his fingers on the chitin breastplate. ¡°I have an armor set to complete.¡±


    ¡°The chances of you finishing an armor set in two trips is so incredibly low that you shouldn¡¯t risk yourself for any loot. You may find one more piece, but it is near impossible for you to find it all.¡±


    Owin smiled and waited for Myrsvai to look down. ¡°Is a goblin mob becoming self aware impossible?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Myrsvai smiled back. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m eager to fight for real. Using spells back in the fortress was invigorating. Mind if I take this one?¡±


    ¡°You can fight the snail and Amkati if you want. I can learn from watching.¡±


    ¡°Suta?¡±


    ¡°Fight.¡± Suta pushed past Owin with his arms up.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not what I was saying. You¡¯re going to watch me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Suta.¡±


    The familiar refused to turn around. He stood at the mouth of the pass, back facing Myrsvai. ¡°I will fight.¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t. I¡¯ll unsummon you if you aren¡¯t cooperating.¡±


    Suta didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°Suta.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous.¡±


    Myrsvai approached and silently stood beside the familiar. They both stared into the pass while Owin stood awkwardly behind them. Whatever moment they were having seemed important, and the last thing he needed to do was interrupt.


    ¡°Range,¡± Suta finally said.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll leave anything close quarters to you. The expert.¡± Myrsvai looked back at Owin. ¡°Stay ahead of me, with Suta, just in case.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    Suta held out his hand. When Owin got close, the familiar grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Protect.¡±


    ¡°I will, but I don¡¯t think he needs it.¡± Owin drew his knife. Without any luminous damage threatening them, he could use the lich bone knife again, which was undoubtedly the sharpest of the knives he had used.


    Suta guided Owin into the pass, which looked no different from the opposite side where Owin had gone before. It was dark and narrow with coral above and seaweed and moss growing below.


    Before long, a massive shape loomed in the dark. Myrsvai cast a light that revealed a long snail with an oblong shell. It had a single little tentacle-like appendage sticking out the front.


    ¡°Ew.¡±


    ¡°Thinking a cone snail is gross is absurd when you feast on mob flesh,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The little appendage wiggled. While it didn¡¯t look that dangerous, the snail was huge, especially compared to everything else on the first floor.


    Ocean Mob


    Amarvio


    Sea Snail


    Level 12


    ¡°What¡¯s a cone snail? That says sea snail.¡±


    ¡°Cone snails exist in Verdantallis. They look the same in every possible way, other than size. That¡¯s simply a cone snail.¡±


    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Incredibly so.¡± Myrsvai raised his staff. ¡°I¡¯ll end it.¡±


    ¡°End what?¡±


    As soon as Myrsvai¡¯s staff hit the ground, abyssal tentacles erupted all around the cone snail. They wrapped around the entire mob, crushing its shell immediately. It looked like the spell was trying to pull the creature into the Abyss, but without a portal, it was simply pulverized, leaving only chunks of shell and a thick cloud of blood. Not a single bit of flesh was left.


    Myrsvai nodded slowly. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°How was that so strong? What spell was that?¡±


    ¡°Dread Bind. Power 1.¡± Myrsvai strode to the edge of the blood cloud and waved his staff through it. ¡°I don¡¯t expect this to be toxic in any way. Cone snails are venomous, though that is from a gland.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to walk through first?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Abyssal Blast.¡± Mrysvai launched a spell through the center of the blood cloud, causing it to move outward as the water shifted. ¡°Now you can go through . . . Why did I receive experience for that?¡±


    Suta stayed in front of Myrsvai, allowing Owin to walk through the cloud first. They weren¡¯t far from the end of the pass, back near the stairs down to the second floor. As soon as Owin emerged from the pass, he found Amkati¡¯s legs still standing upright. The girhuma¡¯s torso and head were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Well, that is . . .¡± Myrsvai poked the legs with his staff, causing them to fall back and land in the sand. ¡°Accidental.¡±


    Some dungeon gold fell from the legs, which Suta immediately scooped up and placed in Myrsvai¡¯s bag.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it went last time,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I assume not. Apologies if you were hoping to stretch your legs in that fight.¡±


    ¡°No. Once was enough. Let¡¯s get down to the second floor so I can eat Graliel again.¡±


    ¡°Eat,¡± Suta said.


    Myrsvai walked to the edge of the stairs. ¡°Did you see the Void Nexus heroes while I slept?¡±


    ¡°No. I think they passed when we were in the fortress. We¡¯ll find them.¡± Owin was sure of it. He wasn¡¯t going to let them slip by and get their shards so easily.


    ¡°How do you think Vondaire is doing?¡±


    ¡°Probably too good.¡±


    Myrsvai grunted. ¡°See you on the other side.¡± He walked down and disappeared through the door with Suta at his side.


    Owin hopped down the stairs and stepped right through.


    ***


    Vondaire twirled a ghostblade around his index finger. The fish that stood before him wasn¡¯t any uglier than the rest of the lot, but the confidence it held was so beyond what it deserved that it had become even uglier in Vondaire¡¯s eye.


    Barracuda, the phyraena wizard floor boss, stood in front of the stairs, wand at the ready. His gills flared as he panted from stress. Vondaire had yet to move, and still the boss was bleeding from gashes all around his body.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°What do I gain from explaining anything to you?¡± Vondaire flicked the knife into the air and snatched it perfectly as it fell. ¡°I have to fight myself, you know, to stop going so quickly. Part of me, the part I wish I could squish, is curious to how the others are doing. Even if we are only newly comrades, we are comrades all the same. Did I feel anything for Taralim or the Unity Force?¡±


    The cetanthro boss blinked.


    ¡°Obviously not. Who could care for an army full of twats? The Nimble Hogs might be insufferable, but at least they mean well.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Barracuda asked.


    ¡°Soon enough, I won¡¯t hear that question anymore.¡± Vondaire flicked his wrist, sending the ghostblade right through the cetanthro¡¯s head. The mob¡¯s mana had already been drained, allowing the spell to slice right through the fish¡¯s flesh.


    Vondaire pushed the body aside with his foot and snatched a fish bone knife. It wasn¡¯t his style, but perhaps the damn goblin could use it. It wasn¡¯t as if Owin cared for his appearance anyway. He didn¡¯t have a style. None of the Hogs really did. They used any equipment they found, even if it didn¡¯t match.


    That was one thing that Vondaire would never understand. One of the things that would always separate him from the rest of his company.


    ¡°Fourth floor,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Not even halfway. When does the challenge begin?¡± He took each stair slowly, exaggerating his steps down. One last look back outside at the city and the wreck towering above it confirmed Owin and Myrsvai weren¡¯t catching up.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use waiting in the water when I could wait on the beach. I suppose I could use some sun. A bit of tanning would do me well. I just need to get the shard first.¡± He stepped through the void nexus, sending him down to the fifth floor.

 Book 3 - Chapter 12

    Ocean Dungeon


    Second Floor


    The kelp forest was more green than Owin had remembered. As soon as he emerged from the black doorway, he hopped off the stairs, passing right by Myrsvai and Suta.


    ¡°The girhuma village is this way.¡± He hurried through, pushing tall stalks of seaweed aside until the first little hut appeared in the distance. ¡°We can go right to Graliel¡¯s city if you want. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth looking through the village.¡±


    Within minutes, the glowing ball signaling a quest shone on the opposite end of the village. The girhuma stood in the same spot, staring off blankly in the distance. Before Owin could get close, a door flung open behind him, launching bubbles through the water.


    ¡°A spy!¡± A girhuma tripped out the door, falling right in front of Suta. The water elf scrambled, kicking sand up until it stood right in front of the familiar, pointing an accusatory finger that hung right between Suta¡¯s mandibles.


    Myrsvai used his staff to push the girhuma¡¯s hand aside. ¡°And who is he spying for?¡±


    The finned finger returned between Suta¡¯s mandibles. ¡°Algae suckers!¡±


    Suta closed his mouth, chomping the finger off. The girhuma pulled his hand back, screaming, and cradled it against his chest. He stumbled back, falling into the sand again.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He tried pointing a finger again, spilling more blood into the water. His screaming gathered the attention of the other girhuma, though they watched from a distance. ¡°Monster!¡±


    Suta pulled the finger from his mouth and wiggled it. ¡°Eat?¡±


    ¡°No, Suta.¡±


    Owin reached over the screaming water elf and snatched the finger from Suta¡¯s grip. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll give me any boosts, but I can eat it if you want.¡±


    Suta nodded excitedly.


    ¡°Owin . . .¡± Myrsvai sighed. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm.¡±


    Owin popped the finger in his mouth and crunched on the bones. ¡°It¡¯s salty. And not good.¡±


    ¡°You algae sucking freaks!¡±


    Myrsvai scowled. ¡°That sounds incredibly xenophobic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai jammed the butt of his staff through the girhuma¡¯s head, killing it instantly. ¡°I would explain, though I don¡¯t see it being a useful way to spend our time. Are those horrible looks from the other girhuma going to be an issue?¡±


    Water elves pressed their faces against windows. They were all staring. Even the cetanthro in the horrible disguise looked on as if Suta was a monster.


    ¡°No.¡± Owin stepped away from the corpse. His lying hadn¡¯t gotten better, which was clear from Myrsvai¡¯s immediate shift into battle mode. The water stirred around him and magenta flames swirled at the top of his staff.


    ¡°I guess we could just kill the whole village,¡± Owin said quietly. He didn¡¯t want to cause fear, but the girhuma weren¡¯t even scared. If anything, they were angry.


    Suta raised his fists. ¡°Fight.¡±


    ¡°I thought we could get the quest reward.¡±


    ¡°A quest reward would be helpful, but the experience may prove more beneficial at the moment.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s eyes glowed.


    ¡°Are you close to leveling up?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Owin stepped aside and gestured into the village. ¡°Kill away.¡±


    Suta vanished. Myrsvai stayed still, sending a barrage of abyssal spells through the water. Before any spells hit, Suta reached the girhuma with the quest and punched hard enough that his fist went straight through the mob¡¯s chest. A moment after, the Abyssal Barrage broke the windows, killing all the low level water elves immediately.


    ¡°Hm. Not quite enough experience. Where is Graliel?¡± Myrsvai set off into the village, walking with ease over the sand.


    ¡°There¡¯s a trap door over here.¡± Owin guided them to the house and hurried through to the trap door. Once he opened it, he stood aside, allowing Suta to drop through first. Myrsvai followed without hesitation.


    Soon, Owin would be showing people secrets and guiding them through the dungeon just like Artivan. He smiled and hopped into the trap door.


    Myrsvai tapped his staff against the brick wall surrounding the ladder while Suta stood idly in the middle. The familiar watched Owin land and waved, but didn¡¯t attempt to find a way out of the room.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret button.¡± Owin walked right over to the brick and firmly pressed it. The door ground open, revealing the tunnel full of mushrooms. ¡°Those are Green Death.¡±


    ¡°I see that.¡± Myrsvai strode right into the tunnel.


    ¡°Eat?¡± Suta asked as he hurried to get ahead of the magus.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re called Green Death because they will kill you.¡± Owin plucked a green mushroom. ¡°I think? I don¡¯t actually remember what Katalin said.¡± He tossed it over his shoulder and followed them.


    Last time, Katalin had been sure to collect the mushrooms, specifically to gift to Althowin. Owin saw no reason to gather them. Even if they sold well, he didn¡¯t plan to carry any potentially deadly mushrooms all the way through the tenth floor.


    The beautiful golden city of Ligala Lepis soon appeared like a magical mountain. Before Owin could stare in awe once again, he caught sight of the cetanthro in disguise. The same cetanthro who had certainly just died from Myrvai¡¯s blast.


    The creature ripped off the mask, revealing its hideous fish face. ¡°Fools,¡± the fish said. ¡°You have chased me to our holy city, Ligala Lepis.¡±


    ¡°Did I not just kill this mob?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°You did. I guess maybe it¡¯s just part of the whole floor?¡± Owin shrugged as he walked across the bridge.


    The cetanthro took a step back. ¡°Stay back, beast!¡±


    Owin took another step, which the cetanthro matched backward. Before he could continue toying with the mob, Suta came flying overhead, tackling the fish to the ground. Bubbles trailed the familiar and soon vanished as a cloud of blood blossomed from the dead mob. Suta stood with chunks of cetanthro fish in his hands.


    ¡°No eat?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to eat them either.¡±


    Suta nodded and tossed the chunks to the side.


    The city glistened as a shining white figure descended from above. Instead of falling, Graliel slowly glided down with his feathered wings outstretched, landing so gently that not even the sand was disturbed. His seaweed crown swayed in the water and his trident shone with the same beautiful light as the rest of the city.


    ¡°What the fuck,¡± Graliel said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have assumed cathkabel could use that word.¡± Myrsvai crossed the bridge and waved his staff through the blood cloud, helping disperse some of it.


    ¡°What happened to Temikiel?¡±


    ¡°I ate him,¡± Owin said. He grabbed Suta and guided the familiar back toward Myrsvai. ¡°He¡¯s mine.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Impossible. Temikiel is a Priest of the Globe. A mere goblin couldn¡¯t handle that type of luminous power.¡± Graliel shoved the butt of the trident into the sand, letting it stand on its own. ¡°That umbra said you would be here. I didn¡¯t believe him.¡±


    ¡°Vondaire? Did you two fight?¡± Owin tried to imagine what a fight between the two would look like. It had to have been quick.


    ¡°Yes. It was a long, arduous battle, which he unfortunately won.¡± Graliel looked over his shoulder at the golden city. ¡°If you insist on killing me, can you at least not devour me this time?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fight?¡± Owin walked right up to the cathkabel. Graliel¡¯s huge silver eyes stared straight down at Owin.


    ¡°If Temikiel cannot kill you, neither can I.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the secret on this floor?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°If you tell me where the secret is, I won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Graliel¡¯s eyes flicked to Suta and Myrsvai, who stood a few feet back. ¡°What of your allies?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll do what I ask.¡±


    ¡°No eating,¡± Suta said.


    Graliel stroked his small chin. ¡°An intriguing offer. How would Sloswen or the emperor feel if I assisted you?¡±


    Owin tried to think of an answer, but he didn¡¯t know Sloswen or the emperor. Sloswen, as the god of the Ocean, had never talked to Owin like Ruvaine had back in the Great Forest. He had only heard the name mentioned a few times.


    ¡°Sloswen is a forgiving god,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°And what would a pawn of the Abyss know of the mighty Sloswen?¡±


    ¡°I have studied nearly every piece of literature on the gods of Verdantallis.¡±


    ¡°Did those stories ever mention Ruvaine letting a goblin escape?¡± Graliel asked.


    ¡°I was just telling Myrsvai that I don¡¯t like to cause fear. I don¡¯t like people being scared. We talked a lot about remembering deaths and how horrible it would have been for me back in the goblin caves if I remembered every time I was killed.¡± Owin pulled the golden trident from the sand before Graliel could react. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any of that for you.¡±


    Graliel took a huge step backward. ¡°The secret is this way.¡± He gestured toward the city.


    ¡°It¡¯s in Ligala Lepis? Not above?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see it or not?¡± The cathkabel grumbled and walked ahead.


    ¡°Is he actually showing us or is he going to try to ambush us somewhere within? Walking into a luminous city does feel a little foolish, even if we did just storm a cathkabel fortress,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s going to show us. If not, I¡¯ll kill him. The guards were easy to manage last time, and we¡¯re all strong enough to be fine.¡± Owin set off after the cathkabel. ¡°Just follow my lead.¡±


    The golden city was no less unique than the first time Owin saw it. Graliel waited between the first archways near a cetanthro guard. The mob didn¡¯t react at all upon Owin¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Are the mobs going to be hostile?¡± Myrsvai asked, keeping a wary eye on the huge guard.


    ¡°Not this time. Usually they would smell your filthy abyssal stink from miles away, and that would be enough to cause aggression. By my command, they will allow you to pass.¡± Graliel walked part way up the stairs. ¡°If you go back on your word, all of Elysium will know of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care about Elysium, but I try not to lie,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Will another priest try to stop us in this secret?¡±


    ¡°If they could appear anywhere they wanted, they would have already ambushed you and cut you to pieces.¡± Graliel made a point of looking at Myrsvai¡¯s missing arm. ¡°Pieces they could send to the Lords.¡±


    ¡°Owin is strong enough to kill you, but I can cause a lot more pain with my magic.¡±


    Suta chirped and lifted his hands.


    ¡°Apologies. This way.¡± Graliel continued straight ahead on the second floor, leading into the massive, bountiful garden Owin had briefly spotted on his first visit. Cetanthro darted about the room, caring for and harvesting all sorts of underwater plants. All of the fish were so focused that they didn¡¯t even pay their lord any attention as Graliel weaved between garden beds.


    ¡°This is an incredible place,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°It¡¯s better seeing it like this. Last time, Ernie had to use grenades and covered most of the city in blood.¡±


    ¡°It was clean by the time I respawned,¡± Graliel said, standing at the threshold to the next area. There was more garden beyond, but instead of small plants, it was a room filled with seaweed that bent as it grew against the ceiling. ¡°Clean other than the crater you left me.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Graliel continued once Myrsvai and Suta were reasonably close. He walked directly to the back corner of the room and gestured to a solid golden wall. ¡°The secret. May I go?¡±


    ¡°I did just promise not to eat you, you know. I could still kill you.¡±


    The cathkabel scowled. He pressed a hidden button that Owin would have never found, causing a hidden door to slide open. Inside was a long room with a statue of a multi-limbed figure on the far side. Various cetanthro were kneeling before the statue, only turning as the door grinded open.


    ¡°They are praying to . . . Sloswen,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°The hidden sect of Ligala Lepis. A sect that worships Sloswen as a cathkabel. There is a whole story behind it, but I have to assume the goblin doesn¡¯t care and won¡¯t let me tell the story.¡± Graliel stared at a piece of seaweed. ¡°I might as well just lay myself on the trident and get it over with.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually need to kill you,¡± Owin said. ¡°You¡¯re making me feel bad.¡±


    ¡°I did not think you were capable of it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me want to kill you again.¡±


    Graliel sighed and leaned against the golden wall. He lazily gestured inside. ¡°Despite how it looks, this is less intense than Venoliel¡¯s fortress that you so happily destroyed.¡±


    Owin stuck his head inside. There were two chests on the opposite wall, flanking the statue, but nothing else that really looked like the other secrets he had seen.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the secret and not just a closet?¡±


    ¡°Do you think cathkabel keep fish in their closets?¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°Every secret I¡¯ve seen has a void nexus door.¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. They have a void gateway, just like you took from the water elf village to get here.¡±


    ¡°Void gateway?¡± Myrsvai tapped Graliel with his staff, causing the cathkabel to squeak. ¡°While Owin is inside, you and I are going to chat.¡±


    Graliel tried to inch away, but Suta was already on his other side. ¡°Chat?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The difference of nexus and gateway. I don¡¯t pass on the opportunity to learn.¡±


    ¡°If I teach you . . .¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you live.¡± Myrsvai held out his hand. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Graliel nodded toward Suta. ¡°What about the insect?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll do what I ask.¡±


    ¡°No eating,¡± Suta said again.


    ¡°I¡¯d feel safer if he went inside with the goblin.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Suta said immediately.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be going anywhere. Owin?¡±


    Owin nodded and fully entered the weird closet. All the cetanthro stayed on their knees as they watched Owin slowly descend the small staircase. ¡°Hi.¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He looked back and forth as he walked through, stopping only when he stood before the statue of Sloswen. He didn¡¯t like having his back to a dozen fish, but he hadn¡¯t seen weapons and a quick glance confirmed that none had moved.


    Owin poked the statue, which caused the whole room to gasp. ¡°Does he talk?¡±


    ¡°Filthy goblin, touching the statue of Lord Sloswen!¡± More cetanthro cried out, repeating the similar things. Still, they remained on their knees.


    Owin poked the statue again. ¡°You don¡¯t like this?¡±


    ¡°If Lord Graliel didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin stopped poking the statue. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll just take the loot and leave you alone to cry at your statue.¡± He opened the chest and immediately started laughing.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Myrsvai shouted from the doorway.


    Owin held up the right pauldron of the chitin armor. ¡°Look!¡±


    ¡°Incredible!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Graliel said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t put this here. Do you even know what¡¯s in the chests?¡± Owin walked to the other chest. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s in here before I open it.¡±


    ¡°Mana potion,¡± Graliel said immediately.


    ¡°You think a chest in a secret would have a plain mana potion?¡± Owin opened the chest just enough to peek inside. ¡°Do you want to change your guess?¡±


    ¡°I have little experience with secrets, and even I know that was a terrible guess,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What do you all want from me? You threaten me and drag me through my own city, then you harass me in front of my followers.¡± Graliel slumped. ¡°It¡¯s been a terrible day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you spend most days getting killed?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I kill some heroes.¡± Graliel adjusted his seaweed crown, scowling the whole time. ¡°I kill more than kill me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin opened the chest and pulled out a purple potion.


    ¡°I said it was a potion!¡±


    ¡°Purple,¡± Suta said, pointing at Owin. ¡°Mana is blue.¡±


    Journeyman Constitution Buff


    +20 Constitution


    Duration: ???


    Owin immediately drank the potion and tossed the empty bottle back into the chest. He had enough bottles with all of the potions filling his bag.


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 386


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 235*


    Intelligence: 275


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    ¡°Is this all there is?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°If you killed all the cetanthro, you would find more gold. Please leave them alone. They¡¯re doing no harm.¡±


    Owin slowly walked back through the worshipers, who did indeed return to worshiping the statue of Sloswen as soon as Owin passed.


    ¡°Do you need the trident?¡± Graliel asked.


    Owin was still holding the weapon. ¡°I was hoping to get a new one. I broke the last one I took from you.¡±


    ¡°What am I meant to fight with?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it respawn?¡±


    ¡°Not until my death.¡±


    Owin rolled his eyes and handed the trident back. ¡°At least I got this.¡± He attached the pauldron, causing the description to appear in his vision.


    Crab Chitin Pauldron - Right


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Crab Chitin armor set is formed of broken pieces of chitin from crab mobs throughout the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. Acts as normal armor unless the hero has acquired the complete set.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch. Cannot be unbound.


    Note: Current Crab Chitin set - 3/8


    ¡°Do you think I can find five more pieces?¡±


    It was silent for a long stretch as Graliel polished the trident, trying to rid it of Owin¡¯s fingerprints. Finally, the cathkabel realized they were all looking at him. ¡°How am I meant to know? If you stop in every secret, there is a strong likelihood you will find more pieces. All five? Impossible to say. Now, it appears we are done here. Am I allowed to return to my roost?¡±


    ¡°How long ago was Vondaire here?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I am unsure of the timing. I would estimate he is nearing the end of the third floor, though he is considerably stronger than most heroes without a shard. Perhaps he is somewhere on the fourth?¡± Graliel turned and strode along the line of seaweed. ¡°If you are hoping to catch him, these detours are not going to help.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t trying to catch him. Am I going to see other cathkabel in the dungeon?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That, I cannot answer. Anything about what lies beyond would gather ire that I do not wish to manage. At least showing you the secret in Ligala Lepis is within my control, as the holy city is my domain.¡± Graliel stopped at the archway leading back to the small plant section. ¡°Will I ever have to see you again?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Owin said. ¡°Twice is enough.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. If the emperor sends anymore after you, don¡¯t mention me. I¡¯d like to stay on my own here in Ligala Lepis.¡±


    ¡°Coward,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°And you¡¯re an abyssal bastard.¡± Graliel turned his back to them. ¡°Goodbye forever, Owin.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They all watched the cathkabel leave. Graliel glanced over his shoulder, then quickly ran, disappearing around the corner.


    ¡°Was that a good idea?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It is difficult to say. I¡¯m sure we will find out before long. Is there anything else you would like to do here?¡±


    ¡°No. I think we¡¯ve spent enough time in cathkabel places.¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind stretching my legs a bit. A race back to the tunnel?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Before Owin could answer, Suta launched himself through the room, smashing his way straight through the stalks of seaweed. Myrsvai and Owin both took off as fast as they could, leaving a trail of bubbles.

 Book 3 - Chapter 13

    Yellow light flashed around Siora as she cut down another fish. Nikoletta screamed to the side as she bashed in skull after skull. They had already created quite the pile of dead cetanthro, and the pile was only going to grow as they brought more and more of the swarm toward them.


    They hadn¡¯t made it far before something triggered aggression, but Siora didn¡¯t mind. In fact, she was thriving in the battle.


    Nikoletta flashed as she too leveled up. The mender cackled and swung her mace hard enough to nearly tear the head straight off a fish. ¡°This is what we needed!¡±


    Telekinetic magic caused the water to stir as Codhyses killed his own share of the swarm. Siora had been hesitant to take on a new recruit, but the magus was proving himself useful. He was smart, and his telekinesis was stronger than she had expected.


    Water boiled as Siora swung her glowing sword, easily slicing through the head of another cetanthro. In the brief lull, she looked over her shoulder, back toward the stairs. Where was the goblin? He should be ahead, but they were moving quickly and she had yet to see any signs that he was close by. If they were within a half hour, she should notice something.


    Her sword easily pierced another cetanthro¡¯s heart as one of the brutes charged her. She tore it out and nearly blinded herself with all the blood. It didn¡¯t truly matter where the goblin was.


    Veph wanted to see what he was capable of before any harm befell him. She had her own complicated plan, and Siora had no choice but to be part of it.


    Another pawn in another game.


    ***


    Myrsvai was fast, Suta was faster, and Owin made them both look like they had just learned to run. He ran so fast, even through the water, that he crashed straight into the wall behind the ladder, unable to slow himself down.


    It was undoubtedly the fastest he had ever moved. If he had tried to do the same thing on the surface, it felt like he would have actually started flying.


    ¡°Too fast,¡± Suta said as he actually slowed himself down and hopped onto the ladder.


    Myrsvai burst through the tunnel a short moment later and kicked up sand as he stopped himself. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    Owin pulled himself out of the broken stone wall. ¡°If I get my dexterity even higher, I¡¯ll get faster.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how that works, Owin.¡± Myrsvai followed Suta up the ladder, back onto the second floor.


    Owin waited until Myrsvai was gone through the black doorway and jumped, easily making it up into the house. ¡°I meant my dexterity makes me even faster because of Goblin Cunning.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Myrsvai said. He poked the dead cetanthro body inside with his staff. The fish was missing a whole section of its chest from the earlier Abyssal Barrage. They had spent so little time in Ligala Lepis that the mobs hadn¡¯t yet respawned. ¡°Do I know what that is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We can talk about it later. We should go fight Etosai.¡±


    ¡°Etosai,¡± Suta said as he jumped through a window, shattering the glass.


    Myrsvai opened the door and waited for Owin to exit. ¡°Is Etosai a boss?¡±


    ¡°The wandering boss. He¡¯s a big crab that might drop a fourth piece of my armor. He¡¯s a crab, but he¡¯s not this color of crab.¡± Owin poked the red chitin on his chest. ¡°But I think it¡¯s still the same as my armor? I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Suta waited for them at the edge of the village. ¡°Crab?¡±


    Owin nodded, then stopped. ¡°Wait, you know about Etosai?¡±


    ¡°Crab?¡± Suta pointed to the side where a normal crab stood menacingly.


    Myrsvai gestured with his staff, causing tendrils to erupt and crush the crab, swiftly killing it. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to kill the boss too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I just need to stop at the trader to buy a buff.¡± Owin checked the crab for loot and found a piece of gold, which he gave to Suta. They continued through the kelp forest while Owin used his map as guidance to follow roughly the same path he had traveled last time.


    Before long, he reached Arimeda and bought a buff. Myrsvai looked through her inventory, but decided he didn¡¯t need anything at the moment.


    +20 Dexterity


    Dexterity: 255*


    ¡°Do you feel faster?¡± Myrsvai asked, somewhat sarcastically.


    ¡°Probably, but I won¡¯t be able to tell by racing either of you.¡±


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°Other than Etosai, is there anything else on this floor? What about the chest?¡±


    ¡°Protected by Baby Head. Remember the horror I told you that almost killed me?¡±


    ¡°From drinking its blood?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Hey, wait. No. I didn¡¯t drink it. Some just went in my mouth while I was fighting. Or something. I don¡¯t know. I am smart enough to know not to eat everything.¡±


    ¡°Owin, didn¡¯t you just eat a girhuma finger because Suta asked you to?¡±


    Owin started walking through the seaweed forest. ¡°Where¡¯s Etosai? Last time I fought him right here.¡±


    Suta stayed closer to Myrsvai now that Owin was walking ahead. It felt a bit odd leading, but he did like it. Especially when he actually knew where he was going. Within a few minutes, the seaweed nearby flattened as the ground rumbled.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Owin asked.


    Magenta flames swirled around the end of Myrsvi¡¯s staff, then vanished, appearing instead around Suta¡¯s hands. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Suta smash.¡± The familiar bashed his fists together.


    Etosai barreled through the last of the seaweed and was met with the little, flaming fist of a three foot tall familiar. The single strike caused cracks to spiderweb through the entirety of Etosai¡¯s chitin. Suta threw his right fist, still cloaked in abyssal flame, and hit the exact same spot, shattering Etosai¡¯s chitin. What was left could only be described as a fleshy, naked creature.


    A single Abyssal Blast from Myrsvai put a hole straight through the boss, killing it before Etosai could even get off a single attack.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that easy when I fought him,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°You were weaker than you are now. I am certain you would have handled the boss just as easily as I have. Suta?¡±


    The familiar lifted part of the corpse, causing a piece of red armor to fall out.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Is luck an attribute?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta reached for the chitin armor, but stopped as Owin shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡±


    Suta dropped the corpse and lifted his hands into the air. ¡°No touch.¡±


    Owin grabbed the piece of chitin from the sand, which binded to him upon picking it up. It was a right gauntlet that left his palm and fingers exposed while covering the back of his hand and most of his forearm. He wiggled his hand back and forth and held the lich bone knife, making sure the armor wouldn¡¯t impede his use of the weapon.


    ¡°You¡¯re halfway there,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I have two things I¡¯m collecting now.¡± Owin placed the knife back in his belt, satisfied that he would be able to wield it without difficulty.


    ¡°Two? Armor and buffs? I don¡¯t know if I would call that collecting the same way I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m collecting experience.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me!¡± Owin immediately opened his index, flipped to his spells, and found his newest spell. Without waiting or explaining, he selected Summon the Withered Shade. A pulse of energy burst from Owin, disturbing the water in all directions.


    Gray, dust-like particles swirled through the water, gathering at a point just in front of Owin. Myrsvai summoned abyssal flames that coated his staff, while Suta readied his fists to punch whatever arrived.


    ¡°It¡¯s my spell,¡± Owin said, holding his hand out.


    Myrsvai relaxed, but didn¡¯t release the abyssal flames he had gathered.


    Suta sidled up with his arms down. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. Remember the gray foot you found?¡±


    Suta nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°This is what it gave me.¡±


    All the gray particles collided and released another pulse of energy through the water. A flash blinded Owin. He felt Suta grab his shoulder and pull him back as the familiar moved in front to protect Owin from whatever he had just summoned.


    Owin blinked away the blindness quickly and calmed Suta as a simple gray skeleton stood before them.


    A Cursed has been summoned


    The Withered Shade


    Summon of Owin


    ¡°A Cursed?¡±


    ¡°Does it not have a level?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Owin took a step closer to it. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± it repeated.


    Owin tilted his head. The Withered Shade did the same, mirroring Owin. It looked as though it was made from the same dust-like material as the pieces had been, which made sense when Owin actually thought about it.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The Withered Shade.¡± The skeleton held up one finger. ¡°Incorrect. Part of the Withered Shade.¡±


    Myrsvai slowly approached, but was stopped by Suta. ¡°Shade, what can you tell us about yourself?¡±


    It turned its eyeless face to Myrsvai. ¡°I am a specter undead hybrid creature formed from the hidden bones through the seven dungeons of Verdantallis.¡±


    ¡°Specter undead hybrid? That¡¯s an incredibly powerful combination.¡±


    ¡°Artivan and I fought something like that right before I found the first bone. It was a wight.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Wights are quite the powerful enemies. But this Withered Shade is not anyone I have seen mentioned in the books I¡¯ve read. You¡¯re found in all seven dungeons?¡±


    ¡°Pieces.¡± The skeleton moved in sudden, jerky spasms like it didn¡¯t quite know how to move with its own body. ¡°I have been stuck in the same box for fifty years.¡± It held its hands in front of its face and screamed. ¡°Where¡¯s my skin?¡±


    Owin¡¯s eyes were open about as wide as they could be as he looked to Myrsvai, who had taken an involuntary step back. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Myrsvai practically whispered.


    ¡°Naked,¡± Suta said, pointing at the skeleton.


    The Withered Shade looked down and screamed again. ¡°I don¡¯t even have a penis!¡±


    ¡°Did you before?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Would I be panicking over something like this if it wasn¡¯t new?¡± The Withered Shade placed its face in its hands then pulled back after remembering they were bone. ¡°This is horrible. And we¡¯re in water? Put me back in my box. This is atrocious.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I was expecting.¡± Owin took a step closer to the skeleton. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    The skeleton squatted until it was eye level with Owin. Its eyes were pits that showed the inside of the skull. ¡°Uh, are you, possibly, a really ugly child?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s somehow not the first time someone said that.¡± Owin scowled. ¡°I¡¯m your master. I think.¡± He looked at Myrsvai. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s complicated. Technically, yes. What do you think, Suta?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Master? Ha.¡± The Withered Shade poked Owin in the chest with enough force to make him take a step back. ¡°My masters are long dead.¡±


    ¡°I summoned you.¡±


    ¡°You''re not the first.¡± The skeleton stood, stretched, and yawned, then seemed to remember it had no muscles that needed stretching. ¡°Why did you summon me? Where are we? In a pond?¡±


    ¡°The Ocean Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°So a big pond? Got it. Understood, Master.¡± The skeleton saluted. ¡°What are my orders?¡±


    Owin scratched his head. The Withered Shade certainly wasn¡¯t what he had been expecting. It was annoying. ¡°I think I¡¯m just going to unsummon you. Maybe I¡¯ll stop collecting the bones.¡± Owin opened his index.


    ¡°Wait, no.¡± The skeleton squatted again. ¡°Tell me about yourself. What kind of coffee do you like?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Iced? Hot?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    An Abyssal Blast smacked the skeleton in the side of the head, causing no visible damage.


    The Withered Shade slowly turned toward Myrsvai. ¡°Was that necessary?¡±


    ¡°I had to test a theory.¡±


    ¡°Was that theory that you¡¯re rude?¡±


    ¡°Something similar. If you¡¯re a Cursed, do you know of the Sovereign One?¡±


    ¡°The Doomed Harbinger? That old bastard? I¡¯ve heard of him. Never met him. Not all Cursed are related, you know. In fact, none of us are related. Or, perhaps, we are and they¡¯re all distant cousins. You know I once had this cousin that really liked to stab things.¡± The skeleton mimicked stabbing really aggressively. ¡°We had stopped inviting him to family functions. The whole murder thing left everyone bummed, you know?¡±


    Owin poked the skeleton between the eye sockets. ¡°We didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°About my stabby cousin?¡± the skeleton asked.


    ¡°No. About the Cursed. You¡¯re only the second one I¡¯ve seen. Tell me more about the Cursed.¡±


    The Withered Shade looked at the ground. He stuck his finger in the sand and swirled it about. ¡°Not here. Not when a god can hear.¡±


    ¡°If I summon you outside the dungeon?¡±


    The skeleton nodded.


    ¡°Can you fight?¡±


    ¡°In this form?¡± The Withered Shade waved his hands through the water. ¡°Maybe. Does anyone have a lute?¡±


    ¡°Are you an entertainer?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    The Withered Shade shrugged. ¡°I could find out if I had a lute. Look, it¡¯s been a good few decades since I¡¯ve been out and about, or however they say that now. Took you long enough to find three pieces.¡±


    Suta slowly approached and poked the skeleton in the side of the skull. The Withered Shade didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Who summoned you last?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I forgot her name. A 3 Shard Hero. A hunter, I believe. Died against Crusader, of all the bosses.¡± The Withered Shade stood back up, startling Suta. ¡°I would love to be anywhere but in Sloswen¡¯s domain, but I suppose I can¡¯t convince you to slip out the exit and find a better dungeon?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to conquer this one.¡± Owin started walking toward Baby Head and the next set of stairs. Suta and Myrsvai didn¡¯t wait to follow, but the Withered Shade remained standing in place.


    ¡°I would offer to pay you, but you would see if I had any money. They don¡¯t put pockets on these things,¡± the Shade said as he grabbed his hips.


    ¡°We¡¯re only going down,¡± Owin called over his shoulder.


    ¡°The stairs only work one way.¡± The skeleton ran, pushing past Myrsvai and Suta, until he caught up and walked beside Owin.


    ¡°The Ocean Dungeon goes down.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you meant. I did not think you meant it that way. Got it. Yes, sir. Wait, yes, Master. Got to make sure I get that title right. Wouldn¡¯t want to piss off my great lord.¡± The Shade gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°His almighty lord sir.¡±


    ¡°Did somebody kill you out of hatred?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°If only life had been so simple.¡± The Withered Shade pushed aside a stalk of seaweed and pointed. ¡°Look, the exit. We could slip right out and forget Sloswen¡¯s wet domain ever existed.¡±


    Baby Head hissed at their arrival.


    ¡°That¡¯s Baby Head?¡± Myrsvai asked. ¡°Intriguing. I do love Horrors.¡±


    ¡°But not Cursed? I won¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°Owin, I might need you to unsummon this creature if he doesn¡¯t stop talking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The Shade bowed to Myrsvai. ¡°Do I have two masters?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said. ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll make you go away.¡±


    The Shade stepped back and gestured for Owin to move forward.


    ¡°Can you fight Baby Head this time? I can get the snakes if you want.¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s staff glowed magenta as abyssal flames appeared. ¡°I can handle them all. The chest is yours though. Don¡¯t bother arguing. I insist. You have already given me enough with the secret chest and your time. Ready, Suta?¡±


    Suta lifted his hands. ¡°Fight.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 14

    Ilthaman the Prazene, better known as Baby Head the Horror, skittered across the ruins. The four legs protruding from the top of its head were long and thin with needle-like points, yet they somehow managed to cling onto the stone ruins. It ran to the corner of the ruins, hissing loudly.


    ¡°That thing is horrific.¡± The Shade looked back and forth, staring at each of them in turn with its empty eyes. ¡°Get it?¡±


    ¡°What happens if Suta drinks Baby Head¡¯s blood?¡± Owin asked. He could only think about the horrible pain he had felt when he had accidentally drank some.


    ¡°Familiars are resistant to poisons, and even if one does take hold, unsummoning Suta should cause the poisoning to vanish. They cannot take damage when they aren¡¯t in our world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true,¡± the Withered Shade said. ¡°Depending on the poison, it could linger. He might not die while unsummoned, but the poison could reactivate.¡±


    Suta, who obviously hadn¡¯t been listening, slowly approached the edge of the ruins. Baby Head hissed louder, skittering along the edge of the wall without slipping or floating away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a poison,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°As much as I love lying, uh . . . I¡¯m not?¡± The skeleton scratched its head, which made a horrible noise as bone scratched bone.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, I don¡¯t believe Horror blood would fall into that category.¡±


    The skeleton shrugged and wandered a few steps away. Owin waited, seeing what the Withered Shade would do before turning back to Suta, who now stared back at them.


    ¡°Would you like assistance?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Suta shook his head. He wiggled his fingers before clenching them back into fists.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like watching other people fight,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And why not? Is Suta not capable?¡±


    ¡°We both know he is.¡± Owin bounced on his feet a little like he had seen Suta do in the past. He hopped back and forth, hovering a tiny bit as the water didn¡¯t let him drop quickly.


    ¡°Do you enjoy fighting?¡±


    ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯re missing out?¡±


    Owin stopped hopping. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last time I fought Baby Head I almost died.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you are worried for Suta instead?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Is abyssal even strong against Horrors?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Withered Shade said. ¡°Horrors are resistant to abyssal and luminous damage.¡±


    Suta looked back. His mandibles twitched.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need his demon side. Do you know why?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Owin didn¡¯t know why. An abyssal familiar took its power from the Abyss. What other side was there?


    Suta lifted his wrapped hands and jabbed.


    ¡°As much as I wish Suta would use spells, I cannot deny that he has more than excelled in his training to become a martial artist. The Horror might be resistant to abyssal damage, but it is not resistant to blunt force trauma. Suta?¡±


    The familiar nodded and leapt onto the ruins. Baby Head immediately charged, followed closely by all the snakes. Suta landed gently on his clawed feet with his hands still raised.


    ¡°This is the most interesting thing I¡¯ve seen in fifty years.¡± The Shade walked back over with his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first thing you¡¯ve seen in fifty years?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Baby Head launched itself at Suta, stabbing wildly with its long legs. Suta ducked and maneuvered around each attack, gently redirecting any close calls with the back of his fist. As a snake lunged, Suta caught it a few inches from his face and whipped it to the side. He misstepped, allowing Baby Head to graze his thigh with its foot.


    Owin stepped, but was immediately stopped by Myrsvai¡¯s staff.


    ¡°Do not underestimate him.¡±


    ¡°Horrific damage¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of its effects. So is he.¡±


    Suta let another leg graze him, taking the opportunity to catch the leg. He pulled Baby Head closer and slammed his other fist right between its dead eyes. The horror managed to live, but was launched back toward the boundary.


    Suta still held Baby Head¡¯s dismembered leg. He took one look at it and tossed it aside. The rest of the snakes lunged, forcing Suta into a series of twists and attacks. Two snakes landed bites on the familiar¡¯s arm while he killed two others. A quick bash of his fist on both snakes that clung to his arm easily killed the mobs.


    Baby Head limped across the broken bridge. Blood drifted from its mouth and leg, leaving a dark cloud of toxic blood behind it. Suta shook out his arm, which was releasing its own small stream of blood from the snake bites.


    He pointed at Baby Head, who hissed in return.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Having fun.¡±


    Suta approached slowly, letting his arms hang at his sides. As soon as he was within range, Baby Head stabbed with its remaining front leg, which caused it to lose balance and wobble in the water.


    Suta slipped in close and hit Baby Head in the exact same place as before. The Horror¡¯s legs fully slipped out, causing it to crash onto the stone. Suta kicked it and sent the mob flying through the water until it smashed into the boundary wall.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta jumped back down and poked at the holes in his arm.


    ¡°Painful?¡±


    Suta shook his head. He poked at the holes again. ¡°Next floor.¡±


    ¡°We need to loot first,¡± Owin said. He took Suta¡¯s arm. ¡°Do you need a potion?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He covered the wounds with his hand. ¡°Bleeding will stop.¡±


    Owin looked to Myrsvai, who nodded toward the ruins.


    ¡°Go see if you can find more armor.¡±


    Owin jumped onto the ruins and was surprised as the Withered Shade landed right beside him.


    ¡°Are you following me?¡±


    ¡°How do you know I wasn¡¯t going to jump up here first?¡±


    Owin stared blankly at the skeleton.


    ¡°You are my summoner. I have to follow you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. You have to?¡±


    ¡°Did I misspeak? Would you like me to phrase it in the rough language of goblins?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean swearing?¡± Owin walked past the skeleton, quickly checking each of the snake bodies for any loot. He gathered a few pieces of gold and slipped them into his bag. Baby Head¡¯s corpse had drifted back down and landed near the stairs. While Owin wanted to check the boss¡¯s body, he would leave it for Suta. Getting near a bleeding corpse was just asking for problems. And without Ernie, Owin couldn¡¯t imagine making it out alive.


    ¡°Obviously I mean swearing. What else do goblins do? Break furniture? Eat a pound or two of human flesh? How many people have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°None. Well, not people.¡±


    ¡°You certainly need to explain that one.¡±


    Owin reached the chest and peeked backward. The Withered Shade stood directly behind him, just waiting. The skeleton even reached out to poke the boundary wall.


    ¡°Can you give me some space?¡±


    ¡°Is that a command?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Withered Shade took a step back. ¡°Do I need to sit here and wither away waiting to hear an explanation about your feasting or were you hoping to tell me something soon?¡±


    ¡°Is that a joke?¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Which part?¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®wither away.¡¯¡±


    The Withered Shade crouched. ¡°Perhaps it is best to leave the jokes up to me. Are we looting or talking about your eating habits?¡±


    ¡°I just eat cathkabel, demons, and ocular.¡±


    The Withered Shade looked backward by turning its head all the way around. ¡°Do your abyssal friends know of your diet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not a diet. I just eat them to get attributes.¡±


    ¡°Now I need more of an explanation.¡±


    ¡°Can you go wait with Myrsvai and Suta? It would be great if you could ask Suta to check Baby Head¡¯s body.¡±


    The Withered Shade stood and bowed. ¡°Whatever you wish.¡± The skeleton walked across the ruins, kicked a dead snake, and jumped off.


    Owin waited a few seconds, fully expecting to see the skeleton reappear. Finally, Owin opened the chest and found a small pile of gold. He sighed and scooped it into his bag. By the time he walked back to the edge of the ruins, the Shade stood beside Myrsvai, who continued studying the odd skeleton.


    ¡°It only had coins.¡±


    ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t complain about wealth. Or, at least, the generation of wealth. Or, uh. . .¡± The Shade lazily waved his hand at Owin. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my thought.¡±


    ¡°I have some friends that used to ask if I had a brain.¡± Owin hopped off the ruins and landed easily in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Withered Shade shoved his finger through his eye socket and waved it around. ¡°It could be hidden in here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°How do you even see?¡±


    ¡°With my eyes?¡± The skeleton poked fingers through his other eye socket. ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°I have never heard of an undead acting like this,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Because, if you remember, I¡¯m not technically an undead.¡± The Shade put his hand on Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder, but the magus immediately knocked it away with his staff.


    ¡°Potion,¡± Suta said, running back over. He held a rose pink potion and waved it right in front of Owin¡¯s face. ¡°Dex.¡±


    Owin took it from the familiar. ¡°Thanks, Suta.¡±


    ¡°Drink it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Hold on.¡±


    ¡°Why drink a buff before a void nexus? I know you¡¯re only an oddly articulate child, but you should certainly know better if you¡¯ve made it to the . . .¡± He looked around. ¡°The seventh floor?¡±


    ¡°This is the second floor,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh. Good to know. You can''t blame me for not knowing. I have no eyes to see with. It all looks the same to me.¡±


    ¡°You can obviously see.¡±


    ¡°Can I? I wouldn¡¯t know. I can¡¯t see what I can see.¡±


    Owin took a step toward Myrsvai. ¡°How do I unsummon?¡±


    ¡°Cast the same spell again. It is as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I can catch onto hints. I will be quiet, Master. I will be as silent as the water surrounding us. I will be as quiet as¡ª¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton turned to dust and washed away with the water. Owin quickly checked his bag, confirming all three gray bones were gone. He opened his index, flipped to spells, and still found the summon spell in the same place.


    ¡°Silence can be so comforting,¡± Myrsvai said quietly.


    Journeyman Dexterity Buff


    +20 Dexterity


    Dexterity: 275*


    ¡°Thanks for the buff, Suta.¡±


    The familiar nodded enthusiastically. His bleeding had already stopped, though he still had visible holes in his arm. When he noticed Owin looking, he took a step closer and put the injured arm around Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin imagined blood leaking from the wound and soaking into his hair, but Suta was too happy for Owin to shake him off.


    ¡°Do you have a preference for how to approach the third floor? I have read about multiple strategies, all of which seem to have their own share of danger.¡± Myrsvai approached the stairs and descended immediately until he stood right before the black doorway.


    ¡°I went right through last time, which was a bad idea because the mobs knew about the whole interaction with Graliel.¡± Owin guided Suta over to the stairs. ¡°Maybe since we didn¡¯t kill Graliel they¡¯ll be more friendly.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling he will pass his ill will downward to them. Just because he is alive doesn¡¯t mean he isn¡¯t harboring some strong feelings toward us. Particularly you.¡±


    Suta let go of Owin and hopped down the stairs. Myrsvai chuckled softly as the familiar landed.


    ¡°Suta thinks we should improvise.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s what I normally do,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I would believe that. We will see you on the next floor.¡± Myrsvai stepped through with Suta matching his step into the doorway.


    Owin walked down the stairs with his index open. Was the Withered Shade his familiar? Did he want the Withered Shade to be his familiar? It had taken no mana to summon or unsummon the skeleton. But what were his abilities? Could he even fight? Did he ever shut up?


    Owin sighed and stepped through.


    Ocean Dungeon


    Third Floor


    The centanthro inside the first building was dead by the time Owin arrived. Suta checked the fish¡¯s pockets and shook the corpse a few times before he decided there was nothing of value.


    ¡°The chest guardian inside the city is a huge fish. I fought it last time, but I didn¡¯t get to check its treasure. I¡¯d like to do that, but I think checking the top of the ship would also be good. That was the way Ernie kept asking me to go, and we really should have gone that way.¡±


    Myrsvai pressed his lips together.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you had arrived. You talk a lot more than I expected.¡±


    Owin furrowed his brows.


    A soft smile curled Myrsvai¡¯s lips. ¡°I meant no harm. You were shy in Atrevaar, but here, you talk all the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin tried to think of times he had talked to Myrsvai back in Atrevaar, but they had only interacted a few times. The magus was often away in his room studying while Owin was busy with Miya, Chorsay, or Sanem.


    ¡°I am happy to attempt a climb, though¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°My condition isn¡¯t a hurdle to overcome, but simply who I am.¡±


    Suta watched quietly from the side. The familiar fidgeted with the door handle, looking eager to leave the confines of the room.


    Myrsvai swung the staff over his shoulder and hooked it onto something along his back, holding it in place. It pinned down his cape, which had moved weirdly in the water anyway. Myrsvai held out his arm. ¡°I am capable, Owin. I can¡¯t keep telling you this.¡±


    ¡°I just want to make things easy.¡±


    Myrsvai gently placed his hand atop Owin¡¯s head, messing up his hair. ¡°Shall we climb?¡±


    Owin let out a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Can I go first? This will be new for me too, and I want to fight some cetanthro.¡±


    ¡°And that is a good reason to lead. Suta?¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Following.¡± He opened the door and eagerly jumped out.


    Owin had forgotten just how massive the shipwreck was that sat over the cetanthro city. The ferry leading to the Ocean Dungeon was barely bigger than a building or two in the cetanthro city. The shipwreck was more than twice the size of the city. If the ship had ever actually sailed, Owin couldn¡¯t imagine it sitting on top of the water. Even if it had, where would it go? It was so massive that it would be useless as a ferry back and forth to the dungeon.


    ¡°Do you know where we should climb?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    That thought had not occurred before that moment, and looking out at the wreck did little to get Owin¡¯s thoughts moving.


    ¡°Up.¡±


    ¡°Insightful.¡± Myrsvai chuckled softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay not to know, Owin.¡±


    ¡°What was the question? I don¡¯t know what my brain was doing right there. I think I have it this time.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where we should climb? Is there a best place to go up?¡±


    Owin stared out at the massive wreck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Dammit, Owin,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Oh, it really is cramped in there. Wow. Oof. Tight and uncomfortable. Those aren¡¯t exclusive, of course, but in this case each has its own¡ª¡±


    Myrsvai smacked the Withered Shade across the head with his staff. ¡°Will you shut the fuck up?¡±


    The skeleton lifted his hands. ¡°Got it. Understood. I¡ª¡±


    Suta lifted his hands.


    The Withered Shade nodded and took a step backward. His hands stayed raised.


    ¡°I thought he might know,¡± Owin said quietly. ¡°Do you know?¡±


    The Withered Shade pointed at his mouth and somehow raised his eyebrows, which he didn¡¯t have. The brow of his skull shifted up and down.


    ¡°What is he?¡± Myrsvai asked nobody in particular.


    ¡°You can talk if you stop saying so much. Less,¡± Owin said. ¡°Learn from Suta.¡±


    ¡°Less,¡± Suta repeated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to talk like a halfwit familia¡ª¡±


    Before he could even finish talking, Suta had tackled the skeleton and pummeled his face into the sand.


    ¡°That is satisfying,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta nodded vigorously as he stepped back, letting the skeleton stand again.


    ¡°I am being bullied for existing,¡± the Withered Shade said. ¡°What did I do to deserve such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Talk,¡± Owin said. ¡°You talk too much.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes. You know, that may be somewhat related to how I ended up in this penis . . . less state.¡± The Withered Shade gestured toward his waist.


    ¡°We know where a penis goes,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The Withered Shade cocked his head and placed his hands back on his hips. ¡°Do you? From Experience?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send him away,¡± Owin said as his index opened in front of his eyes.


    ¡°No, no, no, and once again, no.¡± The Withered Shade sat in the sand and put his hands up again. ¡°I will submit to your requests. Speak when spoken to. Answer questions when queried.¡±


    Owin closed his index. ¡°Can you actually do this?¡±


    ¡°Is that a question?¡±


    Owin¡¯s index opened.


    The Withered Shade pointed and wagged his finger. ¡°You got me.¡±


    ¡°Before you send him away,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Do you know anything about this floor?¡±


    ¡°Other than that there¡¯s a giant shipwreck in front of us?¡±


    ¡°Not friend,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more, Suta.¡± Myrsvai crouched in front of the skeleton. ¡°If we all agree you¡¯re more harmful than helpful, Owin never needs to summon you again. Even outside the dungeon.¡±


    The Withered Shade poked Myrsvai in the nose. ¡°Now, that would just be foolish. How many Cursed are there in the world?¡±


    Myrsvai swatted the skeleton¡¯s hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t know. How many?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I certainly don¡¯t know. We aren¡¯t all well acquainted, are we? Only the famous ones get around.¡± The skeleton laughed. ¡°Even in death, I suppose that¡¯s true. Wait, am I dead? Do I get around? How many masters have I had?¡±


    Owin stood back a few steps, unsure of what to do. The skeleton was beyond annoying. Vondaire had quickly grated on Owin¡¯s nerves, but even Vondaire wasn¡¯t nearly as annoying as the Withered Shade. And Vondaire was strong, while the skeleton was . . . something? It still wasn¡¯t clear. Why had Owin collected the bones?


    Was collecting the bones even worth it? Artivan had died to help get the first bone. Owin balled his hands into fists.


    ¡°Stop. Talking.¡± Something in his voice must have been different than he expected as everyone went silent and looked straight at him. Owin took a deep breath, but didn¡¯t let his hands relax. ¡°My best friend died right after I found the first bone.¡±


    The Withered Shade let his head droop.


    ¡°We barely had a chance to talk about the quest it gave me. He would be so curious to know what happened after getting more bones.¡±


    Myrsvai frowned and averted his eyes while Suta stared directly at Owin.


    ¡°I was never well liked,¡± the Withered Shade said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡± Owin walked up to the skeleton and waited until its face turned to him. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to help me, you¡¯re nowhere, right?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly nowhere, but it¡¯s kind of¡ª¡± The Withered Shade sighed. ¡°As close to nowhere as somewhere can be.¡±


    ¡°Then help us and talk to us. You still think I¡¯m a child. You have a lot to learn.¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s face stretched into a broad smile. ¡°And who better to learn it from than Owin.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 15

    Cetanthro moved about in the distance, walking between buildings and patrolling the area around their small city underneath the wreck. Even from far away, Owin could see a few of the hulking itajara he had fought last time he had passed through. Far above the wreck were longer, more monstrous looking fish. It was impossible to tell if they were intelligent mobs or just creatures swimming around.


    ¡°Our plan is to climb up the shipwreck, pass over the city, and head toward the exit. If we can find the secret, then we will explore it, but I don¡¯t know where it would be on this floor,¡± Owin said.


    The Withered Shade nodded slowly. ¡°I suppose that seems reasonable. Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Owin pointed to the right side. ¡°I think that¡¯s where Ernie had wanted to climb up, so we could try over there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The Shade crouched and put his bony elbow on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Who is Ernie?¡±


    ¡°A friend.¡±


    ¡°Hm. And a friend is . . .¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin shrugged his elbow off. ¡°Do you have anything helpful to add?¡±


    ¡°Rarely.¡±


    Owin grunted.


    ¡°Okay, yes, fine.¡± The skeleton jumped back to his feet. ¡°I know nothing about this floor, apart from the obvious that we can all see with our eyes. Or, in my case, lack of eyes. Ernie, your friend, sounds like he knows the dungeon. Yes?¡±


    ¡°He has been through the first floors a few times.¡±


    ¡°Then I see no reason to not follow his guidance. Do we all agree to that or am I about to hear some complaints from the angry looking man over there?¡±


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t know our names, do you?¡±


    The Shade waved his finger in the air before pointing it dramatically. ¡°That¡¯s Suta, you¡¯re a magus without a name, and that is my master, the great, the famous, the sometimes a little hostile, Owin.¡±


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°I get a message saying Master Owin is summoning me. Most people have a surname of some sort, you know. Only the truly famous can go by a single name. Are you that famous?¡± The skeleton raised a non-existent eyebrow again.


    ¡°He might actually be,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°What interests me is that you know enough of the classes to identify that I¡¯m a magus, but you don¡¯t know what you are.¡±


    ¡°I never know what I am. I don¡¯t even know my own name. It¡¯s something like, uh . . . something around . . . De . . . Du . . .¡± The skeleton shrugged. ¡°Not a single full memory of a name in there.¡±


    ¡°But you know you had a name?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°No. It only tastes like there was once a name there.¡±


    ¡°You can taste names?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°What? No.¡± The Shade pointed at Owin. ¡°This guy thinks names have flavors.¡±


    Just as Owin was about to say something back, the skeleton loudly cleared his throat, which didn¡¯t seem like it should be possible.


    ¡°Instead of all this nonsense, shouldn¡¯t we, perhaps, climb the shipwreck?¡±


    ¡°You are the source of the nonsense,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I hate to agree with the Shade, but we shouldn¡¯t linger any longer. Are you ready, Owin?¡±


    Owin nodded and set off. Suta walked right beside him, frequently casting glances over his shoulder. Myrsvai and the Withered Shade immediately fell into conversation about something obscure. Owin only picked up bits of the conversation, hearing something about the gods and the dungeons.


    They passed underneath the shipwreck, following the curving frame to an area that held beams close enough to use as a makeshift, oversized ladder.


    ¡°The Withered Shade isn¡¯t going to hurt Myrsvai,¡± Owin said after a few minutes.


    Suta looked back and forth a couple of times. ¡°Friend?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would call him a friend yet.¡±


    Suta stopped moving until Myrsvai and the Shade caught up. He fell right into their pace, walking directly between the two. That left Owin walking ahead on his own. He could slow down and try to join their conversation, but what would he add? He knew almost nothing about the gods and the dungeons, apart from the scattered bits of information he had gathered during his journeys through the Great Forest and the Ocean.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Myrsvai said loud enough to break him from his thoughts. ¡°How many Shard Heroes have you met?¡±


    Owin turned around and continued walking backward. He cycled through everybody he had met. At least everybody he could remember. There were a lot of heroes, but most didn¡¯t have shards. ¡°Taralim, Chorsay, Brimras, Veph.¡± Owin counted the names on his fingers, trying to think of any other heroes who had shards. ¡°I guess four.¡±


    ¡°That is already more than most people would meet in a lifetime,¡± the Shade said.


    Owin walked backward directly into a wooden beam. He turned around, grabbed the frame, and flung himself up. His agility and control still somehow surprised him. The huge jump in dexterity had really changed everything. Since entering the dungeon again, he had done little fighting, apart from Temikiel and his guards. Hopefully he would find a good time to fight something that would test his new attributes.


    Climbing the shipwreck was a slow endeavor. Instead of climbing straight up from the spot Owin had found, they had to climb a few beams, then carefully maneuver to the side where more beams were exposed. Parts of the hull had remained, making it into a sort of maze. Multiple routes looked like they would lead to the top, so Owin tried not to spend too much time thinking about which way he was going.


    Myrsvai managed the climb with little difficulty. With each new beam, he jumped high enough to grab the wood with his one arm before swinging his metal leg up, then he hauled himself on top.


    Suta jumped from one to the next in a practiced fashion. Owin had never seen the familiar practice with any agility training, yet Suta made traversing the shipwreck look like the easiest thing he had done all day.


    The Withered Shade struggled tremendously. He was barely able to jump at all and had to use other beams to crawl part way up before reaching the next level.


    After climbing up half of the shipwreck, Owin cast the spell to unsummon the skeleton right as the Withered Shade jumped for a beam that he was absolutely going to miss. Instead of letting him fall all the way to the surface, or suffer from watching him climb, Owin could just resummon him once they reached the top.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Owin!¡± Myrsvai was in the middle of mounting a beam, unable to do anything other than shout.


    Owin whipped his head back and forth, looking for a threat.


    ¡°Up!¡± Suta, who was a beam below waiting for Myrsvai, shouted and pointed.


    Before Owin could look above, the mob hit him in the top of the head. He was smashed into the beam, but stayed on top. Teeth latched on, digging into his skull. Owin pulled the lich bone knife from his belt and slashed overhead, ripping it through something. The teeth loosened, but whatever it was hadn¡¯t died.


    His free hand grabbed onto scaly skin and swung it down, smashing a long, thin fish against the beam. Bones broke as it struck, spilling brains through the gash across its face.


    ¡°What was it?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one before,¡± Myrsvai said. He reached Owin¡¯s level and pressed his fingers against Owin¡¯s forehead. ¡°The teeth dug deep. How does it feel?¡±


    ¡°Fine. It only took a few points of health.¡±


    ¡°There is more than your health bar to consider. Is there pain?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± Pain wasn¡¯t something Owin spent a lot of time thinking about. He had his stomach ripped open by a wight, he had been inside an ocular guard who assaulted him with fiery energy, and so many more things that had caused his whole body to feel pain. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Myrsvai pressed his palm over the bleeding cuts on Owin¡¯s forehead. Suta did the same on the back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai shushed him as they both pushed gently on his head.


    Owin waited impatiently for a minute before ducking. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Your face is still bleeding, but it has slowed. There is no harm in stopping when injured, Owin. We stopped earlier to allow me time to heal and fix my leg.¡±


    ¡°That was different.¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°It was only a bite. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Myrsvai didn¡¯t respond, only nodding toward the next beam up. Owin waited for the magus to jump up and start his climb. Meanwhile, Suta stared at Owin.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Friend.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°No hurting.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Suta poked Owin in the chest. ¡°Stop hurting.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that? I still have to fight.¡±


    ¡°Dodge.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not always good at that.¡±


    ¡°Block?¡±


    ¡°Or that,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Suta jumped to the next beam, now clear of Myrsvai. ¡°Practice.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Owin followed after, giving Suta time to move aside between each jump.


    Three more fish attacked during the climb, swimming through the water with impressive speed. Myrsvai shot one before it reached them with Abyssal Blast, easily destroying its entire head in a single attack.


    Ocean Mob


    Pipefish


    Level 18


    The other two went for Owin, but with notice, he was able to step aside and gut them with the lich bone knife. A pipefish looked a lot like the snakes Owin had seen, though its long snout and teeth were worse. A few more pipefish swam high above, closer to the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°I wonder how they would taste,¡± Myrsvai said as they reached the top of the shipwreck, which Owin realized was technically the bottom of the ship.


    ¡°People eat mobs too?¡± he asked.


    Myrsvai walked closer to the center of the wreck and sat. ¡°No, Owin. People actually eat fish, and the pipefish mob is just a fish from what I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What does fish taste like?¡±


    ¡°That is, perhaps, the most difficult question you have asked.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton formed and immediately yawned. ¡°What an exhausting climb.¡±


    ¡°You were about to fall all the way down.¡±


    ¡°And? Did you consider that maybe I enjoy a good fall? A little thrill in this otherwise stale life?¡±


    ¡°How can your life be stale?  You hardly know what¡¯s happening,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The skeleton shrugged. ¡°Everything goes stale when it has sat out too long.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you¡¯re with a unique person. A first. Have you yet realized that Owin isn¡¯t human?¡±


    The Shade turned its eyeless gaze to Owin. ¡°Not a child, as you have continuously stated. So then, you must be . . . a goblin.¡±


    ¡°You already knew?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°You have green skin and colorful hair. The options are goblin or hobgoblin, and you are too short and the wrong color to be a hobgoblin. How many options does that leave me?¡±


    ¡°One,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Thank you! Exactly. See? Easy to deduce.¡±


    ¡°You kept calling me a child.¡±


    ¡°What else did you expect me to call you? Master?¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    The skeleton squatted down until he was level with everyone else. ¡°I could be convinced to do that.¡±


    Suta grabbed the skeleton¡¯s arm and squeezed. ¡°Weak.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°No muscle,¡± Suta said.


    The Shade gestured from head to toe. ¡°There¡¯s no skin either. Would you like to point that out to the audience?¡±


    ¡°Audience?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°How else would you refer to yourself and Owin. Companions? Comrades? Confidants? Compatriots? Cronies?¡±


    ¡°Friends,¡± Owin said confidently.


    ¡°I recall the insect insisting that I wasn¡¯t a friend.¡± The Shade turned to Suta with a raised brow. ¡°Is that still the case?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Suta gently patted the skeleton¡¯s arm. ¡°Almost friend.¡±


    ¡°Almost would imply that I¡¯m still not a friend.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Well, alright. I would say thank you, but I don¡¯t believe there has been anything beneficial through this exchange. Perhaps next time we can plan ahead a little more and end with a heart warming embrace.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t strong enough to climb up here,¡± Owin said. ¡°How are you going to fight?¡±


    ¡°Fight? Me? Why?¡±


    ¡°What else would I summon you for?¡±


    ¡°Conversation?¡±


    Myrsvai unwrapped and ate something from his bag. He watched with amusement as Owin could only glare back at the Withered Shade.


    ¡°This conversation is sorely lacking in words.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say anymore.¡± Owin sighed. ¡°You talk more than anyone else I know.¡±


    ¡°Is that a compliment?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It is if I take it as one. Thank you.¡± The Shade bowed. ¡°My condolences.¡± He stood upright. ¡°That was the wrong word. Gratitude would have been a better fit.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded as he ate.


    ¡°As soon as Myrsvai is ready, we¡¯re walking to the other side of the ship.¡±


    ¡°Luckily for you, I don¡¯t tire. I do dream of food though. Or even dreaming. Imagine dreaming of dreaming. Oh, sleep. What a thing to miss. I used to drink all night, singing by a hearth.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have memories of your life,¡± Myrsvai said around a bite of food.


    ¡°Fragments appear from time to time. It makes it feel as though there are real memories within reach, but they fade or twist before I can ever make any details out from the blurry mess.¡± The skeleton mimicked strumming an instrument. ¡°A lute is constantly on my mind. Imagine the noises I could make.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called music,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to call it that until I found out whether or not I could truly play. It may only be noises I can make. Music would be the true goal, but with these fingers? It¡¯s impossible to say what might happen. There are no muscles or tendons to give me the precision for an instrument. And what of the voice? Do you think I could sing without vocal chords?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking just fine.¡± Myrsvai swallowed his last bite, stood, and took his staff from his back. ¡°How would singing differ?¡±


    ¡°Now that is a question. I will have to ruminate. The answer can cook inside my brain. My brain that doesn¡¯t exist. Maybe instead the question will simply bounce around my skull, forever lost and without a companion answer.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Owin said. ¡°Follow me.¡± He set off, trying to gain some ground on the skeleton. Within a few steps, the skeleton was walking beside him, matching his pace.


    ¡°You don''t have to be so close,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± The skeleton stepped even closer.


    Owin sighed.

 Book 3 - Chapter 16

    Despite her years of service with the Nimble Hogs, Potilia had done surprisingly little work. Sure, she managed the financial records and some inventory for Chorsay, and occasionally ran a special errand, but what else did she do?


    She read.


    She read every single book she came across.


    After six years, Chorsay had spent far more on books than he had on Potilia¡¯s salary. If one could call it a salary. Her room and all food and drink were included in her job, so she rarely was given any gold. Only when she needed to go fetch something for Chorsay.


    Instead of a true salary, he had spent tens of thousands of gold on books. He loved to boast about the size of his library, and he read a good amount on his own, but if Chorsay had any say in the matter, he would be buying fictional books that told grand stories of heroes and adventures. Every nonfiction book he purchased was focused on the dungeons or on some type of mob or mob culture, and the old man acted like it was for himself. Like he wanted to learn more about something he had already experienced in real life.


    Potilia couldn¡¯t stop.


    She had read every single book in Myrsvai¡¯s library in two weeks. Chorsay¡¯s library fell not long after.


    What did he see in her? Why did he hire a useless citizen? What kind of berserker reads all day?


    Potilia used to ask herself those questions every day until Chorsay brought home the first book.


    Hobgoblins and Ogres: A Floor on the Brink of War.


    It took her less than a day to devour the book. It only touched briefly on the acid caves of the ogres and instead focused on the terrible living conditions of the hobgoblins.


    A week later, Chorsay brought home Claverstan: A Study of Genius. It was a tome, bigger than several books combined. While it was much longer than others, Potilia still sat at her stool and read it cover to cover, accidentally skipping meals and staying up through the night.


    Chorsay brought coffee, bacon, eggs, and toast first thing in the morning. Along with a new book.


    The Nimble Hogs were never a busy hero company. In fact, they were probably the smallest official company. Potilia wasn¡¯t a hero, so why would it matter to her? She liked all the heroes that joined, and Miya, as the only other citizen, was always a great friend.


    Knock.


    Knock.


    Knock.


    It was in moments like this, reminiscing on the life she had been given, that Potilia felt like she should be a good employee.


    Someone was at the door knocking, and she could simply walk over and open the door. But . . .


    She was already sitting, the door was unlocked, and any person with common sense would know a business is open in the middle of the day. They don¡¯t call it ¡®Business Hours¡¯ accidentally.


    Knock.


    Knock.


    Knock.


    ¡°Po,¡± Chorsay called from his office.


    ¡°It¡¯s unlocked! I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing,¡± she shouted. ¡°People should be able to open their own doors!¡±


    The door was ripped right off its hinges and launched backward, over the portal circle where it disappeared off somewhere into western Atrevaar.


    A woman in a golden suit stood in the doorway.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Potilia whispered.


    Chorsay¡¯s heavy footsteps were already creaking on the floor above. ¡°Veph, you can send a message or request a meeting.¡± He walked down the stairs, never breaking eye contact. ¡°Doors cost money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± She had her hands on her hips and watched joylessly as Chorsay approached. ¡°Your assistant could¡¯ve opened the damn door.¡±


    Potilia tried to hide behind her book, but it was too small. The novella barely covered her lower face as she ducked down. Chorsay¡¯s gaze was relaxed. He wasn¡¯t angry. Not at either of them.


    ¡°How can I help you, Veph?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°I sent my heroes with your goblin.¡±


    Chorsay was quiet as he took a few steps closer to Veph. He towered over her, yet Potilia knew the woman could rip Chorsay in half if she chose. Last time she had stopped by, she only carried her wand. This time, she had her infamous sword sheathed at her hip. What kind of wizard uses a sword?


    Potilia set her book back on the counter. What kind of berserker reads all day?


    ¡°Why?¡± Chorsay asked. ¡°To kill him?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Sounds like the mob is gaining power quickly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having him watched?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one. You know better than that. Have you grown so soft?¡±


    Chorsay looked back at Potilia.


    His expression had changed.


    That was all she needed to know.


    ¡°Pull your spy back.¡± His voice had dropped to a deep rumble. Most people in the world would tremble from that noise. Veph was not one of those people.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a spy. You know Sylmare well enough.¡± With the golden mask covering the lower half of her face, it was impossible to read any expression on Veph¡¯s face. Her eyebrows were lowered like she was angry or deep in thought, but they always seemed to be that way.


    ¡°Veph.¡± Chorsay took a step closer.


    Her hand was immediately on the grip of her sword. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this.¡± Veph¡¯s voice was little more than a whisper. Power shook the building as a shard appeared over her right shoulder.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Chorsay held his hands out. For most, it would be a sign of surrender, but Chorsay¡¯s fists were capable of leveling buildings. Or maybe even whole cities.


    ¡°If you let him collect shards, a real bounty will be issued.¡±


    ¡°Owin is not a threat to you. He only wants to get the shards like any other hero.¡±


    She moved her hand from her sword, but idly pulled her wand from a jacket pocket. ¡°A free mob is not like any other hero. If he isn¡¯t dangerous now, he will be once he has a shard. I¡¯ve already issued an unofficial bounty. If someone kills him, they¡¯ll earn three million dungeon gold. For now, it¡¯s isolated to my company to test the waters. What will he do when pressed? Show himself to be the monster he is or act like the hero you believe?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll spread the word if an army issues an official bounty,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She moved the wand around her fingers with impressive dexterity. Potilia couldn¡¯t stop watching the little twisted wand. It was more powerful than everything else in the building, including the two Shard Heroes, and Veph was carelessly toying with it.


    Chorsay folded his arms over his chest. His hairy forearms were covered in old scars that looked horrendous even from a distance. ¡°I told¡ª¡±


    ¡°The council told me. They said to place the bounty on you next time.¡±


    Chorsay nodded.


    ¡°They will.¡± Veph switched the wand to her metal hand. She held it in front of her face as if she was closely examining the weapon. ¡°You said it as a threat, but the council has already spread word around Verdantallis. ¡®Chorsay Eoghet is harboring the most dangerous being in the world.¡¯ Everyone agrees.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Owin is far from the most dangerous being. If anybody is, it¡¯s Zezog.¡±


    ¡°Zezog can¡¯t be a threat if he¡¯s gone.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s index appeared in front of his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s still on the list. He¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Nobody is going to say a missing hero is more dangerous than Althowin and yet, it says something that every army in the world is terrified of Owin. His growth is unlike anything else. Level 1 with attributes that match someone in their 60s. Does he have a limit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how his class works, but Veph, I can tell you this with every ounce of certainty in my body: Hunting him will create a monster. Some friends convinced him to leave your low level heroes alone. The ones that killed Artivan.¡±


    ¡°Artivan,¡± she said with a sneer. ¡°Was he worth it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Veph. There isn¡¯t a day where I don¡¯t miss Romoalt.¡±


    Veph moved faster than Potilia could ever hope to follow. She stood with her wand outstretched, barely an inch from Chorsay¡¯s neck. The threat was confusing, as using the spell stored in that wand would also kill Veph at that range. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you care for him. You abandoned him. You left him to die.¡±


    Chorsay pushed the wand aside and embraced Veph. She shoved him back with incredible strength, but the old oaf didn¡¯t move. After a moment of struggle, Veph fell into Chorsay, burying her head in his elbow. She sobbed.


    Potilia watched, as uncomfortable as a person could be. Perhaps more uncomfortable. Had anyone ever experienced greater discomfort?


    She grabbed a bag under the counter and slipped out the back, through the mess, into the practice arena in the back. The walls were high, holding the reinforcements that allowed all heroes, even those with shards, to train in the concrete arena. Potilia took one leap and easily cleared the tall wall, and landed deftly on the other side.


    Before leaving, Potilia had hidden a book in her pocket. Both her and Chorsay were always delighted upon finding a pocket-sized book. There weren¡¯t many, but occasionally he happened upon one that was worth keeping. The one Potilia had brought was titled The Hierarchy of Elysium. She had only had a brief chance to glance at the first pages, which were focused on the different ranks of cathkabel. From what Owin had said, they were prevalent in some of the dungeons. Maybe she could help with something if she learned more about them. If not, at least she would learn something for herself.


    Atrevaar was a vast, busy city. It was beautiful and vibrant. She hated leaving. The portal guard took the money without comment, allowing Potilia to walk right through. Chorsay could manage his own business, while Sanem and Raif could handle everything else happening at the headquarters.


    She wouldn¡¯t be long.


    Potilia pulled a kanabo from the bag on her back. Spies weren¡¯t welcome around the Nimble Hogs. Nobody would be bothering Owin, Myrsvai, Suta, or even Vondaire by the time Potilia was done in Minolitana Prima.


    ***


    When a pipefish attacked the Withered Shade, he was helpless. It latched onto his face with its teeth scraping over the dark gray bone. He flailed and cried out, uselessly smacking the fish with both bony fists.


    Myrsvai blasted the mob off the skeleton¡¯s face with ease. ¡°Do you have any way to defend yourself?¡±


    The Withered Shade breathed in dramatically loud. ¡°No. But would it surprise you that I also don¡¯t necessarily want to kill any mobs?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s in bad taste.¡±


    Owin scrunched his face. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You will understand when you grow up.¡±


    ¡°Why should I even summon you if you can¡¯t fight?¡± Owin asked. Suta might not use spells like Myrsvai wanted, but at least he fought whenever he was around. Even the demons Myrsvai pulled from the Abyss did their jobs without question. Why was the Withered Shade so much more annoying and difficult than any of them?


    ¡°Knowledge. Who else is going to provide you with such incredible thoughts? Do you have an incredible mind?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a brain,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t speak well of your own then, does it? The skeleton without a brain knows more than the goblin with one. Is it doing its job, do you think?¡±


    Owin opened his index. He had already set the spell as one that was easy to cast without opening his index, but the visual of seeing the bright spell appear in front of his eyes made the Withered Shade go silent.


    ¡°I like being friends with people,¡± Owin said.


    The Withered Shade raised his brow. The way his entire skull shifted was unnatural.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t my friend, I¡¯m going to leave you in your box.¡±


    The Withered Shade turned back and forth as if he was looking between Myrsvai and Owin. ¡°What does a friend need to do?¡±


    ¡°Be nice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± The skeleton stroked his jaw. ¡°Is it that simple?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said.


    Suta carefully shook Owin¡¯s hand while watching the skeleton. ¡°See? Friend.¡±


    Owin pulled his hand away. ¡°There¡¯s more than that.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Suta put his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Okay.¡± There was no reason to argue with Suta. He had always been Owin¡¯s friend.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t disagree, there is something known as teasing. Or bothering, harassing, mocking, pestering, and so on. There are plenty of synonyms, but I assume you get the picture. I appreciate your patience as I reacquaint myself with this world. The box that I have mentioned is little more than it would imply. Is it nowhere? Yes. Is it also a box barely big enough to contain myself? Also yes.¡±


    Owin had continued down the wreck with Suta¡¯s arm over his shoulder. Myrsvai walked quietly to the side, watching the skeleton with interest.


    ¡°You cannot imagine the odd torment I experience. Memories are fleeting things, but so close to the mind¡¯s eye that I believe there had to have been quite the complicated life there once upon a time. Now, I don¡¯t have eyes, or even a mind if you would believe it, but I am still haunted by these fragments every moment. Even in the fifty years I was placed inside the box, all I could do was think and attempt to put the pieces together, but it is a puzzle of circles. How am I meant to put a bunch of circles together?¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Can you? How would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have a lot of smart friends. Myrsvai, Chorsay, Ernie, Katalin, Potilia, or Miya can probably figure it out. Sanem and Vondaire are smart too, so I think there are a lot of ways to help.¡± Owin smiled at the skeleton, who walked awkwardly to Owin¡¯s side.


    ¡°Smart compared to what? A rock?¡±


    ¡°If Owin asks me to help you, I will,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°But I would never do it without his insistence. I find your personality grating.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem so social yourself. How are you at parties? Do you like to stand in the corner? Does your small talk focus only on the weather?¡± The Withered Shade raised one half of his brow, causing an eye socket to grow a bit larger. ¡°No, the weather is too social for you. You¡¯re an academic. You try to talk about recent reads, and no one can relate.¡±


    Myrsvai stopped walking. ¡°I have to say . . . I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The Shade pointed at him. ¡°I was right.¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly so. Not that I have been in a party setting in a long time, but . . . yes. Small talk is something you can¡¯t learn from a book. It is purely an experience.¡± Myrsvai chuckled. ¡°How could you tell I am an academic?¡±


    The Withered Shade took a few long steps across the shipwreck until he was near Myrsvai. ¡°If we weren¡¯t currently in Sloswen¡¯s dungeon, I would have assumed you were a retired hero. Since that can¡¯t be true, the other option is someone who is ill prepared for the dungeon because they have slacked on their training for other purposes.¡±


    ¡°No slacking,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°For you,¡± Myrsvai said quickly. ¡°I have skipped plenty of years of training, haven¡¯t I? If I had kept it up, you wouldn¡¯t be so worried.¡±


    Suta chittered and pulled Owin close. ¡°Trust skeleton?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s my summon. Just like you are Myrsvai¡¯s. He might be annoying, but he isn¡¯t our enemy.¡±


    ¡°No punching?¡±


    ¡°Not him. But there are more pipefish,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And big fish.¡± Suta pointed above.


    Owin followed the familiar¡¯s finger to a huge shape that swam above. Owin hadn¡¯t noticed it before. It was multiple times bigger than any pipefish mob in the area. It was far bigger than anything else. Currently, it swam slowly above, not paying them any attention.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait to see if the big fish notices us first.¡± Owin tried to use Examine on the mob, but it was too far to get any information. He just had to hope it wasn¡¯t something horrifying. Nothing on the floor should be difficult for him to fight, but being safe and cautious never hurt. Plenty of people had encouraged him to think before leaping.


    ¡°What do you know of the hero companies?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡± The Withered Shade took a big step over to Myrsvai and leaned uncomfortably close. ¡°Am I going to get a lesson from the professor?¡±


    ¡°Not if you phrase it like that.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The skeleton pretended to pull out a notebook and pen and immediately started to imitate taking notes. ¡°Continue.¡±


    Owin wondered if there was anything for him to learn from Myrsvai¡¯s lesson on hero companies. Without help, Owin could name the Nimble Hogs, Void Nexus, Magna Regum, the Three Heads, and the Golden Bulls. There were probably more, but those were the only ones he had heard of. The Three Heads, whoever they were, had only been mentioned a few times. Owin couldn¡¯t think of any Three Head heroes he had encountered.


    ¡°Big fish,¡± Suta said again.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it.¡±


    The familiar gripped Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Big fish.¡±


    Owin looked up and froze. The big fish was swimming straight at them at an incredible speed. Closer up, he could see its gaping mouth filled with tiny serrated teeth. It was unlike any other fish Owin had seen. Its face was wider than its body and a distinct fin stuck out from its back.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shark,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one like it.¡±


    The Withered Shade ran back, grabbed both of Owin¡¯s shoulders, and ducked behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t let it eat me.¡±


    ¡°Why would it want to eat you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I just got a message! I¡¯m the prey of Baskir the Hunter!¡± The skeleton¡¯s bone fingers clattered on the chitin pauldrons. ¡°Save me!¡±


    ¡°Calm down.¡± Owin drew his lich bone knife. ¡°I can handle this one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Owin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s about time I fight one of the bosses again. Suta, protect the skeleton.¡±


    ¡°Skeleton? I have a name!¡±


    Owin kept his eyes on the approaching mob. Baskir the Hunter was growing close. ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t remember it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have one! Call me . . . I don¡¯t know! You¡¯re my master. Think of a name!¡±


    ¡°After I handle this.¡±


    Suta stepped in front of the Withered Shade and held up his fists.


    Owin eagerly watched the huge fish approach. It was time to test his strength again. Maybe he would even get a chance to show off.

 Book 3 - Chapter 17

    Ocean Mob


    Baskir the Hunter


    Level 20


    ¡°A shark,¡± Myrsvai said as if anybody else in their party had ever heard of something called a ¡®shark.¡¯


    Owin certainly hadn¡¯t. Bakir looked like a fish with an abnormally huge mouth, and apart from that . . . he didn¡¯t see any difference. It wasn¡¯t a cetanthro as far as he could tell. It would probably have arms and legs.


    The Withered Shade hadn¡¯t let go of Owin¡¯s shoulders. The skeleton hid behind, shaking in fear as the shark charged.


    Baskir barreled in, passing right over the head of Myrsvai, who only watched with interest. Owin stepped to the side as the massive shark mouth neared, yanking the Shade aside at the same time. Owin caught the corner of Baskir¡¯s mouth with the lich bone and tore through the entire creature, finally ripping the knife out of the tail. Baskir lost its speed and drifted just above the shipwreck, leaving a cloud of blood in its wake.


    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t complain, but this floor is too easy,¡± Owin said.


    Overconfidence could be deadly in a dungeon. It was a thought he once had upon seeing heroes who had nearly died. Overconfidence got people killed.


    ¡°We should find a challenge before long. I expect it won¡¯t be until the fifth floor,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin felt the oddly heavy bones of the Withered Shade drape over his shoulders.


    ¡°I owe you my life,¡± the skeleton said uncomfortably close to Owin¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Can you even die?¡±


    ¡°Who? Me?¡± The skeleton removed his arm and did a pirouette into a hop that landed him right in front of Owin. ¡°No. Uh, probably not. That¡¯s kind of the whole Cursed thing. Fated to haunt the dungeons for eternity. That sort of thing. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m haunting as much as I¡¯m charming the likes of you heroes.¡±


    Suta shook the shark corpse until a red boot fell out. He immediately jumped back with his hands raised.


    ¡°It truly is impossible,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Has Sloswen blessed you?¡±


    Owin ran over and grabbed the boot.


    Crab Chitin Boot - Left


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Crab Chitin armor set is formed of broken pieces of chitin from crab mobs throughout the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. Acts as normal armor unless the hero has acquired the complete set.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch. Cannot be unbound.


    Note: Current Crab Chitin set - 5/8


    As soon as the red boot formed over Owin¡¯s left foot, he hated it. He had never worn anything over his feet. No boots, no armor of any kind. This was a different kind of torment. His toes could barely wiggle without pressing into the hard chitin.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± he said. ¡°How am I going to walk?¡±


    Suta looked at his own feet, which were bare. Even if he had boots, Owin doubted Suta would be able to fit his feet inside. The claws alone were big enough to poke out the front of any boot.


    ¡°The same as before. It may take practice.¡± Myrsvai poked at Baskir¡¯s dead body with his staff. ¡°An efficient kill.¡±


    The Withered Shade tapped a finger on the boot. When Owin didn¡¯t move, he instead scraped the pointed end of his finger along the chitin.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Owin fought the urge to kick the skeleton. All that would do is send the Shade tumbling off the side of the ship.


    ¡°Testing the finish.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    ¡°Is it real chitin?¡± He knocked his knuckles against the top of the boot. ¡°Not chitin plated?¡±


    ¡°It is one of the rare dungeon sets,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I assume you know about those.¡±


    ¡°I know a thing or two.¡± The Shade popped back to his feet. ¡°This isn¡¯t one of those two. I understand the concept of armor. It is an extra skin, which means my master now has two layers of skin while I have¡ª¡± The Withered Shade gestured at his body. ¡°None.¡±


    Myrsvai walked over to the Shade. His staff and metal foot tapped rhythmically on the wood as he approached. ¡°Actually, humans have three layers of skin. I assume Owin does as well.¡±


    ¡°So he has five layers? Are we bragging? Is it funny to have so many more? Look at me, all exposed to the world!¡± The skeleton hurried back behind Owin and crouched as low as he could. ¡°Hide me from their prying eyes.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Owin looked around, confirming nobody had snuck up on them.


    ¡°Anybody! Everybody! Somebody!¡± He peeked over Owin¡¯s shoulder and somehow managed to lower his brow enough to glare at Suta. ¡°The familiar is eyeing me up.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s doing what?¡±


    Suta pointed at his own eyes. ¡°Eye?¡±


    ¡°Ah, forget about it.¡± The Shade stood and rested his hand on Owin¡¯s head. He leaned with all his weight, which wasn¡¯t enough to shift Owin¡¯s stance. ¡°What good are you all?¡±


    ¡°I just protected you from a fish,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Shark.¡± Myrsvai gestured to the corpse with his staff. ¡°Baskir was a shark.¡±


    Owin visualized Baskir in his mind, trying to see what the differences were. Other than the size, the boss and other fish had many of the same features. ¡°Sharks aren¡¯t fish?¡±


    ¡°Well, they are . . .¡± Myrsvai looked to Suta for help, but the familiar only shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert in biological studies. I have to assume Potilia knows the answer, so it may have to wait until we return home.¡±


    Home. Owin smiled.


    The Withered Shade¡¯s skull appeared right in front of Owin¡¯s face. ¡°What are you happy about? Is it this Potilia? Is this a significant other? A wife? A husband? A fiance? A . . . What''s the word?¡±


    ¡°Crush,¡± Suta said.


    The Withered Shade excitedly pointed at Suta. ¡°A crush! Wonderful. Is it a crush?¡±


    Myrsvai put his staff on his back and used his arm to guide the Withered Shade away from Owin, heading toward the rest of the shipwreck. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Owin knows all of these words. Even if he does, concepts have to be learned. I am sure you can understand this.¡±


    ¡°Understanding is different than comprehending.¡± The skeleton patted Myrsvai on the shoulder and slipped out of his grip. ¡°Have you thought of a name? My title from the accursed gods won¡¯t do. Think of something better in that green brain of yours.¡±


    ¡°Is my brain green?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta stuck his face close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin adjusted his belt, checking the wands and the lich bone knife. Everything was set. A few more pipefish swam above the wreckage, but most of the area in front of them was clear. The only real fight left would be against Barracuda at the end, and he didn¡¯t expect that to be anything difficult.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    So far, the floor had been much different than the last time he had passed through. Ernie had been right about going above. Owin could see how Ernie and Katalin could have easily survived using the path above the wreck.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The Shade waved a hand in front of Owin¡¯s face. ¡°Did your brain melt? Is it oozing out of your nose?¡± He leaned a bit closer. ¡°No, that¡¯s just more ocean water. It¡¯s everywhere, isn¡¯t it? Ah, what was Sloswen thinking? Who likes water? It¡¯s in every crack.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have cracks,¡± Myrsvai said as he tried to guide the skeleton away again.


    ¡°Oh, not like that, you dirty little magus. I was talking about my bone cracks. Fractures and the like. I am not invincible. Well, I am. But also not. It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Owin said.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Ah, fine. I get it.¡± The skeleton crumpled into gray dust that was quickly washed away.


    Myrsvai stood beside Owin and looked out toward the rest of the wreck. ¡°It feels oddly quiet without him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Hm. He¡¯s a lot to handle, but he will be good company on the isolated floors. I¡¯ll have Suta and you¡¯ll have the Shade.¡± Myrsvai set off.


    Owin walked with the magus but let his mind wander. Suta walked quietly behind, getting randomly distracted by distant fish.


    The Withered Shade was set on getting a new name. One Owin provided. But what kind of name fit the skeleton? Owin had never named anything. Naming a living creature was a little overwhelming. Well, an undead creature. Owin scratched his head. He had met people with all kinds of names. There wasn¡¯t a specific thing he knew to follow, but it seemed important to the skeleton.


    The Withered Shade, a Cursed, a skeleton, a person who didn¡¯t know their own history wanted Owin to name them.


    ¡°Naming things is difficult,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°It certainly is. You could just continue to refer to him as the Withered Shade.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too long. How did you think of Suta¡¯s name?¡±


    Suta, who was now walking directly beside Owin, leaned forward. ¡°Suta picked.¡±


    ¡°No. I picked your name before I summoned you. You wouldn¡¯t remember. It was so long ago. I simply put letters together. Which, now that I¡¯m saying it, will be difficult if you can¡¯t read or write.¡± Myrsvai ran his fingers over his mustache. ¡°I don¡¯t have any good advice for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something before I summon him again.¡± He had a few floors before anything was isolated. Like Myrsvai said, company would be important when he was alone on the floor. He hadn¡¯t been on an isolated floor since he was in the Great Forest.


    A thump and a loud smack grabbed Owin¡¯s attention. He turned back to see Suta lying face first on the shipwreck.


    ¡°Did you trip?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Door?¡± Suta asked. He stood and kicked something invisible. It thumped as his claw struck it.


    ¡°Suta, that¡¯s just part of the ship,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°No,¡± Myrsvai said. His eyes were distant like he was talking in his head again. ¡°Suta found something.¡±


    Suta didn¡¯t budge. He leaned over, grabbed a hidden handle and pulled a section of the wreckage up. It opened like a door even though some boards were simply bending in half. It looked unnatural.


    ¡°The secret?¡± Owin ran over and gazed inside. It led to a dark passage, hidden from the faint sunlight above the water¡¯s surface.


    Suta grunted with effort.


    Owin jumped inside. Before long, Myrsvai followed. Suta slipped in as the door slammed back shut.


    ¡°Was this the best idea?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my worst one. How did you find it, Suta?¡±


    ¡°Stubbed my toe.¡± The familiar pointed at a claw, which looked entirely undamaged.


    ¡°Abyssal Armor,¡± Myrsvai said, casting the spell over himself. The magenta armor formed and glowed brightly, illuminating the narrow passage. Warped wooden boards surrounded them, leading to a hallway with a small pedestal at the end. A broken door on the right led deeper inside.


    ¡°Traps,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°He¡¯s right. Be cautious.¡±


    Owin stepped in front and held his arms out. ¡°Let me lead. I¡¯m the fastest.¡± While he hadn¡¯t been positive before, their race back to the ladder in Ligala Lepis had proved that Owin really was the fastest of the three. If a trap appeared, he hoped he could dodge out of the way before it did damage.


    ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll be ready to counter anything I am able,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin nodded and crept forward. The floor creaked with every step, and even his light weight caused everything to shudder. With Myrsvai¡¯s heavy metal leg, it felt like the entire shipwreck wobbled.


    About halfway down the hall, Owin stepped and felt everything drop from beneath him. No matter how fast he was, he couldn¡¯t jump off of nothing. His eyes looked below at the cetanthro village, so far down that it looked tiny. Even in the water, a fall that far would kill him. The boards he had just stepped on plummeted through the water.


    Suta¡¯s hand clamped around Owin¡¯s ear before he could fall far. He swung underneath fully under the shipwreck, hanging in open water with piercing pain shooting through his ear.


    ¡°Friend,¡± Suta muttered as he yanked on Owin¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Myrsvai¡¯s footsteps echoed all around Owin as he continued staring at the city far below. He dipped a little lower as Suta slipped.


    Myrsvai¡¯s staff smacked against Owin¡¯s face. ¡°Grab it!¡±


    Owin clenched his jaw and wrapped his hands around the staff. Between Myrsvai pulling and Suta nearly ripping Owin¡¯s ear off, they hauled him back inside. After a moment of feeling the ground beneath him, Owin crawled to the edge of the broken boards, looking back down at the city.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    Suta held onto Owin¡¯s arm in a tight, almost painful grip.


    ¡°Let¡¯s approach the rest of this slowly. We have no reason to rush. Do you see the pedestal ahead?¡±


    Owin looked away from the city and stepped back from the hole. Suta let go of his arm.


    ¡°The heart on top is rotting.¡± Myrsvai tapped the boards with his staff before walking past the hole. It all held as he approached the pedestal.


    ¡°Does that mean something? Or is it just old?¡±


    ¡°Things don¡¯t grow old in the dungeon. This is intentionally rotting.¡± He crouched and held his staff out. Without a word, Suta took it and stood to the side.


    Owin followed their path around the hole and stood just beside the pedestal. It was low, allowing him to stare almost directly at the heart. It was a brown, shriveled lump that continued to beat. ¡°Does it mean anything?¡±


    He tried to use Examine but nothing appeared. Whenever that had happened in the past, it wasn¡¯t good. The gods were hiding something.


    ¡°As a symbol, it has connections to Diphinadra and the Fortress Dungeon, but I cannot figure out what that connection might be.¡± Myrsvai leaned in closer than Owin was willing to, getting his face uncomfortably close to the beating heart. ¡°Whoever owns this heart may yet live.¡±


    ¡°How? Their heart is rotting.¡± Owin wanted to smash it. If he had his Thunderstrike Maul, he would have smashed the whole thing, pedestal included.


    ¡°I suppose it could be an undead creature, though I¡¯m unsure why they would even have a heart. Usually it would simply be a skeleton, decayed, lich, or otherwise. I am eager to destroy it, though what may come of it? Another trap?¡±


    ¡°Drop down hole?¡± Suta pointed back to the hole Owin had almost fallen through.


    ¡°If we need to destroy it, that would make it more difficult. There is no guarantee that the fall would harm it. Better to bring it with us and destroy it if needed. Who is willing to grab the heart?¡±


    Suta took a step back and stood beside Owin.


    ¡°I could command you to grab it,¡± Myrsvai said with a faint smile. ¡°I am willing to be the one, but I cannot cast spells without the staff. Carrying two things at once¡ª¡±


    Suta thumped the staff on the ground, causing the wooden boards to wobble. Owin tensed, but nothing fell or broke.


    ¡°Fine. You manage the staff. If it is necessary¡ª¡±


    ¡°I will protect,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Myrsvai took a deep breath. He was still close enough to the rotting heart that Owin shivered upon seeing him breath in the same air, or water, surrounding it. Myrsvai reached out his one arm and snatched the heart from the pedestal. Everyone froze, waiting.


    Myrsvai Ryllsion¡¯s position updated.


    Bounty - 800 Dungeon Gold


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin pointed at his face, at the message in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s, uh.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your position was pinged on the map and it gave you a bounty. A big bounty.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°800.¡±


    Myrsvai cocked his head. ¡°It could¡¯ve been higher. So, the heart is a trap to lure other heroes. What then lies beyond?¡±


    ¡°This is how Artivan died,¡± Owin said quickly.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°I drank something that gave my location,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Myrsvai crouched in front of him. Suta was already very close with an arm over Owin¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You had heroes hunting you before your location was given. Artivan protected you. Nothing about it is your fault.¡±


    Owin stared hard at Myrsvai.


    ¡°Void Nexus,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°It¡¯s their fault and they''re here with us. I suspect ahead of us after our detours. I know you have a plan to sabotage them. Think of that moment. The moment your location was pinged. How did you feel?¡±


    ¡°Confident. Then scared.¡± Owin frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anyone in here with us. If anyone is even on this floor right now, they are likely below us. We are safe, and if we¡¯re not, do you know what will happen?¡±


    Owin shook his head slowly.


    ¡°We have Suta to protect us.¡±


    Suta nodded vigorously. ¡°Fight.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t help but smile. Suta formed a fist on the hand that dangled by Owin¡¯s face. The familiar¡¯s other hand still held the staff.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Myrsvai looked at the heart. His index appeared, but vanished quickly as Examine likely failed for him too.  ¡°Owin, are you willing to lead again?¡± Myrsvai asked, nodding to the broken door.


    ¡°I can. I¡¯ll be careful of the floor.¡± He pulled his lich bone from his belt. Something was going to be around the corner. Each dungeon had its own quirks, but he was starting to see patterns. Secrets weren¡¯t meant to be easy, and they didn¡¯t give treasure for free.


    Giving Myrsvai¡¯s location was dangerous, but being so far above the main part of the floor made it less dangerous than it had been at the castle in the Great Forest. Was there another step to the trap?

 Book 3 - Chapter 18

    Owin cracked the door open with Suta and Myrsvai behind him. The old, broken door nearly collapsed right off its hinges from the lightest touch. Owin took a step through and waited, expecting the floor to drop out beneath him. When nothing happened, he took another step. And another.


    He turned the next corner and repeated the same steps, working his way through the dark hall of warped boards. Myrsvai¡¯s Abyssal Armor was still illuminating the hall, allowing Owin to see easily.


    Owin leaned around the next corner. It was too dark to see, but the room opened into a wider area. He gestured for Myrsvai to get closer and guided the magus around the corner.


    ¡°That is . . .¡± Myrsvai squinted in the dark.


    On the edge of the light was a skeleton sprawled out near other scattered bones, all lying next to a sealed wooden coffin of the same warped, waterlogged boards as the rest of the shipwreck.


    ¡°Is it undead?¡± Owin whispered


    Suta pushed himself between Owin and the wall and peeked around. ¡°Looks dead.¡±


    ¡°It does, but . . .¡± Myrsvai pointed with the rotten heart. ¡°We could hit it with a spell.¡±


    Suta grunted and offered the staff back.


    ¡°Fine. Forget that idea. Owin?¡±


    ¡°I could grab it and toss it out the hole in the hallway.¡±


    Myrsvai fully stepped into the room. The magenta light spread through the rest of the hold, bringing a full pile of barrels into view. Behind the coffin and skeleton, tucked into a corner, were small jars that were nearly identical to ones Owin had seen once before.


    ¡°Is there a brain inside that jar?¡± he asked, pointing at one with a skull topping it.


    Myrsvai took a step closer and leaned forward. ¡°They do look like they may be canopic jars. How do you know what those are?¡±


    ¡°Specters in the Great Forest.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Myrsvai held the rotten heart in front of him. Letting the light spill over it. ¡°There is a theory. I cannot remember who wrote it. . . that suggests many secrets were created by other gods with Diphinadra placing specters into the Great Forest, Ruvaine hiding demons in the Tundra, or even Cassimarcia sneaking her ilk into the Subterranean Dungeon. It was never confirmed, of course. Who are the gods going to talk to?¡± Myrsvai froze after saying that, then slowly turned to Owin. ¡°Sloswen hasn¡¯t said anything, has he?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Myrsvai held the heart out to Owin. ¡°The rotting heart, a symbol of Diphinadra, suggests this secret could be linked to the Fortress in some manner.¡±


    ¡°Are undead special to the Fortress?¡±


    ¡°There are plenty there, including some necromancers, but it¡¯s not what people commonly think of for the Fortress Dungeon.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A coffin.¡± He turned just as the lid of the coffin opened, throwing a pulse through the water.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Owin asked with his knife raised and ready to stab anything that appeared.


    Suta already dropped the staff and launched himself across the room. As soon as he neared, before even landing, the skeleton shuddered and all the canopic jars shook. Suta reached back a punch just as a pale form stood straight up from the coffin.


    It looked like a normal woman, but her ears ended in sharp points. Her suit was olive green and looked fresh, despite lying in a coffin under the water. She punched with such speed that Suta didn¡¯t even have time to react. Her fist caught him in the chest, throwing him into the opposite corner. The water slowed him enough that he didn¡¯t fly through the old wooden boards.


    ¡°A vampire,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Ocean Mob


    Gracia Thoritek


    Vampire Fiend


    Level 25


    Suta jumped back to his feet and shook out his arms.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. It caught him off guard.¡± Myrsvai looked at the heart again. ¡°Crushing this heart could kill the vampire, or it could send her into a frenzy. It depends what type of vampire she is.¡±


    ¡°It says a fiend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more of a fighting style than a species. She¡¯s an elf and . . . I can¡¯t tell. My vampire knowledge is lacking.¡±


    ¡°We could use Potilia,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai nodded slowly. ¡°That is always true.¡±


    Gracia turned her red eyes to them. Black hair billowed behind her, caught in the water, as she took a step out of the coffin. The skeleton climbed to its feet and swayed as it stood right behind the vampire fiend.


    ¡°What¡¯s our move?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°What happens if you drop the heart?¡±


    ¡°If she gets it, it could empower her to the level of a lord or allow her to cast a Power 6 or 7 spell. I would hope a level 25 can¡¯t cast a Power 7, but these secrets are unpredictable.¡±


    Gracia Thoritek adjusted the cuffs of her shirt, then reached up and smoothed her collar. The whole time, she stared straight at Myrsvia, never breaking eye contact.


    ¡°What are vampires weak to?¡±


    ¡°Luminous.¡±


    Owin looked at the lich bone. ¡°What about undead?¡±


    ¡°She will be resistant.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Abyssal?¡±


    ¡°Resistant.¡±


    Owin adjusted his grip after deciding to keep the knife out. He already had a free hand to punch with, and a sharp point was still sharp even if the extra damage didn¡¯t help. If the vampire¡¯s heart was in Myrsvai¡¯s hand, that only left her brain as a weak point.


    The four canopic jars burst, revealing a possessed brain, intestine, liver, and lung. Each of the organs crawled on sinew limbs that leaked blood into the water.


    ¡°Possessors too,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Are those her organs?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    If she didn¡¯t have a brain, heart, or other organs, what was her weak spot?


    ¡°Are we going to stand around and listen to you like a professor or are we going to tear this ship apart?¡± Gracia¡¯s voice was smooth and calm. She smiled, showing her long fangs that protruded just over her lower lips.


    Suta had remained in the corner, watching Owin. Myrsvai also kept glancing his way.


    ¡°We¡¯re stronger than you. Let us get the treasure and we¡¯ll leave,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°A level doesn¡¯t determine strength.¡± Gracia held her hand up, showing her pale skin mold into a grotesque monstrous hide with curved claws. ¡°Skill overcomes level. I will make your deaths swift if you hand over my heart.¡±


    ¡°Can you move fast enough to keep the heart away?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡±


    ¡°Tell Suta¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s ready.¡±


    Gracia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seize the magus.¡±


    The possessor specters charged across the ground. Their sinew limbs clung to the wooden boards, propelling them quickly.


    Owin sprinted at them and jumped, using the lich bone to slice through one of the organs. The possessors slipped around his strike and continued their charge on Myrsvai. Suta sprinted at the same time, coming from the other side as Owin¡¯s jump took him right to Gracia¡¯s face.


    Her monstrous hand swung with incredible speed. If Owin hadn¡¯t had Goblin Cunning, her attack would have clawed his face. Instead he caught one claw on the lich bone and the rest scraped down his chitin armor. He smacked against the floor.


    Suta reached Gracia before she could follow up her attack on Owin. He latched onto her arm as she threw another punch, wrapping his arms and legs tightly around her.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What is this?¡± She flailed, turned, and smashed Suta against the wall.


    Owin jumped right behind her and punched the skeleton in the hip bone, shattering it like it was made of glass. The skeleton collapsed, allowing Owin to catch the skull as it drifted down.


    It was good to know the skeleton was just as weak as the rest he had met. Even including the Withered Shade.


    He pivoted, ready to jump and smash the skull on the vampire. Suta crashed into him, launching them both into the corner full of canopic potsherds.


    ¡°You fight like rabid children,¡± Gracia said. Her left sleeve was torn where Suta had been clinging on. She reached over with her monstrous hand and tore the entire sleeve off. Her pale skin underneath bulged, then morphed into the same monstrous skin as her right hand.


    Myrsvai punted the brain with his metal foot, launching it into the center of the room. Gracia turned, eyes wide, and jumped. She snatched it out of the air and landed on the far side of the room near the barrels.


    Owin and Suta looked at each other. What was she so scared of?


    Gracia held the brain cradled in her arm and walked around the edge of the room like she was still calm and composed.


    Meanwhile, Myrsvai was busy kicking the other organs on the opposite side of the room. That didn¡¯t seem to bother her in the slightest.


    ¡°Kick one toward the center again!¡± Owin pointed even though that was not helpful. Myrsvai already knew what the center was.


    Myrsvai tried, but kicked the lung more toward the hall they had come from instead.


    Gracia watched with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You have yet to even harm me and now you are thinking of desperate plans.¡± She let the brain go. Sinew limbs shot out, catching it before it hit the floor. It scurried around the edge of the room back toward Mrysvai.


    Owin pressed his hand hard against the floor beneath him. It wasn¡¯t going to break without incredible strength. It was the same for the wall. He partially stood while keeping a hand and a foot on the wall.


    Gracia was fast, but speed was Owin¡¯s thing. He wasn¡¯t going to let a low level mob, even a secret boss, beat him.


    All of his strength went into pushing off the wall.


    As strong as Owin had become, he hadn¡¯t had many opportunities to practice with all of his higher attributes. The strength at which he launched himself caused him to move so fast that he didn¡¯t even have time to raise a weapon or a fist before colliding with Gracia.


    Gracia Thoritek also didn¡¯t have time to react. Her eyes started to widen right as Owin¡¯s head went straight into her sternum and launched her into and through the barrels until she smashed against the opposite walls.


    The room was still for a moment. Even the possessed organs stopped chasing Myrsvai to watch as the vampire fiend slowly crawled out of the shattered wooden mess.


    Suta walked over and patted Owin on the shoulder. ¡°Help with brain. Not needed.¡± He walked along the edge of the room toward Myrsvai.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t think you need his help,¡± Myrsvai said as all the organs lunged at once. He ducked as the lung dove for his face. The intestine had already wrapped itself around Myrsvai¡¯s leg, squeezing as it slowly crawled up.


    ¡°Impressive speed.¡± Gracia brushed some debris from her shoulders. The monstrous skin crawled up from under her collar, turning her neck into the same mottled skin. Her face stayed the same shape as the skin continued transforming, but her fangs grew to twice the length and her eyes became solid white beacons in the dimly lit room.


    ¡°How do you kill a vampire?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Take off her head.¡± Myrsvai passed the rotting heart to Suta, who immediately dashed into the hallway they had come from. The organs all detached from Myrsvai and chased after the familiar.


    Gracia finished her transformation, including wings that ripped through the back of her suit. They were fleshy, mottled wings with holes and tears throughout. ¡°Time to feast on goblin blood.¡± Bubbles exploded behind her as she launched across the room.


    Owin tried to keep his movements small to avoid throwing himself too far again. He dropped to the ground, allowing her to pass right over the top. He rolled and hopped back to his feet, but she had used her wings to turn around quickly and caught him in one of her huge, transformed hands. She smashed him into the ceiling, pinning him in place.


    Myrsvai¡¯s staff thumped against the wooden floor. Magenta tendrils erupted from the ground and coiled around Gracia¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Demon magic won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kill you.¡±


    Owin jabbed the lich bone over his shoulder, driving the knife into her hand. She howled in pain as he ripped the small knife out, nearly tearing her hand in half. When Gracia pulled it away, Owin flipped, pressed his feet against the ceiling, and pushed off with less strength than before.


    He still moved quickly and stabbed the knife through the top of her skull. He kicked off, tearing it out and sending her stumbling to her knees as he crashed into the back wall. Gracia tried to turn, but she was rooted in place by Myrsvai¡¯s Dread Bind.


    ¡°You won¡¯t kill me that easily,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can I get a bigger weapon?¡± Owin shouted.


    Magenta fire swirled around Myrsvai¡¯s staff. ¡°Make it count. I can only keep these two spells going!¡±


    A demonic longsword formed in Owin¡¯s free hand. It had a rounded crossguard and a long, serrated blade made of red and black ethereal metal.


    Gracia tore at the abyssal tendrils but was unable to cut through the spell. She thrashed against it and reached for Owin with her claws.


    Suta sprinted back into the room with the heart in his mouth and the brain in his hands, outstretched before him. He chittered loudly as he tore the possessor in half, spilling blood into the water. He chucked half toward Gracia and let the other half fall to the floor.


    She stumbled as if punched in the face. She craned her head to glare at Suta. ¡°You filth!¡±


    Owin whipped the abyssal sword around and sliced through her collar, catching her in the mottled monstrous flesh. The teeth of the blade dug into her skin, but failed to slice through. As the vampire turned back around, the teeth sawed through a chunk of her neck. Owin tightened his grip and drove the lich bone into her eye.


    She shrieked, grabbed him, and flung him back into the wall, but Owin never let go of the sword. It sawed straight through the rest of her neck as he pulled the serrated blade back.


    He bounced against the wall with little force and watched as Gracia¡¯s head toppled to the floor. Myrsvai and Suta smashed the rest of the specters.


    ¡°Is your mana damaged?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes, but we have a solution for that.¡± Myrsvai knelt beside Suta, who held out his hands. Blue mana flowed from him to Myrsvai, and gray, damaged mana transferred to Suta. ¡°If he¡¯s not going to use spells, he won¡¯t need mana.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Gracia¡¯s fist swung around and caught Owin on the cheek. He smacked into the wall above the potsherds and quickly shook himself out of surprise.


    The Dread Bind had vanished as the headless body of the vampire stood. Gracia held her severed head in her monstrous hand. Loose strips of skin hung from her neck, but no blood leaked out.


    ¡°Only imbeciles believe they can kill a vampire.¡± She placed her head on the stump and let go. Somehow, the head stayed.


    Suta squeezed the heart. Nothing happened. He dropped it and stomped, but the heart remained. Myrsvai used his metal foot to stomp, but nothing damaged the rotting heart. Gracia turned to him with a grin. Before she could dive for the heart, Owin jumped onto her shoulders, adding unexpected weight. They both crashed onto the ground just in front of Myrsvai. Gracia¡¯s foot went right through the boards, knocking broken pieces of wood down to the cetanthro city below.


    ¡°Get off!¡± She flipped and tried to fling Owin off her shoulders, but he had placed the abyssal sword in front of her neck. Each movement caused the teeth to dig deeper.


    If he couldn¡¯t kill her, he would keep taking her head off until she stopped fighting.


    Gracia swung her head back, smacking the torn part of her skull against Owin¡¯s nose. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled harder on the sword. It had taken a few points of damage and he could feel blood running from his nostrils, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him. He had felt worse pain plenty of times.


    ¡°Get off, you¡ª¡± Gracia¡¯s voice gurgled then stopped completely as Owin tore her head off again, creating a new gash across her neck.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± He dropped the summoned sword, grabbed her head, and jumped over to Suta.


    The body started moving again almost immediately. ¡°Put me back!¡± She tried biting at Owin, but he held the head out as far as he could. The body stood back up and adjusted the olive green jacket before turning toward Owin.


    ¡°Everything was avoiding the center of the room,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Give.¡± Suta held out both hands.


    Owin handed him the head. He felt like he should¡¯ve asked why, but Suta obviously had a plan.


    ¡°It won¡¯t kill it, but it will stop the fight.¡± Myrsvai pointed his staff. ¡°Abyssal Blast.¡±


    The spell struck the vampire¡¯s body in the chest, causing it to stumble back a step. Its foot went through the floor, creating another hole. Before it fell, it flapped its wings and right itself on the edge.


    Owin prepared to charge, but the vampire quickly leapt over the center of the room toward Suta.


    The familiar jumped to the side and threw the head. In the water, throwing things was difficult. It went about halfway to Owin before it drifted to the ground.


    Owin was about to dive to catch it when Myrsvai¡¯s staff smacked him in the head.


    ¡°This works,¡± he said.


    Gracia¡¯s body hit the ground beside Suta, pivoted, and jumped again, reaching for the head. She caught her head right before it hit the ground, causing the body to thump on the boards, which immediately shattered.


    She should have dropped all the way through, but her impressive vampire speed allowed her to catch the edge of the sturdy boards as the rest of Gracia and her head swung into the open water beneath the shipwreck.


    Owin walked over and knelt beside the vampire¡¯s hand. He held the lich bone knife and tapped her fingers with the edge. ¡°The fall won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t,¡± the head said. He couldn¡¯t see her face, as the body was cradling the head to keep it safe.


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to feel bad about this.¡± He flipped the knife in his hand and stabbed it through her index and middle fingers. The monstrous flesh was tough, but Owin was stronger. The blade sliced through, causing the vampire to nearly slip.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you escape!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin severed the last fingers.


    Gracia plummeted toward the cetanthro city. Owin waved, though she probably couldn¡¯t see as she desperately beat her wings, which only caused her to flip about and slow down rather than actually fly.


    ¡°That was not the fight I was expecting,¡± Myrsvai said. He picked the heart up again and turned it over in front of his face. ¡°Suta, why did you put this in your mouth?¡±


    ¡°Hands full.¡±


    ¡°I thought we talked about this.¡± Myrsvai stuck the rotting heart in his bag. ¡°Owin, you should take the chest.¡±


    ¡°Why always me?¡±


    ¡°You did most of the fighting, and Suta and I have the things we need. You¡¯re the one looking for armor and new weapons.¡± Myrsvai didn¡¯t wait for Owin to agree. He simply walked over to the coffin and broken canopic jars and started searching through the remains.


    Owin hadn¡¯t been aware there was a chest in the room until Gracia broke through the barrels. It was hidden in the opposite corner from the coffin and still only barely visible through the debris. He picked his way through and flipped it open.


    There was a red boot inside. Owin squinted and leaned his head into the chest. Ernie had been very serious when he said getting a fully set was incredibly rare. Owin looked above, still squinting. Is Sloswen messing with him? Or helping him?


    ¡°What is it?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°A boot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think this isn¡¯t some incredible luck.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Owin took the boot and fit it over his foot. As much as he hated the boot upon first putting it on, he didn¡¯t mind once he had one on both feet. It felt more balanced. After only two more pieces, he would have a full set. It still didn¡¯t say what that would do, but the description said it acts as normal armor unless the wearer owns the complete set. Something would change with the armor soon.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we get to the next floor,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin looked through the hole. There was no way to spot Gracia or any specific cetanthro below.

 Book 3 - Chapter 19

    Minolitana Prima was a beautiful seaside city that smelled more of roasted fish than it did the ocean. On just about every street corner, a vendor had something on a stick. Usually pollock or crab, but after Potilia had found a stand selling fried shrimp kabobs, she was certain her stomach would soon burst, expelling all the shellfish onto the street.


    As much as she loved Minolitana Prima, she hadn¡¯t traveled through portals to sight see or to fill her stomach. But, of course, she was still going to get some more shrimp for her return journey. Chorsay would also appreciate a few hefty fish filets for dinner.


    Upon arriving, Potilia had expected an amount of difficulty would go into finding whoever had been spying on Owin, Myrsvai, and Vondaire, but it was easier than she could have ever hoped.


    Veph, for as smart and powerful as she is, had sent her most recognizable servant. Sylmare Virtress was dangerous, and despite being easy to find, Potilia was well aware that Sylmare was not an idiot. As soon as Potilia arrived, while still eating her shrimp, they spotted each other and went opposite directions.


    Sylmare would have already sent a message back to Veph. Potilia didn¡¯t need to send a message. Chorsay knew where she was and what she was doing. And now that the food was settled, she readied her kanabo. There was work to do.


    Graisetus¡¯s Unification Company was the real army of the country, but Minolitana Prima was Magna Regum¡¯s city. There was little to no military presence, but everywhere Potilia looked, she found the hero company.


    That would make things difficult, but not impossible. Veph had said there were more spies than Sylmare, which meant the big three hero companies would have sent someone, and people from each military would likely be present as well.


    She spotted Sylmare, the Void Nexus spy. That left the Three Headed, Magna Regum, and possibly even the Golden Bulls. Finding a Magna Regum spy in the middle of a Magna Regum haystack would be nearly impossible. Nearly any guard within the city could act as a spy, so they were less of an issue.


    A few suspects had made themselves known while she was snacking. People with too much gear for a normal day. Some of them were heading to the ferry, which was good cover for a spy, but also something a normal hero would do if they planned to take on the Ocean.


    Potilia had walked through town, acting casual and clueless until she reached the overlook. She leaned on the wall, ignoring the people traversing the nearby steps down to the shore.


    Only a small group of heroes waited on the dock. From the way they interacted, it looked like a single party, all from Magna Regum. They joked and laughed like they had no worries in the world. It was probably a normal training routine to take on the first few floors of the Ocean.


    Notably, none of the heroes below were ones Potilia had seen heading that way.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be so simple,¡± Sylmare said. The umbra rested her staff against the short stone wall and leaned on her elbows.


    ¡°Has it ever been?¡±


    Sylmare nodded slowly, looking out at the happy party below. Her hair was tied back, but she only did when fighting, or expecting a fight. ¡°I have never felt joy such as that.¡±


    ¡°Uh . . . I can tell.¡± Potilia sighed. ¡°Are you going to leave?¡±


    ¡°Vephthru Veriss has ordered I watch for the goblin and report all of his moves.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say her whole name. I know who she is.¡±


    ¡°And how many know who you are?¡± Sylmare¡¯s voice was always even, always calm.


    It was intimidating, but not nearly as much as it was when they had first met. And, luckily, Potilia¡¯s nerves always stilled when she wasn¡¯t being watched. There were two things she could do without stumbling: Study and fight.


    Talking wasn¡¯t one of those strengths, but at this point, Sylmare was as close to an old friend as Potilia had.


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°Since I nearly killed you?¡± Sylmare asked.


    ¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s not how I remember the fight.¡±


    ¡°Damage to the head can do that.¡±


    While their last fight had ended with Potilia severely injured, so was Sylmare. Nothing the umbra could say would scare Potilia away.


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the others.¡±


    ¡°I saw a Golden Bull hunter, a Unity Force wizard, and a Security Regime assassin all talking this morning. They¡¯re stronger than you. I¡¯d rather not see you killed or arrested.¡±


    Potilia nudged the umbra. ¡°You know I have to protect the Hogs.¡±


    ¡°And I have to protect the Void. Veph sees this goblin as a real threat to the stability of Verdantallis. If something upsets the balance, our peace could collapse.¡±


    ¡°Owin isn¡¯t going to bring wars back to Verdantallis. He just wants to have friends and get the shards. Althowin¡¯s apprentices already convinced him not to kill your heroes who murdered Artivan.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you believe. It doesn¡¯t matter what I believe. We have to serve.¡±


    Potilia adjusted her grip on the kanabo. ¡°Now or later?¡±


    ¡°I will give you twenty four hours. If you¡¯re still in Minolitana Prima, I will do what I can to send you back to Atrevaar. Alive, if possible.¡± Sylmare grabbed her staff and let it hang at her side. The sea breeze caught and ruffled her skirts. She stood, looking into the city for a long, quiet minute. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, I haven¡¯t seen you.¡±


    ¡°The wind must be talking again. That, or I started hearing voices.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Be safe, Potilia. Do your business and get out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in twenty four hours.¡±


    Sylmare vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Potilia standing alone. The heroes below boarded as soon as the ferry arrived. Based on their laughing and immediate departure, Potilia guessed they were well acquainted with the ferry captain.


    She turned and sat on the edge of the short stone wall with the kanabo in her hands. The Golden Bulls would try to get their information from Sylmare and Void Nexus. They had the money to pay for it. The bigger threat were the militaries. If the Unity Force and Security Regime wanted to place a new bounty on Owin, they had to see him commit a crime, or force him into committing one.


    Sylmare could be left alive, heroes in the military couldn¡¯t. They would report her, and she would be arrested.


    It had been at least a year since her last fight.


    Good thing she had the best mentor.


    ***


    Escaping the secret and crossing the rest of the wreck was easy enough. A few more pipefish attacked, but between the three of them, someone killed each mob before it could hurt anyone.


    Climbing down was the more difficult task, though it proved to be calming as he only needed to focus on his movements. Suta kept making odd noises as he was climbing, but he seemed like he was having fun, so Owin didn¡¯t comment.


    Before long, they were back on the ground with Barracuda¡¯s house and the stairs only a short distance off. Owin was barely used to wearing boots, but the climb and the hike to Barracuda¡¯s had helped get used to both. His steps were louder than they used to be, but he had seen plenty of people walk quietly in shoes before. It probably just took practice.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Owin kicked the door open to Barracuda¡¯s house, shattering the wood. Pieces scattered inside, scaring the cetanthro boss. He turned, pointing his wand.


    ¡°Who dares¡ª¡±


    Suta¡¯s fist launched the fish man¡¯s head straight into the ground. Barracuda survived the initial attack, but before he could pull himself out of the broken tiles, Suta wailed on him again, killing him within seconds.


    ¡°Boss dead.¡± He lifted the corpse and shook it violently, causing golden coins to rain down on his head.


    ¡°You know, you really don¡¯t need to shake them for loot,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta looked at the magus and shook the body more. Somehow another gold coin fell out and bounced off the familiar¡¯s head.


    ¡°I might be wrong.¡± Myrsvai walked over and jabbed at Barracuda¡¯s corpse with his staff. No new loot appeared. ¡°I thought I understood the dungeons. Well, it was an interesting floor. Time for the next.¡±


    ¡°I know part of the secret on this one. I just don¡¯t know how to get into it. I think. There¡¯s an orb in a bowl and . . . I think it does something.¡±


    ¡°That is quite the bit of information, Owin.¡± Myrsvai nodded toward the stairs. ¡°Time to find this orb, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not escaping.¡±


    Owin, Suta, and Myrsvai all groaned and turned to the broken door where Gracia stood, head in her hands. For whatever reason, she hadn¡¯t reattached her head this time. Owin hoped maybe she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Graliel said he couldn¡¯t respawn unless he died, right? And Gracia is from a secret. So, how does she respawn?¡± Owin looked back to Myrsvai, who had wide eyes.


    Gracia¡¯s fist collided with Owin¡¯s face, once again, and launched him backward, tumbling through the water until he hit a ledge and fell. Before he could stop himself, he passed right through the void nexus.


    Ocean Dungeon


    Fourth Floor


    For the vampire threatening to not let him escape, she definitely made him escape a lot faster than he had expected. He walked down the stairs and sat, waiting for Myrsvai and Suta. He couldn¡¯t think of a time where he had been the first one through without knowing when the next would arrive. Everyone had always wanted to go first, leaving Owin on the previous floor alone.


    Minutes passed where he stood into the never ending doorway. Finally, he opened his index and looked through his spells and class. Nothing had changed, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. He would be the deficient wizard for as long as he lived.


    After a few more minutes, Suta rolled backward through the doorway and bounced down the stairs until he landed on his face in the sand.


    Owin scrambled over to him and rolled the familiar onto his back. Suta was limp, letting Owin move him, but the familiar was fully awake and aware, just staring up at the surface of the water.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Battle.¡±


    ¡°You kept fighting Gracia?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Myrsvai?¡±


    Suta closed his eyes and didn¡¯t answer for a few seconds, then pointed at the doorway. Myrsvai stumbled out and used his staff to catch his balance before he fell down the stairs. He spotted Owin and Suta, and immediately burst into laughter.


    Owin tried to think of a time when he had seen Myrsvai truly laugh.


    The magus sat on the stairs and continued laughing, resting his head on his own knee as his shoulders shook. Suta started laughing too, and before long, Owin joined in.


    Once he calmed down, Myrsvai took a health potion from his bag and drank it. He ran his hand through his long hair, picked up his staff, and descended the stairs like the sophisticated magus he was. No hint of the humor was left, except Suta chuckling on the ground beside Owin.


    ¡°Did you beat her?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe she can die without a luminous fighter present. A knight or mender would kill her with ease, but yet, here we are with all of our abyssal damage.¡± He looked between the four entrances to the cave. ¡°Do you know which route is best?¡±


    ¡°I remember where we went, but that was for the mushrooms. I don¡¯t think we need to follow that path. We can fight the chest guardian and go to the secret thing I was talking about. I can get us to both of those. The main mob here are these worms that split into more worms. If you have the mana, it will be better if you fight them all. Suta and I would get full of little sharp hairs that are really hard to remove.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Myrsvai nodded. ¡°Okay. I can handle the fighting if you think it¡¯s best. Should Suta be here or can he rest?¡±


    ¡°Rest. Owin will protect,¡± Suta said. He closed his eyes again and tried to make snoring noises, but it only sounded like a bug chittering.


    ¡°Owin?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°He can rest. If we need someone to scout, I can bring the Shade out. I haven¡¯t thought of a name, but he could be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Save it for now. We may not need him, and I think we will enjoy the silence.¡± Myrsvai tapped his staff on the ground, making Suta disappear in a burst of abyssal flames. ¡°His rest shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    It felt a little odd having just the two of them around. There hadn¡¯t been many times where Owin had been around Myrsvai without Suta, and even on the first floor when Suta was resting, Potirantoma had been around, working on Myrsvai¡¯s leg.


    Owin stared at him awkwardly for what was probably too long before he pointed at the far left cave entrance. ¡°We should go that way. If we follow the left wall, we¡¯ll find the chest.¡±


    ¡°And probably more chitin armor for you.¡±


    ¡°Probably. I don¡¯t really like the idea of wearing a helmet. Do you think I¡¯ll have to wear a helmet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Owin. Helmets are part of an armor set. You will have to wear a helmet.¡±


    Owin pointed at Myrsvai¡¯s head. ¡°You don¡¯t wear a helmet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a melee fighter either. I do need a piece of headgear, but I have yet to find one suitable. The last one I had is . . . gone. If we find one that works for a magus, I will wear it.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then nothing changes, does it?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Got it.¡± Owin pointed to the left entrance again. ¡°There¡¯s a bristle worm a little bit inside. Do you want to lead?¡±


    ¡°I will. You know, it says something about you that Suta is willing to sleep while we continue. He trusts that you will protect me.¡±


    Owin pulled out his lich bone knife, even though he would like to have more range against the worms. ¡°I can.¡±¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t need protection. Suta insists, but you should know this by now.¡± Myrsvai took off toward the left door. Abyssal fire swirled around his staff.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong. I know.¡± Owin followed after, letting the magus lead a few steps ahead.


    As soon as they found the first bristle worm, Myrsvai hit it with a barrage of magic. Even as the worm split, he hit each one, ripping it apart until only a cloud of blood remained.


    ¡°Are you close to another level?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, but if I¡¯m the one to kill the bosses on this floor, I may get enough experience. The bosses are the blind lizards, yes?¡±


    Owin nodded, then remembered Myrsvai couldn¡¯t see him. ¡°Yes.¡± The magus already knew about Owin¡¯s dilemma last time.


    ¡°It will be best for us if I kill them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Do it fast.¡±


    ¡°I will. I don¡¯t want to cause suffering anymore than you do.¡± Myrsvai checked what little was left of the worm corpse for loot as he passed. When nothing dropped, he hit it with his staff a few more times and kicked it just to be sure. ¡°What is Suta doing differently?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Myrsvai continued along, following the left path like Owin had said.


    It was a quiet adventure so far. So quiet that Owin even considered what the Withered Shade might have to say. Owin looked at each mushroom they passed, whether it was gilled or not. He still didn¡¯t really know what the gilled mushrooms did or why Althowin needed them so badly. He thought about collecting them, but carrying a bag full of mushrooms through the rest of the floors sounded annoying and useless.


    Chaeta, the chest guardian, soon moved past their current view. Myrsvai started another spell with magenta abyssal fire swirling around the top of his staff. As soon as he passed into Chaeta¡¯s territory, he wrapped the bristle worm prince in tendrils then blasted him with a barrage until there was nothing left.


    Being a magus looked easy. He could crush enemies without having to take his own damage. The only issue was mana management, which Owin hadn¡¯t been great with. Discharge ate his mana every time.


    ¡°Simple enough.¡± Myrsvai gestured toward the chest.


    ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t earn it this time.¡±


    ¡°And I am unlikely to find chitin armor. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you checked?¡±


    ¡°Last time it was a void gem, so . . .¡± Owin ran over and opened it. He grabbed a black gem and held it up. ¡°We can get you headgear.¡±


    ¡°No. Get your own chitin armor. A completed set is worth far more than what we would gain from a headpiece for me.¡±


    Owin scowled. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The gem disappeared and left a chitin gauntlet in his hand. He slid his hand inside and let the gauntlet shift until it fit perfectly. Now, all he had left was a helmet.


    The Crab Chitin armor set is formed of broken pieces of chitin from crab mobs throughout the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. Acts as normal armor unless the hero has acquired the complete set.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch. Cannot be unbound.


    Note: Current Crab Chitin set - 7/8


    ¡°See? Soon you will look like a soldier.¡±


    ¡°I was going for berserker,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Then you will need to get a lot more naked, and I don¡¯t think you will enjoy that. Maybe you would like to take those boots off, but berserkers often have shoes, boots, or some type of foot protection. It¡¯s the chest and head they often leave exposed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be exposed.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a soldier.¡±


    Owin frowned. A deficient wizard and a soldier? He didn¡¯t want to be either of those.

 Book 3 - Chapter 20

    Owin continued leading through the cave, heading straight across toward the cluster of gilled mushrooms, and more importantly, the crystal ball. Myrsvai had been quiet and followed without question. He hummed for a bit and grunted as he poked a few things with his staff, but he never tried to start a conversation.


    Neither did Owin.


    What was he going to say? The magus didn¡¯t seem inclined to talk about much, especially when it involved his past. If Owin started asking questions, it would only be a matter of time before he brought up a subject that angered Myrsvai.


    Owin looked at every little thing as he walked and frequently reached out to poke at the walls, mushrooms, and stalactites. Even knowing that everything was the same as his last visit, seeing it now made it all look new. He noticed things he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Was it his higher attributes or was he just less worried? The last time he had been on the fourth floor, he was weaker and tired, and Ernie was injured.


    Before long, the arches came into view. Owin gestured to them, but they were difficult to miss and it was obvious Myrsvai had already spotted them. He leaned his staff against a column and slowly approached the bowl. Owin grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Myrsvai asked. He cautiously reached out and tapped the blue crystal ball.


    ¡°You can touch it.¡± Owin poked it a few times to prove it was safe.


    Myrsvai rested his hand on top. ¡°Do you have any idea what it is?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin held onto the bowl to stop himself from falling backward. ¡°It has to be for the secret. Nothing else on this floor looks like the arches or the orb.¡±


    Myrsvai carefully maneuvered it into his palm and pulled it from the bowl. ¡°Another object that doesn¡¯t have any information. I am noticing a trend, Owin.¡±


    ¡°If we used Examine and it said what to do, it wouldn¡¯t be a very good secret.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I suppose.¡± Myrsvai carefully set it back into the bowl. ¡°Were there any spots it looked like it could fit? Is it a key?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t explore the whole cave with Ernie and Katalin, but I never saw anything that didn¡¯t look like a . . . cave. I don¡¯t know. It all looked basically the same. But why else would it be here?¡±


    Myrsvai nodded slowly as he followed the arches with his eyes. He leaned against the column next to his staff. ¡°I believe you¡¯re right. Think of the secret in Ligala Lepis. Graliel had revealed the secret hidden behind a wall that looked like every other. If he hadn¡¯t revealed it for us, how would we have ever found it? There are hints about the floors. Little symbols or directions to find the secrets. Sometimes it is even something a mob says.¡±


    ¡°You think Graliel would help heroes find the secret on the second floor?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. How else would anyone find that hidden room? Just like the handle Suta tripped over on the wreck. If Sloswen had wanted to truly hide it, he wouldn¡¯t have provided an opportunity to trip, which has to be the only way to find an invisible door handle.¡±


    Owin nodded quickly. ¡°On the fourth floor of the Great Forest, there is a big window showing the Sovereign One.¡± Owin pointed to his head. ¡°The purple halo that turned Artivan into a lich.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember. That was linked to the lake castle?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Secrets would be meaningless if they were impossible to find. There are plenty of scholars around Verdantallis who study such things, but how many are actually venturing into the dungeons to uncover the secrets? As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, there aren¡¯t any books or studies that actually reveal the secrets. Something or someone has barred those from ever coming to light. It is only word of mouth that has ever revealed any.¡± Myrsvai approached the bowl again and touched the blue orb. ¡°Sanem is well versed in many of the early floor secrets, and that is only because of a dedicated series of extensive studies she committed herself to a few years ago. She spent days on each floor looking for the hints.¡±


    ¡°Does she know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think she has traveled through much of the Ocean. And even if she has . . .¡± Myrsvai looked about. ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡±


    Owin leaned close to the orb. It mostly looked like blue glass, but a little something swirled inside. He squinted and watched the swirling wisps form into what looked like a face.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s looking at me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Myrsvai leaned in. ¡°It does look like it is scowling. Have you tried carrying it with you?¡±


    ¡°Ernie said people have tried but it disappears after going through the exit or the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Then you should carry it as we explore the rest of the floor. Suta will be ready to rejoin us soon and the three of us can find this secret. I will handle any fighting while you¡¯re occupied with carrying the crystal ball.¡±


    Owin picked it up and nearly fell over backward. Myrsvai carefully pulled it from Owin¡¯s hands, allowing Owin to climb back to the ground before handing over the orb.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make it as painless as possible for Olma?¡± Owin asked.


    Myrsvai grabbed his staff. ¡°Yes.¡± The magus set off back into the cave.


    Owin hurried to follow. The orb was light, but big, making it a little obnoxious to carry. He could probably smash people with the crystal ball, or his own head, or maybe even kick them, but Myrsvai also was plenty strong to handle everything on the floor.


    ¡°Why do you only use Abyssal Barrage or Abyssal Blast?¡± Owin walked beside the magus and helped guide them since his map was already revealed. Myrsvai walked confidently, but did follow Owin¡¯s lead whenever he turned or suggested a different route.


    ¡°I use more spells than those.¡±


    ¡°You summon armor and weapons. What else?¡±


    ¡°I suppose from your perspective, those are the only truly offensive spells an abyssal magus has. The Dread Bind spell isn¡¯t necessarily offensive, but I find it useful in a fight. Many of the other spells are to empower a summon, whether that is Suta, a demon, or an item like the weapon and armor. I stopped using Infernal Arrow when I was sixteen because Abyssal Blast is better in every aspect.¡±


    Owin smiled. Myrsvai talked with enthusiasm.


    ¡°What else can a magus do? One mob I met in the Great Forest had invisible attacks that pushed everyone away. Do you have any of those?¡±


    ¡°Ah, telekinesis. A telekinetic magus has attacks that push, pull, lift, slam, and other movements that can be devastating. I had considered it for a period of time, but didn¡¯t find it as interesting. There is no greater connection with telekinetics, while the Abyss connects all abyssal magi with demons and the Lords. Although, a telekinetic familiar can be a fascinating companion. I haven¡¯t met many magi that have gone for a summoning focused telekinesis build, but it is one that fascinates me.¡±


    ¡°I think I followed maybe half of what you said.¡±


    Olma¡¯s faint shadow moved on the far wall.


    Myrsvai swirled magenta fire around the top of his staff. ¡°And was that half informational?¡±


    ¡°Um . . . yeah.¡±


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    Owin took a step back as Olma fully rounded the corner. The massive, blind lizard immediately started to track Myrsvai as his magic swirled around his staff.


    ¡°Would you like to see a spell you haven¡¯t seen?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Olma stomped its feet. A low growl spread through the water.


    ¡°Will it kill Olma?¡±


    ¡°Immediately. It¡¯s called Hellish Torrent. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve seen many Power 5 spells. They can be used once per day, and this spell pulls the energy right out of me.¡±


    ¡°It seems like a bad idea.¡± He wouldn¡¯t be able to easily carry Myrsvai and the orb. Plus, how was he going to find the secret on his own? He had no idea where to look.


    Myrsvai smacked the butt of his staff on the cave floor. Suta formed directly beside Owin, wide awake and already putting his fists up.


    ¡°Suta will handle things if I am too exhausted.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff again. The abyssal fire raged above it.


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    Olma charged, barreling down the narrow cave. Before the Proteunia Guardian could get any closer, Myrsvai smashed his staff back onto the ground. All the water between Myrsvai and Olma vanished, leaving the whole area suddenly clear.


    Before Owin could react, before he could try to understand what was happening, a blast of abyssal energy as tall as Myrsvai erupted from the top of his staff, immediately filling the space between the magus and the wandering boss.


    Owin had to shield his eyes as the spell raged through the cave passage. It felt like it raged for a minute, but the whole encounter was over in seconds. As soon as the spell ended, water rushed to fill in the opening, causing everyone to lose their balance and stumble.


    Olma stood across from them with a hole bored straight through the middle. The dead mob didn¡¯t move, like its limbs were locked in place. Abyssal fires still burned around the hole.


    ¡°That¡¯s Power 5?¡±


    Myrsvai leaned heavily on his staff. ¡°That¡¯s Power 5.¡±


    ¡°Could I even survive that?¡±


    Myrsvai lazily shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t need to find out.¡±


    Suta ran ahead, checked the body, came back with a large sapphire, and shoved it in Myrsvai¡¯s bag. He tugged on the magus¡¯s pants a few times before Myrsvai stood upright.


    ¡°Yes, I know. We can move. My energy will come back quickly.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do about the bristle worms?¡±


    ¡°I can manage.¡± Myrsvai lowered himself to one knee and let Suta grab some food from the pack. Myrsvai took it and immediately took a bite. ¡°Suta will help if I don¡¯t react fast enough, but I can still manage. Power 5 is meant to finish a fight. No hero would use it without knowing they will win.¡± He took another bite and sighed. ¡°I also haven¡¯t used Power 5 much, and haven¡¯t had an opportunity to grow used to its effects.¡±


    ¡°You can get used to that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Shard Heroes have all gotten used to it.¡±


    Suta checked on Myrsvai one more time before waving them on. The familiar hopped about with some extra energy in each step. They had to push themselves against the wall to get past Olma¡¯s corpse.


    As they walked, Owin held the orb on top of his head, using the tips of his fingers to keep it balanced. He wobbled on purpose, letting it roll and shift with each step. It took a few minutes before they came across a bristle worm.


    Owin prepared to chuck the orb, hoping to kill at least one or two parts of the worm, but before he could do anything, Myrsvai lazily shot a barrage that destroyed the mob.


    ¡°Being a magus looks too easy.¡±


    Myrsvai continued eating some food. He nodded slowly as he waited to see which way Owin led them. Once he swallowed he nudged Owin with the end of his staff. ¡°You know, wizards and hunters can kill mobs just as easily from a distance.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was a soldier.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were a berserker.¡±


    Owin scowled.


    Suta gently punched Owin in the chest a few times. ¡°Berserker twins.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not twins, Suta.¡±


    The next jab to Owin¡¯s chest had a little more force. ¡°Twins.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    Owin led the way through some more twisting turns. They were already near the exit, which felt so strange. The fourth floor of the Ocean was so much smaller than even the third floor. He took them around a different turn instead, twisting away from the exit. The secret wouldn¡¯t be at the end.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for anything that looks like it would hold this,¡± Owin said, holding the orb in front of Suta¡¯s face.


    ¡°Skeleton?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Owin twisted around, looking down every passage.


    ¡°He¡¯s asking if we should bring the Shade out.¡± Myrsvai scanned the closest wall to him. ¡°An extra set of eyes might help.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t like you saying that.¡±


    ¡°Saying what?¡± Myrsvai thought about it for a second, then chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re correct. I¡¯ll phrase it differently. I will be sensitive to his lack of eyes.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I should summon him?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if he¡¯s annoying.¡± Owin opened his index and found the spell. He waited for a second then selected it.


    The Withered Shade appeared almost immediately, forming out of gray dust. The skeleton stretched, despite having no muscles. He yawned loudly and looked around.


    ¡°A cave underwater. Well, at least we¡¯ve made some progress. How was it? Did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Did you?¡± The skeleton crouched in front of the familiar.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Now I¡¯m being lied to.¡±


    Suta patted the skeleton¡¯s arm.


    ¡°We need help finding the secret on this floor,¡± Owin said. ¡°We thought you could help us look.¡±


    The skeleton finally turned to Owin. ¡°What are we looking for?¡± He slowly reached out and plucked the orb from Owin¡¯s hand. He turned it over a few times. ¡°This is possibly familiar?¡±


    ¡°Is that a question?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Oh, everything is a question, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Withered Shade stood all the way up, still clutching the orb in his bony fingers. ¡°This is a key.¡±


    ¡°We assumed as much. What does it open?¡± Myrsvai stood beside the skeleton and gestured to the cave walls surrounding them. ¡°No key holes in sight.¡±


    The skeleton pressed the orb against a wall. ¡°If we force it, perhaps it will just fit.¡± He pulled it back and bumped it against Myrsvai a few times. ¡°Obviously there is no key hole in sight. If there was, why would you have me summoned?¡±


    ¡°Where should we look?¡± Owin asked.


    The skeleton held the orb above his head, then brought it close to his eye socket. ¡°I would suggest just finding the spot where it fits.¡±


    Owin sighed.


    ¡°Alright, okay, fine. I will attempt to be as helpful as possible. Where have you not been?¡±


    Owin opened his map. He had followed the exact path Ernie had taken him last time, leaving entire sections of the cave untouched, still hidden in shadow.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been through a lot of the floor,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Then I would suggest going through those parts of the floor.¡± The skeleton handed the orb back. ¡°It seems simple to me.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need you to solve the puzzle. We only need your eyes.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s eyebrows shot up as soon as he realized what he said.


    ¡°Eyes? Really? Oh, so funny. Yeah, great. I don¡¯t have eyes and it¡¯s the funniest thing you¡¯ve ever seen. I get it. Oh, look at me. I have eyes and the gods don¡¯t hate me. Ha ha. So funny. The sad little naked skeleton is such a loser.¡±


    ¡°I truly didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Myrsvai said. He stood in front of the skeleton. ¡°I appreciate you helping us.¡±


    ¡°As if I have a choice.¡± The skeleton turned its head all the way around to look at Owin without turning its body, making it look like it had its neck snapped. ¡°Do I?¡±


    ¡°No. We need help.¡±


    The Withered Shade¡¯s head turned all the way back. ¡°See? Ah, now I¡¯m making eye jokes. What¡¯s next? You¡¯re going to make fun of my fingernails? My lack of grooming? My skincare routine?¡± He held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m calm. I promise. Don¡¯t send me to my box.¡±


    ¡°We just want help finding the floor¡¯s secret. I¡¯ll keep you around if you can talk a little less.¡± Owin took the blue orb back from the skeleton. ¡°We¡¯re all looking for any hint. Just help us find something.¡±


    ¡°Hints.¡± The skeleton nodded vigorously. ¡°I can find hints.¡±


    Nobody could find a hint.


    It took a long time to search every dead end of the cave system. Long enough that they had to fight bristle worms, Olma, and Chaeta again. Unfortunately, the chest protected by Chaeta was only usable once.


    They ended up at the stairs from the third floor again, and Owin watched cautiously, expecting someone else to show up. They had taken over an hour just searching through the cave, allowing all mobs to spawn again. On the way to the next floor, they would have to fight all the same mobs a third time.


    ¡°Maybe it leads to a secret on another floor?¡± the Shade asked.


    ¡°No. We already know it disappears if you try to take it on the stairs.¡± Owin held it out, letting the light shine on the blue surface. ¡°Maybe we need to just skip it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not skipping the secret. We¡¯re unlikely to come back here, Owin. It is worth us spending time now to find this and not have a reason to return to the Ocean.¡± Myrsvai opened his index. ¡°Let me look closer at this map and see if there is anything that looks unnatural.¡±


    ¡°Everything is unnatural. It''s a damn dungeon,¡± the Withered Shade said.


    Myrsvai shooed the skeleton away.


    ¡°I do have to say, I find myself agreeing with the magus for the first time. Any reason to not return to the Ocean is a good reason. Who in their right mind would want to waddle around in the water all day?¡± The skeleton sat himself on the ground and tried to pick up a handful of sand, but it all fell between his bony fingers. ¡°You haven¡¯t happened to find any more pieces of my body, have you?¡±


    ¡°No. Maybe we will in the secret.¡±


    The skeleton was right back on his feet. ¡°Ah, good point. A point which I had not thought about. My own survival depends on us finding this secret.¡±


    ¡°Is it survival if you¡¯re undead?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what I am.¡± He walked with an exaggerated stride toward the nearest cave entrance. ¡°Maybe we can blast a wall down and sneak around Sloswen¡¯s boundary wall.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index flashed as he looked through other pages. ¡°Is that worth an attempt?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can break the cave walls.¡± Owin shoved the orb into Suta¡¯s arms and walked to the nearest entrance. With the Shade standing beside him, Owin punched the stone wall with all his strength.


    It turned out to be a bad idea. Punching a stone wall was incredibly painful as the chitin gauntlet vibrated from the impact.


    ¡°That hurt!¡±


    ¡°Owin, look at what you did.¡± Myrsvai hurried over and poked at the wall with his staff.


    Owin¡¯s punch had shredded the stone, causing an entire section of the wall to crumble. It left a dust cloud with bits of rock hanging in the water, but he had also destroyed it so easily.


    ¡°Last time I had jumped off the ground and ceiling with all my strength and didn¡¯t break much.¡± He poked at the broken section of the wall. It didn¡¯t crumble from a little touch, but if he struck it again, it would probably have the same effect.


    ¡°The ceiling collapsing would cause a cave in that would kill heroes and mobs alike. Maybe Sloswen only let the walls get destroyed to find the secret. We can¡¯t keep hitting it like that or you will break every bone in your hands, but if we follow the outside walls and destroy everything we can, we are likely to come across a secret.¡± Myrsvai handed his staff to Suta and grabbed Owin¡¯s hand. His thumb brushed over the gauntlet. ¡°No damage. Your health is still fine?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t waste a potion. We will have to be creative here. I can use some spells, but I don¡¯t wish to waste all of my mana destroying things. I¡¯ll need my potions on the higher floors. But I don¡¯t want you punching the walls every time.¡±


    ¡°We can take turns. I think we can all find a way to destroy something.¡± Owin poked the Shade. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course. Me and my destructive power.¡± The skeleton punched the wall. His wrist bent and went limp as soon as he hit the stone. ¡°Powerful.¡±


    Suta punched the wall right beside where Owin had hit it, shattering an entire new section. ¡°Destroy!¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s our plan. What side do we start with?¡± Myrsvai gestured left then right.


    ¡°The orb was on the right side, so we should start on the opposite.¡± Owin ran over to the left cave entrance. ¡°You also need to handle the mobs, so maybe Suta and I should just take turns.¡±


    ¡°We will make it work. I¡¯m recovered from the Power 5 spell earlier, so we should be fine. My mana recharge isn¡¯t as slow as yours.¡± Myrsvai frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that to sound harsh.¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°Suta, do you want to go first?¡±


    Suta launched himself at the wall, striking it with incredible speed.

 Book 3 - Chapter 21

    They had gone through half the floor, smashing the outermost wall every step of the way. Myrsvai handled the bristle worms, including Chaeta once again, while Owin and Suta took turns destroying.


    The level of strength needed to destroy the stone was higher than what Owin would have been able to do on his last visit. Now, it didn¡¯t require all of his strength to break apart, but he couldn¡¯t lazily hit it either.


    Only a few inches of stone broke away with each strike, and beyond that was stone that was unbreakable as far as Owin could tell. His strongest punch, Suta¡¯s strongest attack, and an Abyssal Blast from Myrsvai all did nothing to the stone.


    They found another bristle worm that managed to surprise the Withered Shade before Myrsvai could attack. What would have been incredibly painful for anybody else ended up as a slight inconvenience for the Shade.


    After Myrsvai killed it, the skeleton stood beside the dead worm covered in bristle hairs. He poked at them, lodged into the bone, and somehow scowled without a face to move.


    ¡°If my bones felt pain, I would be furious.¡± The Shade kicked the dead worm and lost his balance from the strike, causing him to fall on top of the corpse. He flailed, dropped the orb, and rolled away, leaving himself covered in even more hairs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get near me,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Is that an¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an order. I don¡¯t want those hairs anywhere near me.¡±


    Myrsvai strode past the Shade, through a narrow passage, and looked both directions down the cave. The light from the exit where Olmu waited was nearby, meaning they had almost made it all the way through again.


    ¡°We have a small space here, then only a little section left before we will need to try the right side of the cave,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°¡±We can go down if we need to,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Nonsense. Shade, what do you think?¡± Myrsvai walked back over and used the knuckle of his gauntlet to brush some of the hairs out of the skeleton¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Punch, punch, punch. What do we have to lose? We¡¯re already drenched anyway.¡± He ran over and punched the wall beside Suta. The skeleton practically crumpled against the wall as his whole arm went limp from the strike.


    Suta took a step aside. ¡°No hairs.¡±


    The Withered Shade sprawled out on the ground. ¡°Just unsummon me and resummon me. The hairs should stay here.¡±


    ¡°Go stand over on the worm so the hairs don¡¯t float around the wall.¡± Owin pointed, helping guide the skeleton.


    A second after Owin cast the spell, the Withered Shade collapsed as a pile of gray dust and bristles. Owin resummoned him beside the wall. The skeleton yawned, picked up the blue orb in one hand, and poked the wall.


    ¡°Who is hitting it firs¡ª¡±


    Suta punched the wall beside the skeleton, causing it to burst. It had the same result as the rest of the cave. Three more hits would cover the area they were in, so Owin went ahead and rapidly hit the wall three times, hopping between each one.


    Dust and debris covered everything. Owin walked right through to where Mrysvai waited near the narrow passage. ¡°We can keep moving.¡±


    Something clicked and hummed. Owin and Myrsvai both turned, readying weapons, only to see the Withered Shade standing in front of a brick wall with the blue orb lodged in a depression. Blue lines, like those from mana crystals, spread through the wall.


    The Shade turned his head all the way around. ¡°Keyhole!¡±


    The orb popped out and landed on the skeleton¡¯s foot, causing the Shade to howl.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t feel pain,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it didn''t hurt!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what it means?¡± Myrsvai gently pushed the skeleton aside with his staff. The hidden door slid open, revealing a dense mana wall. Blue energy the same color as the orb hummed and caused the whole area of the cave to glow. Myrsvai stood inches from it. ¡°Suta?¡±


    Suta ran over, slipped between Myrsvai and the wall, and immediately stuck his arm through. When nothing happened, he stuck more of his body into the wall until he stepped all the way through.


    ¡°Alive,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡±


    ¡°No water.¡±


    Myrsvai reached his arm through, handing his staff to Suta. ¡°Owin. Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Myrsvai smiled and stepped through, disappearing.


    ¡°A mana wall of that caliber is a serious thing. That orb isn¡¯t a crystal, so something else is powering that room. A powerful mana crystal brings a powerful monster.¡± The skeleton picked the orb up again. ¡°I want you to find another bone, but . . . well, it¡¯s hard to admit, but I don''t want you to die.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I need to get all seven shards first.¡± Owin walked past the skeleton, stepping through the mana wall. It tingled a little, and the sensation of suddenly being in air again was jarring.


    The noise, the feeling on his skin, the water dripping from his clothes and his bag, all hit him at once. Myrsvai and Suta stood a few feet away over their own little puddle as water dripped from everything.


    The Withered Shade stepped through, blue orb in hand, and shook his whole body, sending little drops of water all over.


    Owin crouched and touched the ground. It looked like black dirt, but it felt like tile. The water dripping from them sat in puddles, not soaking in or running in any direction. Old white brick walls surrounded them, leaving no sign that they were inside a cave. They had come into the room in what looked like a dead end. The hall continued around a sharp corner.


    Myrsvai ran his hand over the wall, letting his armored fingers press firmly against each white brick. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone far up in the Desert Dungeon, but this brick is nearly identical to the buildings on the first floors. If we continue with the theory of secrets created by other gods, we can expect something from Nehadya.¡±


    ¡°What are we expecting? A horde of rodent men?¡± The skeleton tapped his bony finger on the blue orb. ¡°Our bigger concern should be this. There is some type of mana inside.¡± He shook it. ¡°But it isn¡¯t a mana crystal.¡±


    A faint blue line extended from the orb and pointed through the wall. The Withered Shade moved the orb around and even moved one of his hands through the blue line several times.


    ¡°It¡¯s leading us somewhere,¡± Owin said. ¡°But we have to go that way.¡± Owin approached the corner and peeked around. It was more of the same with another turn not far away.


    Suta appeared beside Owin. ¡°Mob?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Me next.¡± He ran to the next corner, leaned around, leaned back, then reached for something. When he pulled his hand back, it was covered in a stringy white substance.


    ¡°Bring that here,¡± Myrsvai said as he rounded the corner with the skeleton behind him.


    Suta ran over and held his arm up. Myrsvai shoved his staff into the Shade¡¯s arms and started picking at the substance on Suta¡¯s hand.


    The Withered Shade lifted the staff, muttered something, and hit the base on the ground.


    A fireball formed in the palm on top of the staff and launched right over their heads, striking the far wall. The blast was big enough to stagger Owin, and it was so bright he had to cover his face.


    Myrsvai immediately snatched the staff back. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°It looked like Fireball.¡± The skeleton scratched his head. He held the orb up in one hand. ¡°Can this cast spells?¡±


    ¡°You can use spells?¡± Owin asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?¡±


    ¡°You know me well enough to know if I knew it was possible, I would have absolutely said something sooner. You think I am capable of not saying something? If I was keeping a secret, I would be impressed with myself, and I hope you would be equally as impressed. It turns out I am a wizard. For the moment.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Myrsvai cradled his staff in his hand as he finished taking the substance off Suta¡¯s hand. He brought the familiar to the corner and readied his staff with abyssal fire. ¡°For the moment?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a theory. Each time I¡¯m summoned, I think I am a different class. Is that proven? No. Is it not proven? No. Wait. Yes.¡± The skeleton¡¯s brow lowered. ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°A wizard doesn¡¯t need a staff to cast spells,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Ah, but like you, I am incomplete and would need something to channel my spells.¡±


    Myrsvai cast a quick glare at the skeleton before sending an Abyssal Barrage into the next room.


    Owin ran over and watched as the magenta fire burned away more of the white substance that was spread throughout the room.


    ¡°Spiderwebs,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I hate fighting spiders.¡±


    Webs covered most of the room without a spider in sight. The abyssal fire burned slowly, dying before it could burn entire sections of webbing. It didn¡¯t burn like normal fire, which meant Myrsvai would have to cast the spell again and again to clear the room. Owin could help with a few uses of Bolt, but that likely wouldn¡¯t do more than destroy the web where it struck.


    ¡°What are spiders?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Oh. Wait, you¡¯ve seen one before. The chest guardian on the first floor is a spider.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Owin narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Think of Baby Head but with more eyes and legs, and they make webs like this that are incredibly sticky. If you get stuck, it will wrap you up and devour you.¡± Myrsvai swirled magenta fire around his staff again.


    ¡°I hate to be that person, but I can clear all the webs in one or two spells.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a wizard, Shade,¡± Myrsvai pulled his staff away as the skeleton feebly reached for it.


    ¡°He might be a wizard,¡± Owin said. ¡°More of one than I am. What Power is Fireball?¡±


    ¡°Power 3,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Do you even have a level?¡±


    ¡°I believe it just says Cursed, which you know, isn¡¯t all that helpful.¡± The skeleton wandered into the room and poked at the webs. They immediately clung to his finger. He tried to shake them off, but they only stuck to more of his hand.


    There were clumps and shapes throughout the room, currently hidden by the webs. Owin ignored as much of the exchange as he could while looking at each lump. Were any of them spiders? Or other mobs hiding and waiting to ambush?


    A fireball shot right over Owin¡¯s head and hit the middle of the room. The webs immediately ignited. The Withered Shade held Myrsvai¡¯s staff in both hands, while the magus was left with the blue orb.


    The Shade loudly counted from forty to zero and immediately cast another spell, hitting another portion of the room. He swapped items with Myrsvai and commented on the efficiency of his own work as the whole room burned. A few of the lumps Owin had been watching were furniture that also burned. Tables, chairs, and a few lamps burned as quickly as the webs.


    By the time it was done, a thick layer of smoke hung near the ceiling and the floor was covered in ash. A few pieces of skeletons and other random bones were scattered and charred.


    ¡°I have to assume the spider knows we¡¯re here,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°With our spells, the secret boss shouldn¡¯t be too much of a challenge.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± The Shade held out the blue orb again. ¡°A mana crystal isn¡¯t powering a spider, and yet we have this to put somewhere else. Wherever this line leads, I suppose.¡±


    Owin took the orb from the skeleton¡¯s hands. No matter where he moved it, the line pointed in the same direction, leading almost straight forward, through another wall. ¡°If the orb was a key before, it¡¯s probably still a key. Probably for the chest.¡±


    ¡°A good idea, though I haven¡¯t seen a mana crystal open a chest before.¡± Myrsvai strode through the room, gently poking at the various bones with his staff.


    ¡°The lake castle in the Great Forest made me drink a blood potion that put a bounty on me before the chest would open. So . . .¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°Putting some weird ball in another hole doesn¡¯t seem that impossible.¡±


    The Withered Shade tiptoed through the room and leaned on the wall. ¡°I may be able to throw some fire, but I am not qualified to clear this entire hallway of webs.¡± He pointed around the corner. ¡°They keep going.¡±


    ¡°We have already spent so much time finding the secret. I don¡¯t want to waste more slowly burning all of this away.¡± Owin looked through his bag. There was nothing specific that would be helpful. He could cut the webs and create a narrow path, but that would leave hiding spots for the spider or other mobs to hide under the webs.


    It would be better for everyone to save their mana for any fights. Secret bosses were always stronger, and after dealing with Gracia on the last floor, it would be better to have everyone ready to fight at full strength.


    ¡°Wait. I have an idea.¡± The Withered Shade ran up to Owin. ¡°There¡¯s a spell, and as the only other wizard here, I hope you can think of it. It¡¯s like fire, but it¡¯s sticky.¡±


    ¡°Viscous fire.¡±


    The Shade pointed at him. ¡°Yes! I can cast that on myself and run through the halls. You just need to unsummon me before I die.¡±


    ¡°That might be the dumbest idea I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I would never do something like that with Suta.¡±


    ¡°No pain,¡± Suta said.


    The Withered Shade clapped his hands together. ¡°Exactly! What¡¯s the harm? I get a little charred?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That cannot be a good idea.¡± Myrsvai nudged Suta. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Burn him.¡±


    Myrsvai pressed his lips together and walked around the corner. He moved his staff through some webs, which immediately clung to the base. ¡°Is our best choice really to start a member of our party on fire?¡±


    The Withered Shade gasped. ¡°I¡¯m a member of the party?¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± Myrsvai said.


    The skeleton let out a noise somewhere between a squeal and a shriek.


    ¡°Maybe less.¡±


    The skeleton grabbed the staff while Myrsvai was still holding it. He wrapped both bony hands around it and looked up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how this would work.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Myrsvai took a huge step back. ¡°Do not burn my staff. I will find a way to kill you.¡±


    ¡°How would you do that? You wouldn¡¯t be able to use magic.¡± The Shade managed to smile without having lips. ¡°Viscous Fire?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need the verbal component.¡±


    Owin had just stood to the side with the blue orb, watching the other three be morons. There was a part of him that appreciated not being the one to look like an idiot. ¡°This is a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°It might be, but¡ª¡± Before the Withered Shade could finish his thought, liquid fire flowed from the top of Myrsvai¡¯s staff and dripped onto the skeleton¡¯s skull. He immediately threw the staff away and started running. The fire clung to his bones and flared as soon there was a breeze.


    He screamed the whole way. Everything the Shade passed ignited as he flailed his arms and ran in a ridiculous, wide-legged trot. He was like a silhouette inside the huge, flaring fire.


    The skeleton took a right, going in the opposite direction of the blue line. His screaming echoed down and back, and soon he was out of view. Owin wanted to follow, but the burning webs were also covered in viscous fire that would cling to him just as easily.


    ¡°When do I unsummon him?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. This is beyond my knowledge.¡± Myrsvai leaned against the wall. ¡°When it seems appropriate, I guess.¡±


    The screams were coming closer. Owin looked around the corner, seeing the Shade sprinting back down the hall. ¡°Spider!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a spider,¡± Owin said.


    The creature was massive, running along the wall behind the Shade.


    ¡°Spider?¡± Myrsvai hurried over. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Can I just stab it?¡± Owin still held the blue orb. ¡°Or punch it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re going to be improvising here.¡±


    Suta took the blue orb out of Owin¡¯s hands. ¡°Stab.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin grabbed the lich bone knife.


    The skeleton flew past as a blur of fire. His screams continued in the next room in the direction the orb pointed.


    Owin jumped into the hall. The burning spider continued its charge along the ground, moving faster than Owin had originally thought.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Whether the spider could see him or not, it plowed right over, knocking Owin straight onto his back. Its legs kicked him around before he could recover, sending him straight into a wall.


    Suta pulled Owin back to his feet and mimicked stabbing.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton reformed right beside Owin. He looked exactly the same as he did before.


    ¡°Did that even hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why were you screaming so much?¡±


    The skeleton shrugged. ¡°Drama.¡±


    The spider, which had turned a corner in its pursuit of the Shade, reappeared. Venom dripped from its fangs while fire continued to burn along its legs and abdomen.


    Ocean Mob


    Weaver Spawn


    Level 28


    Owin didn¡¯t give it time to attack. He leapt right for its head and slashed the knife across its eyes. Its body thrashed and smashed him into a wall.


    A bright Abyssal Blast hit its face, tearing a chunk of skin away. Things oozed from the face where the skin was torn away. Owin fell between the spider and the wall, quickly rolling away from its burning legs. The spider tried to charge again, but its legs buckled, weakened by the fire.


    It fell right on top of Owin. He had just enough time to bring the knife up before the huge body fell on top of him. He ripped the lich bone through the spider and felt the warm, wet innards spill all around him.


    It was far from the first time he had crawled through a corpse. He worked his way up, cutting with the knife when needed, until he emerged from the top. Webs and a variety of other spider pieces clung to him, flattening his hair and dripping from his clothes.


    ¡°Why does this always happen?¡±


    The remains of the spider¡¯s head sizzled with abyssal flames. Owin had thought he had gotten the kill, but Myrsvai had given it no chance to get any closer.


    ¡°Have you considered that your fighting style may be at fault?¡± The magus smiled. ¡°I appreciate how quickly you act, even if it is not what I would choose to do.¡±


    ¡°At least this will all get washed off when we go back out. Was the chest that way?¡± Owin asked, pointing the opposite way of the orb.


    ¡°There were some chairs. Thrones, you might say. I didn¡¯t see what else was around because you know, I was on fire and the spider wanted to eat me.¡± The Shade pointed behind Owin. ¡°There is another door that way, and if the orb wants us to go through it, I would think that¡¯s where your chest lies. But, let¡¯s check out those chairs first. Everyone loves a throne, right? No? I love a throne. Oh boy, do I love a good chair. Who doesn¡¯t want a great chair?¡±


    Owin jumped off the spider and shook out his hair. The webs clung to him but some of the guts shook out and splattered the others. ¡°Let¡¯s go look at the chairs, I guess.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 22

    Fires burned out as they followed the hall to the room the spider had been hiding inside. The Withered Shade¡¯s panicked run hadn''t caught every web, but everything on the ground had burned away or continued smoldering as they passed, easing the passage through. Various broken items and human remains were revealed under the vast network of webs.


    The Shade stuck his head around the corner first, then jumped into the long room with his arms outstretched. ¡°I present to thee, the thrones!¡±


    The ¡°thrones¡± were two stone chairs on the opposite end of the room. There was no ornamentation or any indication that the stone chairs were anything significant.


    Suta picked through the various skeletons and debris. Owin watched a few coins fall out as Suta shifted things around. The familiar picked up each one until he reached the chairs. Suta waved at Owin and pointed at the other chair.


    Owin walked over and sat down.


    Suta put both of his arms onto the arm rests. It was an effort as they were both too small to fit in the chairs properly.


    ¡°Kings.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t both be kings, Suta.¡±


    ¡°Twins.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    Myrsvai handed the staff to Suta and ran his hand over the stone surface of each chair. When he didn¡¯t find anything, he moved onto the walls, touching nearly every brick nearby. ¡°They may just be chairs, but their placement is suspicious.¡±


    ¡°The spider was called a spawn. But what is a spawn of?¡± There had been several mobs with names that seemed connected to something else that Owin hadn¡¯t seen. Even on the same floor, Chaeta was called the Bristle Worm Prince, but where was the Bristle Worm King or Queen?


    ¡°A bigger weaver spider, I suppose.¡± Myrsvai took his staff back and sat on the armrest beside Suta. ¡°And without a chest in this room, I have to assume it is the same direction the orb is pointing toward.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of . . .¡± The Withered Shade attempted to toss the blue orb from one hand to another and fumbled it. He attempted to catch it with his foot, but the heavy glass ball smashed his foot, bounced on the hard ground, and rolled toward the thrones.


    ¡°Were you going to say something?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    The skeleton picked up the orb and cradled it in his arms. ¡°Honestly, nothing important.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a wizard anymore, right?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°There is one way to find out.¡± The skeleton took a big step toward Myrsvai.


    The magus sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±


    The Withered Shade took the staff, lifted it, and slammed it confidently on the ground. Owin flinched, but nothing happened.


    ¡°Not a wizard!¡± He handed the staff back and crouched awkwardly. ¡°Maybe I can rage.¡± The skeleton grunted quietly for a few seconds before relaxing. ¡°Not a berserker. Disappointing, really. I have always thought a berserker would be exciting.¡±


    Owin hopped out of the chair, walked over, and turned his back to the skeleton.. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re an assassin. Hit me in the bac¡ª¡±


    ***


    Minolitana Prima had become a popular destination. It wasn¡¯t the ideal vacation season, there wasn¡¯t a big recruiting event from Magna Regum, and nothing else exciting was really happening.


    That meant only one thing could have brought so many citizens to the capital of Graisetus.


    Owin.


    Potilia stopped at a newsstand and rolled her eyes when the entire front page was dedicated to the little goblin. None of it was good. A lot of speculation about his intentions and the possibilities of him killing everyone in Verdantallis.


    There were so many other things to terrify people. Why pick Owin?


    It didn¡¯t matter if there were tourists or a bunch of random citizens wandering around.


    She had already identified the Golden Bull and Security Regime spies. That left a few unaccounted for, but that was fine. They would reveal themselves before long.


    A common mistake was sending people unqualified to fight into a spy situation. Militaries believed they could send their analysts or accountants or whoever it was just to watch and report.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Potilia, just like Sylmare, didn¡¯t like being watched. In fact, most people didn¡¯t like being spied on. It was one of the facts of life that felt fairly obvious, yet somehow, people never stopped.


    Chorsay sent her out of the headquarters for two reasons. To give some extra security and assurance to high value clients, when they had those, or to give those same high value clients some extra privacy, often from militaries or other hero companies. Those clients only came along so often for the Hogs, which had given Sylmare far more practice with the same type of work since Void Nexus was a little bit busier than the Nimble Hogs.


    Potilia usually had Cixilo to back her up, but the umbra was off near the Fortress training. That was fine. Cixilo had done her fair share in the past, but it was officially Potilia¡¯s job.


    Send a berserker to fight assassins and umbras.


    It was surprisingly easy work.


    Owin wasn¡¯t a high value client in the normal sense, but he was a Hog, and like most high value clients, he was more than a little clueless. Myrsvai and Suta could easily be added to that list as well. Talent in the dungeon never equated to common sense or awareness, especially social awareness.


    The Security Regime spy was a modest man with a groomed mustache. He had checked the ferry, met with someone who was likely the Unity Force spy, though Potilia hadn¡¯t confirmed that yet, and was now heading toward a messaging terminal situated between two residential areas.


    A low traffic, private area compared to most of Minolitana Prima.


    Potilia followed at a distance. The spy glanced over his shoulder, as they often do, but his eyes passed right over the clueless blonde woman. Everyone carried weapons, so her kanabo didn¡¯t stand out anymore than any other hero¡¯s equipment.


    The spy, Yasuari, was an assassin. Their skills lent themselves to blending in with a crowd without requiring magic or cooldowns. Normally, it would be nearly impossible to tell someone was an assassin if they were skilled.


    Yasuari wasn¡¯t all that skilled.


    Potilia checked the street once more before slipping into the alley holding the message terminal.


    ¡°P-Put it down!¡± she shouted.


    Yasuari had only just begun typing and froze at her voice. The Stelsodo Security Regime assassin slowly turned with his index in front of his eyes. ¡°A berserker citizen? Do you need assistance? There should be someone from the Unification Company nearby.¡±


    Potilia fought to control her face. ¡°You know damn well who the Nimble Hogs are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Yasuari turned back to the message terminal and continued typing.


    Red light rippled off Potilia. Anger bubbled up from within, feeling like heat spreading from her heart. Within a second, her whole body was warm. Veins rose to the top of her skin and sweat beaded her forehead.


    Yasuari had already set the terminal down. ¡°Rage?¡± He smoothly drew a dagger from within his jacket. ¡°Even threatening this is a crime!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not in Stelsodo.¡± Potilia stalked toward him, eyes unblinking. The Untethered Rage helped her focus on fighting. No worries, no anxieties. Only killing.


    Yasuari shimmered in the faint light before fading away entirely.


    Potilia activated Bull Rush, launching herself the rest of the way to the terminal. The assassin had become invisible, but he hadn¡¯t had time to move. Her shoulder caught his arm, snapping the bone. Potilia felt her own body crunch a little from the impact. She clenched her jaw.


    The assassin hit the ground, squealed, and rolled back to his feet as his invisibility fully faded. No matter how stealthy he was, he couldn¡¯t keep out of her sight while injured. Even if he went invisible again, she would sniff him out.


    Potilia swung the kanabo down, aiming for the top of his head.


    Yasuari deflected the attack with his knife, allowing him to slip out of the way. Assassins were quick, but lacked in offensive abilities for one-on-one combat.


    Rage ran through her veins, forcing her into a series of wild, predictable swings. Even while her mind saw the obviously poor strategy, her body forced her onward. A berserker had to allow the rage to fully consume them or tame it to a controllable force.


    Potilia wasn¡¯t good at relaxing and letting go.


    The vibration through the kanabo as it struck the pavement at her feet shocked her hand and moved up through her elbow. She leaned back as the knife swing nearly took off her nose.


    Potilia tried to take control, but it caused her to stumble, messing up her impulses. Yasuari, who was sweating heavily as he had been retreating from the flurry of attacks, finally slashed Potilia¡¯s forearm.


    The blade cut through her jacket, tore into the skin, and cut into bone. An attack so vicious would normally force a weapon from a hero¡¯s hand.


    Unfortunately for Yasoari, rage only made Potilia¡¯s grip on the kanabo tighten, even as blood ran over her hand.


    She couldn¡¯t control the rage this time without giving herself openings. While she couldn¡¯t fully give into it either, Potilia knew how to work with the abilities she had.


    Wrathful Momentum made each successive attack stronger in a flurry, and now that Potilia was bleeding, grinning, and pissed off, the ability would be more than enough to finish off the Stelsodo spy.


    Sylmare had been right. The spies were stronger than Potilia. But levels didn¡¯t mean everything.


    Potilia swung the kanabo with renewed vigor. Yasoari deflected the first swing, dodged the second, and deflected the third. As the assassin tried to step in for another attack, a fourth swing came right for his head. It was a wild, careless swing that he brought the blade up to easily deflect again. Assassins had abilities to help defend against stronger enemies, but Yasoari had failed to realize the Wrathful Momentum carrying Potilia¡¯s attacks was near its peak. Two more swings and her attack would be unstoppable.


    The kanabo hit the knife, and instead of deflecting, forced the flat of the blade into Yasoari¡¯s cheek. Potilia¡¯s swing, even slightly slowed, broke bones throughout his entire head.


    The spy staggered then slumped to the ground with blood running from every facial orifice. Potilia grabbed the bent knife and forced it into Yasoari¡¯s chest. No reason to cause suffering.


    Her rage ended with the death of her target, bringing a sharp wave of pain through her arm. The kanabo immediately fell from her numb hand.


    ¡°Where is that thing?¡± Potilia dug through her inner jacket until she found the miniature health potions Miya had made. She drank one and winced as parts of her arm healed. Blood continued running down her fingers. She drank a second, which sealed the wound, though it didn¡¯t get rid of bruising or most of the pain. That would require a third, and she had only brought five.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Potilia muttered. She grabbed the bloody kanabo from the ground. ¡°Three more before Sylmare.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 23

    Owin woke with a start. He was perched on one of the stone thrones and his head throbbed.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± The Withered Shade was sitting on the floor in front of the throne with his head turned all the way around. ¡°The magus said not to use a health potion. Something about preserving them and that you weren¡¯t actually injured.¡±


    Owin blinked a few times. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I apparently hit you with an ability that causes the target to become unconscious. Difficult to use in combat, or something. I haven¡¯t the slightest idea. I don¡¯t know what the ability would even be called. The magus knew of something.¡± The skeleton waved his hand in the air. ¡°It hardly matters. He took it as an opportunity to nap.¡±


    Myrsvai was lying on the ground nearby on a sleeping roll from his bag. He looked relaxed.


    ¡°Good nap,¡± Suta said.


    Owin almost jumped. He hadn¡¯t noticed the familiar quietly sitting on the other throne. He had Myrsvai¡¯s staff and sat like a child in an oversized seat.


    ¡°Should we wake him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Suta hopped off the chair and gently shook Myrsvai until the magus stirred.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t angry in any sort of way, are you?¡± the Shade asked.


    ¡°No. You did what I asked you to. So, you are an assassin right now?¡±


    ¡°It appears that way.¡± The skeleton stood and offered a hand. Owin let the Shade pull him out of the chair.


    Myrsvai stood and ran his hand through his hair a few times as he finished waking up. Suta quietly rolled the sleeping roll up and fit it inside the bag.


    ¡°I am glad you¡¯re alive,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I guess we both had a nap.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a first time for you?¡± Myrsvai crouched so Suta could fit the backpack over his shoulders.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    The Withered Shade stood silently to the side holding the blue orb with both hands. He tapped his fingers against it and tried to make it obvious he was staring at other things around the room.


    ¡°Can I just call you Shade? You asked for a name, but I can¡¯t think of anything. I¡¯ve never named something before.¡±


    The skeleton¡¯s brow rose. Owin still didn¡¯t understand how his skull moved like that.


    ¡°Shade, you say? That¡¯s an interesting name. I believe the magus has already referred to me by that name before.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± Myrsvai took his staff back. ¡°I don¡¯t recall.¡±


    ¡°I can live with Shade until I remember my real name.¡± The skeleton smiled.


    ¡°Will you remember your real name?¡±


    ¡°Oh, probably not.¡± Shade pointed along the blue line extending from the orb. ¡°Is it time to follow our destinies?¡±


    ¡°That seems maybe dramatic, but yes.¡± Myrsvai tilted his staff toward the hall they had come from. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lead, Shade?¡±


    The skeleton sprinted to the hall and gestured. ¡°Right this way, gentlemen.¡±


    Owin stretched as he took his first few steps. ¡°Is it a good idea for you to lead? What if a trap cuts your head off?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any glue available to reattach it?¡± Shade set off as soon as Owin got close. The skeleton turned his head all the way around while continuing to face forward. ¡°Otherwise, you can always unsummon me and bring me back whole. I believe. It might be better not to test it. If you resummoned me without a head I would not be thrilled. You might not know about my lack of thrills if I have no mouth to speak from, but I want you to be prepared with the thought of disappointment in missing out on the lack of thrills, as one would be when not thrilled. Did I say that word too many times?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said quickly. ¡°You should look where you¡¯re walking.¡±


    Shade immediately tripped over a ribcage. He bounced off the ground and jumped right back to his feet. ¡°This is why you¡¯re the master!¡±


    Owin looked at Myrsvai, but the magus just shook his head quietly.


    The room at the end of the hall looked like it had once been some type of sitting room or library, but it was difficult to discern after everything had been burned. Some furniture had been reduced to ash while many of the bookshelves and display cases around the edge of the room had scorch marks and some parts that still slowly smoldered.


    ¡°The aesthetic here does not match.¡± Myrsvai touched his staff against a bookshelf, causing it to crumble. ¡°Who would have lived here? The lore of Nehadya and the Desert Dungeon is focused around creativity in making defenses from the mythical invaders of ancient Prouvaria. I don¡¯t recall stories of nobility or anyone who may have inhabited a place such as this.¡±


    Owin waited at the sandstone door leading into the next room. The blue line from the orb led through the wall.


    Suta and Myrsvai finished checking the room while Myrsvai continued thinking out loud about Nehadya. Owin didn¡¯t know anything about Prouvaria or the Desert Dungeon, so half of what Myrsvai said was nonsense. Shade seemed as uninterested in the rambling and just stood at Owin¡¯s side.


    When everyone looked ready, Owin pressed against the door. He had to use a little more strength than it took to destroy a cave wall to force the door open. It slid over tiles in the next hallway, grinding loudly.


    The hallway behind was made of the same sandstone as the door. The walls and the patterned tiles along the ground were all the same.


    ¡°Another change,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Shade sidled past Owin. ¡°The orb leads!¡±


    The hallway was only wide enough for one to walk through, so Owin had no choice but to let Shade lead the way. It was a short trek through, taking two turns, before they arrived at a circular room.


    As soon as Shade stepped through the doorway, red lasers hit him from both sides. He shrieked, cradled the orb, and collapsed to the ground, becoming a shield for the object.


    Owin leapt over and caught sight of two ocular swarmers. That was hardly a swarm. Owin ducked behind a column as one focused on him and shot a barrage of quick lasers. As soon as it let up, he popped out from behind and ripped the eyeball in half with the lich knife.


    Suta smashed the other against a column on the opposite side.


    Myrsvai gently kicked Shade. ¡°You can get up.¡±


    The skeleton quickly climbed to his feet and followed the blue line from the orb to a giant, stationary figure in the middle of the room.


    It looked like a statue. Owin had hardly even noticed it when he first entered when his attention had been on the ocular mobs. The statue was vaguely human shaped, but almost ogre size. Its shoulders were too wide and its head too small to be a human.


    ¡°An inactive golem.¡± Myrsvai stalked close and tapped the head of his staff against the creature.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°The orb looks like it would fit right there.¡± Shade held the orb up, gesturing toward a circle in the golem¡¯s chest.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A chest sat in the back of the room, almost hidden behind another column. Nearer the door was a huge block about two feet high. A sheathed sword sat on top. Suta had already noticed the sword and stood on the block, pointing.


    Myrsvai pulled his attention away from the golem and approached the table just as Owin hopped up.


    The Incandescent Blade of Captain Magnan


    Unique Master Magical Item


    Captain Lyra Magnan once sieged the lehboa city of Amnopis. At night, when Prouvaria grew cold, the lehboa could see the Incandescent Blade shining as a constant reminder of their enemy just beyond the walls. Captain Magnan waited until the lehboa were starving, then scaled the walls and slaughtered every living creature inside Amnopis.


    The Incandescent Blade uses the wielder¡¯s mana to ignite. The superheated blade can cut through any normal substance.


    Note: Fire will go out upon loss of mana


    Note: Fire will go out upon contact with too much water


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin squatted over the sheathed sword. ¡°A master item?¡±


    ¡°Unique items will generally be master quality. It doesn¡¯t mean it is as powerful as a not unique weapon of the same quality.¡± Myrsvai looked over his shoulder at the golem. ¡°This sword is not useful in the Ocean. It sounds as though it wouldn¡¯t even be able to ignite once we leave the secret.¡±


    ¡°But while we¡¯re here . . .¡± Owin picked it up.


    The orb shook in Shade¡¯s hands. He wrapped his arms around it, but the orb shook so violently that it fell out and was sucked right into the golem¡¯s chest. Blue lines immediately formed through the golem¡¯s skin, causing the creature to hum as it powered up.


    Blue mana lines formed all over the walls, floor, and columns throughout the whole room. A barrier formed over the doorway.


    ¡°I told you that barrier was too powerful!¡± Shade ran to a column and hid behind it.


    Owin pulled the sheath off the sword. He had a lot more mana than he used to, but he had no idea how fast the sword would consume it.


    Tendrils immediately sprang from the ground and wrapped around the golem¡¯s legs before it could start to move. Blue eyes opened on its face along with a flat line across, giving it a bored expression.


    Ocean Mob


    Ancient Golem


    Level 35


    Owin opened his index and found a new spell, simply labeled Ignite. He selected it and felt his hands tingle as mana flowed into the blade. The fire started at the crossguard and quickly shot up to the tip of the blade


    A pattern of blue lasers shot from the middle two columns, forcing Myrsvai to quickly dodge to the side. They rotated, only getting blocked by the other columns, the stone table, or the golem itself, which seemed immune to any damage.


    Shade shrieked and ducked under the rotating mana lasers.


    Owin jumped off the table, away from the golem, and ducked underneath the stone as the lasers passed above.


    Myrsvai shot an Abyssal Blast that harmlessly bounced off the golem. ¡°I think this one is all you, Owin!¡±


    Another wave of lasers passed over. He was going to need to move fast. And even if he did, he still might have trouble dodging the lasers.


    He waited for another wave of lasers to pass.


    Mana 69/138


    His mana had already drained by half.


    He couldn¡¯t wait.


    An easy hop brought him back on top of the stone block just as the lasers passed. Most of the blue lasers hit his armor and didn¡¯t do much, but the ones that passed over his face and upper legs scorched his skin immediately, taking a huge chunk from his health.


    Owin gritted his teeth and lunged at the golem.


    It turned blue eyes to him and tried to step, but the tendrils pulled the foot back down, cracking the stone tiles.


    Owin swung with all his strength, hitting the metal arm with a clang. The golem¡¯s skin bubbled and melted quickly, but Owin wasn¡¯t able to slice straight through. He had to force it, pushing with all his strength.


    The golem gave up use of its left arm and rotated its body at the waist. It pulled the flaming sword, lodged into the melted metal, from Owin¡¯s grip. Without access to mana, the fire vanished.


    A metal fist caught Owin in the chest, sending him back over the stone block. He crashed beside Myrsvai as another wave of blue lasers passed overhead. Owin scowled and winced as he felt the burned skin on his face wrinkle.


    ¡°Not our most successful fight.¡± Myrsvai handed Owin a health potion.


    Owin poured it right on his face, healing the skin immediately without giving him more than a few points of health. He had about 230/310 left, so it wasn¡¯t that urgent. A level thirty five, while strong, wasn¡¯t going to kill Owin in a single hit.


    ¡°How do we destroy it?¡±


    ¡°Take the orb out or destroy its brain,¡± Shade said. He leaned from behind a column. ¡°The head will be easiest.¡±


    ¡°I have to get the sword back first.¡± That meant igniting it, melting enough, and yanking it out before the golem could hit him too hard.


    ¡°Yes, that is normally how using a weapon works. It has to be in your hands!¡± The skeleton held his hands up like Owin didn¡¯t know what hands were.


    Owin looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Suta?¡± The familiar had vanished after the mana lasers started.


    ¡°He¡¯s behind the column by the chest. He¡¯s safe and doesn¡¯t know how to help.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index was open. ¡°And my Dread Bind just ended.¡±


    A heavy footstep shook the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this without getting hit by the lasers again.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re coming from the central columns. It looks like the golem blocks them, so use it as cover. Latch on, like you often do in fights.¡±


    Owin nodded. He wished the others had a way to help.


    The golem¡¯s footsteps were slow as it approached from the right side. Owin waited until its leg appeared, then jumped at the golem¡¯s head. A seam between the massive torso piece and the head was big enough for Owin to grip as he swung around. The lasers swung past, harmlessly shining on the golem¡¯s back.


    Its left arm was still inactive with the sword stuck in its bicep. Owin grabbed onto the right shoulder as it tried to reach its hand up. The joints weren¡¯t flexible enough to allow it to grab its own shoulder, letting Owin crawl across the top. He dropped back down as the lasers passed, then swung across and grabbed the sword. It lit up as soon as his fingers brushed the leather-wrapped grip.


    Now, on the opposite side of the golem, it could reach him and struck Owin with a massive metal fist. His grip on the seam and the blade was strong enough that he stayed attached, but the golem¡¯s attack shook his body, taking another chunk of health.


    Without the chitin armor, Owin suspected he would be dead between the golem and the lasers.


    A quick tug ripped the sword free, severing the golem¡¯s left arm. Owin pulled himself up to the golem¡¯s shoulders and drove the sword point down into the top of its head just as it struck Owin with another punch.


    The blue light in the room faded as Owin smashed into the outer wall. He crumpled and hit the ground, moaning in pain. Something broke in his shoulder. Suta was immediately standing above him, rifling through Owin¡¯s bag and pulling out multiple health potions.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Owin gave up trying to say anything as his chest burned with pain.


    Suta pulled the cork and poured one into Owin¡¯s mouth. Pain shot through his shoulder as bones stitched together. The next potion made his skin hurt again as cuts and laser burns were sealed. A third brought him to full health.


    Owin sat up and thanked Suta.


    The golem had been wobbling and finally collapsed onto the ground. Owin walked over, ignited the sword, and pulled it from the golem¡¯s head. He stopped the spell before the last few mana points were drained and slipped the weapon into its sheath. While Owin liked having a sword, it was too long to wear on his hip.


    Myrsvai helped attach it across his shoulders, but drawing it from behind his back was impossible. Owin¡¯s arms were too short.


    ¡°I suppose you will need to pull the sheath off to use it. We can find a new solution in the future. The fire won¡¯t be useful through the Ocean anyway.¡±


    Suta and Shade tried to move the golem to check for loot, but the creature was so heavy the two weren¡¯t able to move one arm. Even with Owin¡¯s strength, he found lifting a portion of it to be impossible.


    Owin checked the ocular swarmer corpses, hoping to find a heart, but they had been burnt to ash from the mana lasers that passed through the room in the fight.


    The chest in the back of the room popped open on its own, creaking as the lid fell back.


    They all turned to watch, waiting for some other mob to move.


    Right on top of a pile of gold was a dusty gray bone. Shade nudged Owin and pointed.


    ¡°I see it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I would grab it but nothing good would come of that. Nobody wants to see someone grab their own bone.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shade repeated.


    Owin sighed and approached the chest. He took one step at a time, carefully getting close. No traps sprung and no mobs appeared.


    Owin grabbed the bone, which immediately vanished in a puff of gray dust.


    A dark purple scarf appeared around Shade¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Owin said. ¡°You got clothes from me getting another bone?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shade grabbed the scarf. ¡°It¡¯s soft.¡±


    ¡°Can you even feel it with bone fingers?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you stronger?¡±


    Shade shrugged.


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to split the gold?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Take it all. I don¡¯t care. I got the sword. You take all that.¡± Owin helped Suta bring the pile of gold into Myrsvai¡¯s bag. It looked heavy, but the magus didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Do you think there is anything we can do with the golem?¡± Owin tried to move it again, but it was so incredibly heavy. It reminded him of the Thunderstrike Maul where it was much heavier than it ever appeared.


    ¡°No. Perhaps we could have used the orb now that it has been activated, but there is no way to get to it with the golem lying on its chest.¡± Myrsvai walked around the golem corpse once. ¡°I think it is better to leave it. We will see more in the Desert Dungeon anyway. They are somewhat common in the lehboa cities.¡±


    ¡°All that¡¯s left is to get past Olmu and take the stairs to the fifth floor.¡± Owin checked his stash of health potions. He still had plenty left, but using four in one fight was a lot more than he had been expecting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly,¡± Owin said, leading the way back into the hall.

 Book 3 - Chapter 24

    Navigating to Olmu was easy now that Owin''s entire map was filled out, and handling the boss was just as easy as Myrsvai focused a barrage on the lizard''s head, killing it without time to suffer.


    Shade insisted on being the one to loot the body, but even with his new scarf, he was far from strong enough to move a giant lizard''s corpse.


    With Suta''s assistance, the two found a white skin glove with the same pink frills as Olma and Olmu.


    Olm Skin Glove


    Journeyman Magical Item


    The Olm Skin gloves are made from the Olm twins, Olma and Olmu. Like the bosses of the Fourth Floor in the Ocean, the Olm Skin Gloves grant a resistance to magical damage and a sensitivity to nearby magic.


    ¡°While that is a useful item, I don''t see it being better than my gauntlet or your chitin set.¡± Myrsvai held the glove and pinched it between his fingers. ¡°It is tougher than it looks. Like a light armor.¡±


    ¡°Suta, do you want it?¡±


    Suta quickly shook his head.


    ¡°I suppose if it is necessary, I''ll wear the pretty little glove.¡± Shade stuck his left hand out to Myrsvai.


    ¡°It''s a right handed glove.¡±


    The skeleton scoffed and switched hands. ¡°Adorn me, good magus.¡±


    Myrsvai sighed and set the glove on top of Shade''s hand. ¡°You can put a glove on easier than I can.¡±


    Shade slipped it on and posed. ¡°How do I look?¡±


    ¡°Still naked,¡± Owin said.


    Shade gasped. ¡°But less so!¡±


    Owin ignored the skeleton and stood at the edge of the stairs. The black doorway swirled, looking like an endless pit.


    ¡°What is on your mind?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I''ve never been on a fifth floor.¡±


    ¡°I suspect you''ll do just fine, Owin. You are strong enough to climb to the tenth floor.¡± Myrsvai stood quietly beside him, looking down at the door. ¡°I believe we will be parting ways soon. The top floors are isolated.¡±


    ¡°Do you know which ones?¡±


    ¡°The sixth is isolated while the seventh is common. Eighth and above are also isolated. When we consider the need for Suta and I to rest, and anything else that may hold us up, it will be best to act as though the seventh floor is also isolated. Do not wait for us. If we see one another, I would be happy to work together again.¡±


    Suta hopped down the stairs. ¡°One more.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right. We still have a floor before we need to discuss this.¡± Myrsvai descended the stairs and looked up at Owin. ¡°Time for you to see a fifth floor.¡±


    Owin nodded and hopped down, passing through right after the magus.


    Ocean Dungeon


    Fifth Floor


    Owin slowly walked down the stairs. Suta and Myrsvai already stood at the bottom, watching the two mobs inside the small hovel. Shade appeared behind Owin and immediately tripped down the stairs. He bounced off the stone steps and came to a rest on the wooden floor.


    The cetanthro didn¡¯t bother looking over.


    Owin had never seen fish like them before. They were smaller than the rest of the cetanthro he had seen, and their eyes were huge for their faces.


    Ocean Mob


    Hanon


    Cetanthro Painter


    Level 30


    Hanon sat on a stool with her legs dangling. She held a paintbrush in her webbed hand and dragged it over a canvas perched in front of her. The other cetanthro posed off to the side, attempting to stand as still as possible.


    ¡°Odd,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Myrsvai smiled. ¡°The dungeons are odd places.¡±


    All of the paint Hanon attempted to put onto the canvas simply washed off, filling the water around her. A thin cloud of colors floated like a bubble surrounding her head.


    Owin hopped off the top stairs and pulled Shade to his feet. He took a few steps into the little hovel, around the stairs, allowing him to see the full room. It was small with some vases for storage and a few hammocks hanging for beds. The only light came from a hanging brazier filled with lava.


    A careful path through the hovel brought Owin and everyone following him behind Hanon, to avoid interrupting the painting, and out the front door into a dark cetanthro city. To his right was a huge metal building with intense, blinding light that came from something behind the building. Straight ahead was an odd serpentine building that curved around the base of a massive mountain.


    ¡°The seamount,¡± Myrsvai said. He gestured to the top with his staff. ¡°The stairs are somewhere on top.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the stairs be lower if we¡¯re going down?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The dungeons will never make sense.¡±


    More hovels identical to the one they just left spotted the area between the serpentine building and the metal structure. Hovels even spread into the distance, past the nearby boundary wall. He could spot cetanthro through the windows, moving about their little homes.


    ¡°Mobs can live outside the boundary?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone has an answer to that. Shade, do you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much of anything.¡± The skeleton adjusted his scarf. ¡°Is it night or are my eyes not working?¡±


    ¡°Neither. You have no eyes, and I suspect it is always dark here. We are far below the surface.¡± Myrsvai pointed to each large structure with his staff. ¡°Which should we explore first?¡±


    ¡°I want to see what is making that light.¡± Owin immediately set off toward the metal building with the others falling in behind.


    Chunks of shattered rock covered most of the ground. Unlike the other floors with their sandy base, this floor was hard stone all over. Some thin plants grew tall, reaching toward the faint bit of sunlight so far above. It felt dead compared to all the plants and animals of the last floors.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Owin walked right up to the metal door without difficulty. ¡°Is it trapped?¡±


    ¡°There is always one way to find out.¡± Shade stepped right in front of Owin. ¡°Allow me.¡± With a turn of a metal wheel in the center of the door, he flung it open, causing it to crash into the wall on the other side. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Three cetanthro carried boxes, pausing as they turned to the door. All three looked the same as the painter with massive eyes and smaller bodies compared to the other cetanthro Owin had seen. A huge pile of boxes filled the center of the room with a few other boxes scattered near the door that Shade confidently stepped through.


    ¡°Oh, that may be unfortunate,¡± Myrsvai said. His index was covering his eyes.


    Owin pulled his index up and used Examine on the fish inside.


    Ocean Mob


    Bruiser 2


    Cetanthro Grenadier


    Level 30


    ¡°What¡¯s a grenadier?¡± Owin asked, letting his voice drop away as he made the connection. His eyes snapped to one of the crates without a lid, showing a pile of metal spheres. ¡°Is it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Myrsvai said quickly.


    ¡°Is this one named Bruiser 3?¡± Shade asked, pointing to one of the fish.


    Owin took a step back, leaving only Shade inside the room. The skeleton laughed about the names again.


    ¡°Which one of you is the most important? Bruiser 1 probably, right?¡±


    Bruiser 1 squatted and set his box on the floor. He peeled up the lid and grabbed a metal sphere from inside. The others also grabbed identical items.


    Myrsvai let go of his staff, grabbed the back of Owin¡¯s headband, and yanked him away. ¡°Run!¡±


    Myrsvai¡¯s staff fell to the ground as Owin turned and bolted, staying right between Suta and Mrysvai.


    ¡°Where are you guys going? Scared of the Bruisers?¡± Shade laughed. ¡°Oh. Those are grenades. Shi¡ª¡±


    An explosion rushed through the door, sending a brief fireball before the water washed it away, leaving a wave of bubbles that rose through the water. The sound rumbled through the floor, only slowly dissipating as the doorway also cleared.


    Owin had run farther than the hovel holding the staircase. He had gone much too far, even passing by Suta and Myrsvai, but after Katalin¡¯s pipe bomb explosion, Owin figured there wasn¡¯t such a thing as a safe distance.


    The metal structure was unharmed from the look of it, but the mobs inside had not only detonated their own bombs. They had set off all the boxes nearby. Guts, bits of fish, and shards of metal and wood floated throughout the entire room.


    ¡°Shade?¡± Owin stuck his head inside.


    A cloud of gray dust hung in the water near the door.


    ¡°He said he can¡¯t die, right?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡± Myrsvai found his staff nearby. It appeared undamaged, but Suta still fussed over it, trying to brush off something on the side. Myrsvai walked past the familiar, joining Owin inside. ¡°If not, I am unsure how to revive him from that state. There isn''t much left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he even tried to dodge.¡± Owin opened his index and selected the spell.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    His scarf managed to appear first as the rest of the skeleton formed from the nearby gray dust. The white leather olm glove was still on his hand, which was held in front of his face as if he intended to block the explosion.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Owin gently bumped the skeleton with his fist.


    Shade peeked through his fingers. ¡°Am I?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    Shade patted his face. ¡°I have no skin!¡± He looked down. ¡°My¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Owin said quickly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The skeleton sighed. ¡°Yes. Always. A constant.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re constantly okay?¡±


    Shade walked into the room and grabbed a piece of floating fish guts. ¡°That¡¯s a deep question, Owin. Are you my therapist?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means.¡±


    ¡°Psychologist? Psychiatrist? Psychoanalyst? Thesaurus?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°That¡¯s not similar.¡±


    Shade popped the fish guts into his mouth. It immediately fell out the bottom of his chin. ¡°Owin doesn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Now I do.¡± He tried thinking back to all the words Shade had just said. ¡°Which one are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°It really couldn¡¯t matter less right now, Owin. We know Shade can just be summoned again, which is a valuable asset. Even if Suta were destroyed, it would take hours before he would reform.¡±


    ¡°Wait, familiars can¡¯t die?¡± Owin had never thought much about it. The way Myrsvai protected Suta made it seem like the familiar was constantly in danger.


    ¡°Familiars are tied to their masters. If I were to die¡ª¡±


    Suta tugged on his shirt.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hypothetical, Suta. How else do I explain it?¡±


    Suta made a noise and backed away.


    ¡°If I were to die with him summoned, Suta would continue to exist until his death in a fight or until the mana sustaining him wore away. For some familiars, that takes decades. You haven¡¯t seen the houses, have you?¡±


    ¡°The houses?¡±


    ¡°Oof.¡± Shade strode over to a door on the left and knocked. ¡°The houses are still around, are they? I have a memory of those. Somehow, that doesn¡¯t even leave my mind.¡± The skeleton waited a second, knocked again, then tossed the door open. ¡°Let¡¯s keep the goblin out of there.¡±


    A grenadier fish sat on the toilet in the next room.


    Shade stared straight at the fish for a long moment, then reached in and closed the door. ¡°You would think an explosion like that might scare it right out of you.¡±


    The rest of the long metal room was mostly unadorned. It looked as though they had been bringing the boxes of explosives toward the center, which held a small dome with a wheel on top. There was nothing else around, except another door farther down.


    Owin was too short to turn the wheel, so he stood nearby. Suta and Myrsvai soon joined him, but they were also unable to turn the wheel.


    ¡°Are there familiar houses in Atrevaar?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°There was a small one a long time ago, but the city stopped funding it. Most are in the south side of Brukiya, though I know Vraxridge has a large complex. People tend to avoid that side of town.¡±


    Owin scowled. A whole building of just lost familiars? What were they going to do without their masters?


    After a while of contemplating loudly beside the bathroom, Shade wandered toward the center of the room. The skeleton tapped his finger on the metal wheel.


    ¡°What are we doing? Admiring the fishy handiwork?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t turn this,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And you need my unique talents?¡±


    ¡°Is having two hands and being taller than a goblin a talent?¡± Myrsvai asked. The magus didn¡¯t bother looking at the skeleton as he asked.


    ¡°In this situation, yes.¡± Shade turned the wheel and pulled the door open. Inside was a little bunker that extended a few feet in every direction beneath the floor. There was a soft light from above, but when Owin stuck his head in, he quickly saw the lava stream emanating the light.


    ¡°That looks dangerous.¡± Owin sat on the ledge. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s lava.¡± Myrsvai stepped down into the bunker. He squatted and poked at the lava with his staff. ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°Are you confirming your own statement?¡± Shade scoffed. ¡°What a loser.¡±


    Myrsvai pulled his staff back. One of the fingers was a bit charred, but it was also repairing itself. ¡°Touch it then.¡±


    ¡°Me? Oh. No. Lava and skeletons are not a great pairing.¡± Shade gestured as though he was going to close the dome on top of Myrsvai¡¯s head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want any harm to befall me. Would you?¡±


    ¡°You just survived an explosion,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And it hurt.¡±


    ¡°Did it?¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°Do you think that fish is done on the toilet?¡±


    Myrsvai jumped out of the bunker. ¡°Why? Do you need to go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, funny. The man without a penis¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nobody was saying that.¡± Myrsvai made eye contact with Suta for a long, awkward moment. ¡°This room seems incomplete. Suta thinks it¡¯s trying to tell us something.¡±


    Shade pushed the dome lid back over the bunker. ¡°Like a hint?¡±


    ¡°Something. I have to agree. I have never seen such an empty room within the dungeons. Even if the cetanthro hadn¡¯t detonated all their grenades, the only thing in here would have been boxes of explosives. That is not decoration.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Sloswen forgot to hang the self portraits on the walls.¡± Shade shrugged and walked to the next door. ¡°What¡¯s behind door number two?¡± He flung it open without hesitation.


    Owin hurried over and was thoroughly disappointed. ¡°An empty storage room?¡± It was similar to Naxile¡¯s storage back in the Great Forest, but there wasn¡¯t anything on the shelves or in the boxes and barrels.


    ¡°Now do you agree with Suta?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Shade said.


    It had been helpful to revisit floors so he didn¡¯t have to figure anything out or ask any questions. He had already known what was happening through the first four floors. But on this fifth floor, his first fifth floor, none of them knew what was happening. For the first time, everyone was equally confused. Was that good or bad?


    Owin waved Myrsvai toward the front door. ¡°This isn¡¯t even where the light was coming from. We¡¯ll need to go around the building.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. I¡¯m right behind you. Suta?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The familiar ran after them.


    ¡°What about the fish?¡± Shade asked.


    Owin stopped at the door. ¡°Leave him alone.¡±


    ¡°What a polite goblin.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 25

    Olives were overrated.


    Now, Potilia recognized the issue with that statement. There were plenty of people in Minolitana Prima that would wring her neck just for suggesting such a thing.


    But . . . come on. Who liked them? It felt as though all the people of Graisetus were faking it just to get others to eat the weird little fruits.


    She forced herself to swallow the weird bread stuffed with olives that she had found at a cart on the side of the road. Was it enjoyable? No. Did she need some energy before confronting the Golden Bull? Absolutely. Hunters were annoying.


    Well, everyone was annoying. Were hunters more annoying than other classes? It didn¡¯t matter.


    The thing with Golden Bulls is they never blend in with their surroundings. What is the point of being a Golden Bull if you can¡¯t be adorned from head to toe in gold?


    Potilia scratched her head, accidentally smearing olives into her hair. Why was Veph dressed like a Golden Bull?


    She looked at her hands, frowned, and smeared the rest of the olive concoction on the retaining wall she was sitting upon.


    Hero


    Toth Balazs


    Hunter


    Golden Bull Hero Company


    Potilia rolled her eyes at his stats. ¡°Hey, s-stop,¡± she said, almost mumbling.


    Toth stopped. He glanced at the olive bread vendor, then gave Potilia an awkward side eye. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Toth Balazs wasn¡¯t even a budding hero. He was probably somebody that worked in their office and hoped to prove his worth someday.


    Was Potilia different?¡±


    Yes. She didn¡¯t want to prove her worth. She only helped Chorsay out of the kindness of her heart.


    ¡°Are you a Golden Bull?¡± she accidentally shouted the question, earning her an odd glare from the food vendor.


    Toth looked down at his own outfit, as if he could hardly believe the question. The shining gold jerkin, the cheesy golden hat with a feather in it, and the matching somewhat puffy trousers made him look like a big stick of butter.


    His shoes were red, and she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them.


    Toth shifted uncomfortably like he was trying to hide his feet. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    She shook her head quickly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Toth lingered for a second, then continued down the street. He looked over his shoulder a few times before turning a corner farther down.


    ¡°Is that your idea of flirting?¡± the vendor asked.


    ¡°No. Is that yours?¡±


    The vendor scowled and turned his attention back to his food.


    Potilia rolled her eyes as she stood. She felt an urge to wipe her fingers off again, but what was left of the olive was already smeared across the retaining wall.


    Her casual walk wasn¡¯t all that convincing as she followed Toth¡¯s path, but the vendor was awkward enough that he kept his eyes on the food he was preparing. The northwestern side of the city was less popular than the city center and the docks, which were still overflowing with tourists. Only those who had been in Minolitana Prima before ever ventured to the fringes. The people were unwelcoming while simultaneously not caring about anyone else¡¯s existence.


    Why was Toth Balazs in the northwestern side?


    No idea.


    They were only a block from the main hub, hence the food cart, but the direction he was heading in only brought him farther from the main population. Maybe as a Golden Bull, he already knew he didn¡¯t blend in all that well and was giving up.


    That seemed unlikely.


    Maybe he was going to find . . . something.


    She¡¯d figure it out.


    Potilia turned the corner just as Toth knocked on a door. He stood on the little set of stairs before an old wooden door to one of the many identical tenements lining the street. The door quickly opened and Toth stepped inside with a quick glance down the road.


    Potilia tried acting casual as his eyes passed over her, but she was impossible to miss. There was one other person on the street, and it was an older man with gray hair who was walking a small, shaggy dog.


    She was holding a kanabo, which specifically did not look like a dog.


    The tenement door closed. She heard an audible click of a lock even from her position. She jogged over, took the steps in huge strides, and knocked on the same door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The voice wasn¡¯t Toth¡¯s.


    ¡°Uh.¡± She should have thought of something before knocking. ¡°Delivery!¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    Fuck it. Iron Skin. It felt like she had been sitting in the sun for hours as her skin tightened and pulled. An odd feeling she never enjoyed, though it was far more enjoyable than a knife through the face. Bull Rush. The world became a smear of colors as her body was launched forward, right into the door. Wood splintered and shot into the tenement as Potilia tripped over what remained of the door.


    A hallway led straight from the door, past a living room, a stairway, and into the kitchen in the back of the tenement. Toth stood to the side, wide-eyed, while the other man was flat on his back.


    Hitting him had hurt worse than hitting the solid door. He was in golden chainmail, and a quick Examine said he was a soldier. Nothing she couldn¡¯t handle.


    Toth looked at the kanabo in her hand.


    She looked at the bow in his.


    Bull Rush had a thirty second cooldown.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    An arrow pinged off her face. Good thing she had activated Iron Skin. Toth was fast and already drawing another arrow.


    Meanwhile, Deak, the soldier, climbed to his feet and grabbed a nearby fireplace poker as some sort of makeshift weapon. What kind of career hero walked around without a weapon?


    A fast, experienced hunter that had the range advantage with a nearby soldier who was likely at least semi-competent, was more than Potilia had bargained for. It didn¡¯t mean it was impossible.


    One of the first lessons Chorsay had taught her was to keep your secrets close. An enemy couldn¡¯t predict your next move without knowing what moves you had. Both Golden Bulls could see her class, but without knowing her level, they had no possible way to guess which abilities she had unlocked, and after seeing Iron Skin and Bull Rush, they could assume she was at least level 15, but that didn¡¯t say much. What weapon, body, and aura abilities did she have?


    They were about to find out why most heroes panicked when they found themselves stuck in an enclosed space with an angry berserker. It wasn¡¯t the rage or the weapons.


    It was the auras.


    Potilia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and activated Rift Aura.


    Spacetime shifted like old gears in desperate need of oil, creating tears through reality that leaked a beautiful blue light that reminded Potilia of a perfect summer sky.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Deak shouted, taking a step back.


    The tears filled the room and hallway. There were likely some covering the staircase and the floor above. She had done her best not to let any of it form behind her into the street, as that could kill innocent lives.


    Toth shot another arrow, aimed right at Potilia¡¯s head. It hit a rift and vanished, reappearing behind him. His own arrow pierced right through the back of his head.


    To his credit, much to Potilia¡¯s surprise, he survived. The arrow stuck right out the back and he wobbled a step, but he did live, which was more than a little bit impressive.


    Deak took a step, passing his shoulder through a tear. The rift surged and shot beautiful blue energy out, slicing directly through his neck.


    At level 30, he should have just stayed home.


    Toth drank a health potion, forcing his head to heal around the arrow.


    Potilia winced. That isn¡¯t how she would¡¯ve done it.


    It didn¡¯t matter. It was the end. Toth had nowhere to move without bumping into a tear in reality. Potilia walked straight through the rifts, ignoring the blasts of energy that activated as she touched each one.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked with slurred words.


    ¡°Just protecting my friend.¡±


    ¡°The goblin.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    She clubbed him over the head, forcing him to pass through a tear on his way to the floor. Blue light flashed, causing Potilia to blink.


    When she opened her eyes, she heard the splat as the top half of Toth¡¯s head fell in the hallway.


    ¡°Oh, this is a big mess. How do I clean this up?¡±


    She picked up Deak¡¯s fireplace poker and looked over her shoulder at the small fire burning inside the brick hearth.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Was a fire too noticeable?


    Was a fire more noticeable than two corpses and a broken door?


    She dragged Toth¡¯s corpse over and stuck his foot in the fire. A few more well-placed logs and some scattered bark from beneath the wood holder made it look like a fire might eventually spread.


    Eventually.


    Potilia sighed and put her elbow on a shelf, knocking over a bottle. She scrambled to catch it, but the glass hit the floor and shattered, spilling the liquid all over the floor and into the rifts, splashing it all over the room. As soon as a drop touched the flames, they brightened and roared to life.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Within seconds, half the floor was on fire.


    ¡°Oh. I need to leave.¡±


    Toth¡¯s corpse fully ignited almost instantly.


    ¡°Oh my. Okay.¡± She hurried out the door while the flames quickly grew. Potilia ran next door and knocked loudly.


    The door cracked open. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Potilia needed to start thinking of what she was going to say before knocking. ¡°The building next door is on fire. Please leave!¡±


    The man pushed past her and down the stairs. He noticed the broken door. ¡°Is anyone in there?¡±


    ¡°No. I checked. I was the one who broke the door.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, reaching out to her hair.


    Oh no. Did blood splash through a rift and into her hair?


    He picked some olive mush from her hair. ¡°Is this olive?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He looked back at the fire. ¡°Fools must have left their fire going.¡±


    ¡°Probably. Is there anyone on the other side?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s been empty for years.¡±


    Potilia nodded slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere safe.¡±


    ***


    The seamount in the middle of the floor was a full mountain. A ramp circled it, spiraling up to the top. From so far down, it was difficult to see if there were people or mobs anywhere on the ramps or at the top of the seamount. Owin swore he saw some cetanthro looking down, watching them, but he couldn¡¯t confirm.


    They passed by the metal building, taking the outside route alongside the boundary wall. The light grew brighter as they continued until they finally rounded the corner. A ruined building, about the same size as the metal structure, stood in the middle of a river of lava that leaked from the base of the seamount.


    Water near the lava boiled while chunks of the lava solidified and shifted, causing sections of the river to change course. Entire sections of the wall were destroyed with bricks scattered as far as the metal building. They seemed resistant to the heat, as none melted even as the lava passed right over the base of the walls. It was difficult to see what was inside, though Owin had no doubt there was going to be a chest. Whether it was the chest guardian of the floor or just a place to find loot.


    ¡°This seems dangerous.¡± Shade walked right to the edge of the lava. The bubbling, boiling water caused his scarf to flutter. ¡°Oh, a breeze.¡±


    Owin walked with Suta along the river¡¯s edge, staying where the water was calm. Owin had no doubt everyone could jump inside without difficulty. The river was thinnest on their side. It spread out like the start of a lake on the opposite end of the building.


    The problem with jumping inside was not knowing what was in there. The walls were ruined, but enough remained to hide the contents.


    ¡°Shade first,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°I feel bad when we send him in.¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    They both looked at the skeleton, who was crouched beside the lava. He poked his hand into it, lifted a chunk on the edge of his finger, and stuck it in his mouth. It fell right out the bottom of his jaw, hit his knee, and hardened.


    ¡°What did you expect to happen?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I figured if I¡¯m not going to really feel any pain, I might as well see if it has a taste. Who hasn¡¯t wondered? You may think I¡¯m acting like a moron or some type of simpleton, but how many things have you seen where you want to know what they taste like but can¡¯t try them knowing you would die?¡±


    ¡°Literally nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry. I forgot you hate the idea of fun.¡± Shade grabbed the chunk of hardened lava from his knee and broke it off.


    ¡°See?¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Yeah, I see.¡± Owin put his arm around Suta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Shade, can you take Myrsvai to check the side close to the mount? I want to see what¡¯s all over before we go inside.¡±


    Myrsvai gave him a look, then bumped Shade with his staff. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Can I not keep better company? What about a deep sea walrus? Is that a thing? You know, the big tusks?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know your own name, but you know a walrus.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t believe a deep sea walrus is a thing. Can you imagine?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Myrsvai bumped Shade with his staff again, forcing the skeleton to start walking.


    ¡°Safe?¡± Suta asked.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any mobs there. And if something dangerous happens, we can get to them in seconds. Follow me.¡± Owin jumped over the small river in front of them. The ruined building acted as a break in the river causing it to split. Suta jumped over with ease, following a few steps behind Owin.


    ¡°After this floor, it will just be you and Myrsvai.¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Owin and Shade.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have him with me.¡±


    Suta put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not Artivan.¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not. But I think he is trying to be friendly. I¡¯ll be okay on the isolated floors. Are you going to be okay?¡±


    Suta nodded once.


    ¡°The floors are going to get more dangerous. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to use magic?¡±


    Suta squeezed Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No hurting Myrsvai.¡±


    ¡°Suta, what happened?¡±


    The familiar squeezed a little harder, but not nearly hard enough to hurt Owin. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be scared. I¡¯ve been scared a lot. Artivan taught me to be scared and to use that to be strong. You have to be smart even during fights. Right now, we fight the same, but I¡¯m stronger. Soon, punching might not be enough to beat the mobs you need to fight. Your strength is with all the spells you have.¡±


    There was no real way for Owin to read Suta¡¯s facial expression. His beady eyes and mandibles didn¡¯t have the same expressions that humans or human-like mobs had. But as his posture slumped, the body language was easy to understand.


    ¡°If I know what happened, I can try to help,¡± Owin said.


    Suta grabbed Owin¡¯s left hand with both of his and gently rubbed his clawed fingers over the back of Owin¡¯s chitin gauntlet. ¡°Power 6.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know anything about Power 6 spells.¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice item for spell.¡± Suta lifted Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°Sacrificed gauntlet while still on arm.¡±


    Owin kept his face calm even though Suta only stared at Owin¡¯s hand. ¡°What happens when an item is sacrificed?¡±


    Suta squeezed his hand. ¡°Crush.¡±


    Owin lowered his voice, even knowing only Suta could hear him. ¡°Is that how he lost his arm?¡±


    A quick nod.


    ¡°But you did it to protect him.¡±


    ¡°Spells hurt Myrsvai.¡±


    ¡°But so will strong mobs. If it seems like the two of you can¡¯t handle it, promise that you will use magic.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai stays safe.¡±


    Shade and Myrsvai returned from the other side, waiting back where they had been before. Myrsvai watched them from a distance, obviously getting parts of Suta¡¯s thoughts or emotions through their connection.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep him safe. You¡¯re both trying to protect each other, but you¡¯re both strong. Work together instead of only trying to keep each other safe.¡±


    Suta let Owin¡¯s hand drop.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to use Power 6 spells.¡±


    Suta walked away.


    Myrsvai and Shade jumped over the river, joining Owin.


    ¡°It was a good try,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What was?¡± Shade looked back and forth. ¡°Did I miss something?¡±


    ¡°Suta needs help over there,¡± Owin said.


    Shade sighed. ¡°I get it. You don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡± He stayed standing in the same spot.


    ¡°Can you go over there?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I guess you do have to tell me twice.¡± He bowed. ¡°Yes, master.¡± Shade started toward Suta. ¡°Hey, want to taste some lava?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling if we could see Shade¡¯s attributes, his wisdom would be fluctuating from nonexistent to incredibly high just about every other second.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index appeared. ¡°But we can¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°Is that possible?¡±


    ¡°You possibly know more about the Cursed than I do after the Doomed Harbinger. There are secrets to uncover. Maybe you will learn something soon. If you do¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded. ¡°Now, I sensed deep frustration from Suta.¡±


    ¡°He told me about the Power 6 spell.¡±


    Myrsvai held out his arm, turning his gauntlet over. ¡°This was part of a pair. Some gauntlets are found one at a time, but this was a unique pair I found in the Desert Dungeon. During our battle against the Husvrina Hero Company . . . well, late into the battle, I was losing my leg from a horrible cut on my upper thigh. The umbra¡¯s poison was leaking into my bloodstream. I couldn¡¯t walk. I was out of mana. I was out of ideas. At that point, I assumed I would die. I told Suta to run, but . . . it¡¯s Suta.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°We had already killed dozens of heroes.¡± Myrsvai stared at the boundary wall. His demonic eyes were still as he recounted the event. ¡°At least, I had. I don¡¯t know how many we killed between the two of us. As Siora and Nikoletta had said, there was nothing left of that hero company by the end. But it wasn¡¯t me. When all was lost, when I was unable to move, Suta cast Nightmare Metamorphose and transformed himself into something nearly comparable to a Lord of the Abyss. Power 6 and 7 are strong every single time they¡¯re used, but there is another component to each. With both requiring a sacrifice, the strength is directly influenced by the item or person sacrificed to cast the spell. Sacrificing a level 10 citizen will allow someone to cast a normal Power 7 spell, but sacrificing a Shard Hero would more than quadruple that power.¡±


    Owin looked at the intricate details of Myrsvai¡¯s gauntlet that he hadn¡¯t noticed before. There were carvings and designs across the metal. Some of it looked like language he didn¡¯t recognize, and other parts looked purely artistic.


    ¡°Since your gauntlet was unique, it was at least master rarity, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Nightmare Metamorphose transforms the caster, allowing them to take on aspects of the Abyss. Enhanced speed, strength, durability, spells, and anything else a demon or demon lord may have. With the way Suta cast it, he became something new. Now, unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t see what happened. The left gauntlet extended up the arm to connect with a pauldron. Casting the spell crushes then destroys the item. There was no time. Suta cast it before I could remove the armor. It crushed my entire arm.¡±


    Suta looked back. He was too far away to hear the conversation. Shade gently kicked him and pointed at the brick wall. The skeleton grabbed part of the wreckage and hauled himself up. With as clumsy as the skeleton had been, it was no surprise as Shade tumbled over the other side. Suta gave them one more look before jumping over the wall to follow Shade.


    ¡°He killed every last hero and dragged me across the floor, even as the spell wore off and he became exhausted. He fought mobs and bosses and brought me to the exit. There isn¡¯t a chance I would have survived without Suta. But that moment, the Power 6 spell, did so much damage to my body that he hasn¡¯t cast a spell since. I have tried everything to convince him to use magic again.¡±


    ¡°That was your last time in a dungeon until the Ocean, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Myrsvai lowered his eyebrows. ¡°Would you enter a dungeon after¡ª¡± He cut himself off and sighed. ¡°Sorry. You didn¡¯t hesitate to help Ernie and Katalin after Void Nexus hunted you in the Great Forest. If anybody I know understands even part of the horror I felt, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to get stronger. I want to stop people like that.¡±


    Myrsvai adjusted his grip on the staff. He sighed again. ¡°Nobody in this world is perfect. The hero companies don¡¯t attract great people. We¡¯ve all killed others. The Nimble Hogs aren¡¯t above anyone else. Chorsay¡¯s past is just as cloudy as the rest of us. I don¡¯t know how you would stop people from hurting each other.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m the strongest, they¡¯ll listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Myrsvai finally looked back at Owin. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the way to approach this ideal. There have been heroes in the past that led the nations with violence and fear, and it has never ended well. Vekuborg¡¯s history is full of tyrants.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Spend the time on the isolated floors thinking about it. Even if you are the strongest, you would have to kill a lot of people before anyone listened.¡±


    Something exploded inside the ruins, sending a plume of lava high above where it hardened and rained down chunks of obsidian.


    Without another thought, Owin was sprinting toward the building with Myrsvai a few steps behind.

 Book 3 - Chapter 26

    More bricks and debris were inside the building where the walls had collapsed. As Owin landed from his jump, he scattered broken stones and nearly tripped on the rubble. Nearly half the floor was gone where lava bubbled up like a spring.


    Suta stood in front of Shade, as if the familiar was protecting the invulnerable, immortal skeleton. The familiar had pushed Shade back toward a wall, as far from the lava as they could be.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Owin asked. Chunks of obsidian and more broken bricks still drifted down from above, crashing all throughout the ruined structure.


    Myrsvai landed beside Owin a moment later, immediately checking for Suta. They did their odd mental connection before Myrsvai actually turned his attention to the bubbling lava spring in the middle of the room.


    Just beyond the lava, hidden in the corner of the room, was a metal chest. It was placed in a way that wasn¡¯t hidden in the room, but it would require jumping over lava or walking on a thin strip of broken stones right beside the spring.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be the chest guardian,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°A chest doesn¡¯t necessarily imply it¡¯s the guardian. We have seen plenty of chests on the floors.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the chest guardian.¡± Something coming from lava could be difficult to fight. Owin had his wands, which gave him Arcane Blast, Magma Mine, Ice Bolt, and Ice Aura. The ice spells weren¡¯t going to be helpful and Magma Mine probably wouldn¡¯t hurt it either. Would stabbing some lava creature with a lich bone knife be any better?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight a lava mob,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Claverstan use lava, but as far as a lava mob is concerned . . . an elemental perhaps?¡± Myrsvai swirled abyssal flames around his staff. ¡°It is times like these when I consider how things may have been different if I had followed an elemental magus route.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any summons that could help?¡±


    ¡°Potirantoma is the only one with immunity to heat, but she¡¯s not a fighter. Thalgodin could perhaps assist if the mob has a true brain. At that point, I could use Neural Blaze on my own.¡± Myrsvai shook his head. ¡°We will need to rely on ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Shade, what class are you?¡± Owin shouted.


    The skeleton shrugged. ¡°A berserker?¡± He looked like he tried to flex. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Lava erupted into the air again, raining down chunks of molten and solid rock. Owin grabbed his knife out of habit, though he still didn¡¯t see how it would help in a fight.


    A roar rumbled through the water as a black column appeared through the geyser of lava. It crushed broken bricks and other rubble as it pushed down, sending slithering cracks through what remained of the floor.


    Owin tried to Examine it, but whatever was emerging wasn¡¯t a mob or wasn¡¯t visible enough to pick up any information.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Myrsvai gestured with his staff and within a second, Suta had sprinted across the room and stood beside him.


    A black arm reached through the geyser, somehow gripping onto the flowing lava. It pulled itself out, sending its foot deeper into the ground, crushing the bricks until parts of the floor broke away and sunk into the lava river.


    Ocean Mob


    Solidified Lava Elemental


    Level 38


    ¡°We can beat a level 38,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s an obsidian giant. Hurting it won¡¯t be so simple. Put that knife away before you break it.¡±


    Obsidian rained from above as the last of the geyser died down. Owin slipped the lich bone back into his belt. What was he going to do? Punch it? Maybe he could¡¯ve just crushed the elemental if he had his Thunderstrike Maul.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big rock!¡± Shade ran over to them, flailing and pointing at the newly emerged mob.


    The elemental had no head. It was like four columns of obsidian that formed into one pillar-like body. Its fingers were blocky with jagged edges and its feet were nothing more than a widened base of the column.


    It swung its massive hand down, catching Shade¡¯s entire body. Before Owin could even start to move, the skeleton was launched over the broken walls. He was sailing over the river of lava, but from how fast he was losing speed in the water, it looked like he was about to drop before he reached the end of the river.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade poofed out of existence, turning into a cloud of gray dust that spread through the water.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Wow, that thing hits hard!¡± He shook his body out, then looked up. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s here again!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still here,¡± Owin said. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    The elemental turned its body, adjusting its stance to face the four of them. Each step shook the ground and sent more cracks through the floor.


    ¡°I can see if my spells actually hurt it, though I doubt it will make a meaningful impact.¡± Myrsvai had his abyssal fire ready, but he kept it contained within the palm of his staff.


    ¡°What class are you now?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade flexed again. This time, a red light flashed, pulsing off his body. ¡°Oh! Untethered Rage! I¡¯m a berserker! I need to hit something!¡± He sprinted at the elemental, which simply swiped and launched him again. This time, Shade flew right into the side of the seamount before Owin could cast the spell.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    A splotch of gray dust was all that remained where Shade had collided with the side of the mountain.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Lesson learned.¡± Shade adjusted his scarf. ¡°I will stand here and give advice.¡±


    ¡°What kind of advice are you going to have?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°If we¡¯re looking at it that way . . . I¡¯ll think of something. What spells do we have?¡± Shade opened an index, covering his whole face in the yellow spell.


    ¡°You have an index?¡± Owin asked.


    The elemental took another step, shaking the ground, collapsing more of the floor into the lava river.


    ¡°Of course. I can see all of your stats. 160 Charisma? Is that why I hate you?¡± Shade waved his hand. ¡°Just kidding. I have other reasons.¡±


    Another step brought the elemental dangerously close. With one more step, the fight would have to begin. Owin wasn¡¯t ready. What was he going to do?


    ¡°If my knife might break against the elemental, what about the sword?¡± Owin turned his back to Shade, who happily drew the Incandescent Blade. When Owin turned back, the skeleton handed the sword over.


    ¡°A fire sword isn¡¯t going to help us here.¡± Myrsvai took a step back. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to be creative.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not using the sword¡¯s ability. It¡¯s unique. It shouldn¡¯t break.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡± Myrsvai pointed his staff. The abyssal fire flowed in a stream from the palm into Suta¡¯s chest, causing the familiar to glow with magenta energy. ¡°Suta, give Owin some room. Shade, be a distraction.¡±


    ¡°Me? A distraction?¡± Shade took a few steps forward and started waving his arms. ¡°Hey!¡± As the elemental slowly shifted toward Shade, the skeleton took off running with his arms still waving and flailing.


    Owin still didn¡¯t know if he actually had a plan, but they didn¡¯t have more time to wait. He needed to do something quickly.


    An Abyssal Barrage launched through the water, crashing against the elemental¡¯s chest. As expected, the magenta fire washed over the obsidian without any visible damage.


    There were other ways to fight and other strategies that made a lot more sense than what his first thought consistently told him, and yet, Owin found himself leaping through the water to land on the elemental¡¯s shoulder. His jump wasn¡¯t perfect. Even with a higher dexterity, he hadn¡¯t had many chances to practice. He managed to crash into the shoulder of the elemental and roll over to the back of the mob. Before he could fall into the lava below, Owin pushed off the elemental and landed on broken bricks a dozen feet from Myrsvai.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The magus cast another spell, which formed a magenta staff in Suta¡¯s hand. The familiar spun the weapon around then jumped and smashed it down against the elemental¡¯s wrist. Magenta fragments scattered then vanished as the summoned weapon shattered.


    Suta landed and quickly brought his hands up as the elemental hit with a wide palm. Unlike Shade, who had gone flying with each hit, Suta held back the elemental, gripping one of its fingers with his tiny, clawed hands.


    Despite the size and the hard obsidian skin, a level 35 was still weaker than all of them. Except Shade, of course. Owin had to remember that. It had looked so intimidating until Suta held it back.


    Now that he had failed the jump, Owin was certain he had it. He took two steps and pushed off, cracking the floor and sending more of it into the lava river. His feet landed right on the elemental¡¯s shoulder, but his momentum carried him into its head. The Incandescent Blade¡¯s tip smashed against the mob¡¯s head, helping balance Owin.


    His feet immediately burned. In the quick succession of movements last time, he hadn¡¯t even noticed the intense heat coming from the obsidian. His health immediately started ticking down.


    Owin set his jaw, grabbed the sword with both hands, and stabbed at his feet. The blade clicked against the obsidian. Neither broke. Not a single chip or crack appeared in the obsidian or the sword. Flames burst from the elemental, fully covering Owin in a brief flash of flames before the water suffocated the conflagration.


    Owin jumped off and backed toward the far wall. Suta disengaged and let the elemental pull its arm back. The familiar hurried over to Owin.


    ¡°No sword?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Owin handed it to Suta. ¡°Hold this.¡± He adjusted his stance a few times, trying to ignore the blisters that had formed on the soles of his feet. The burst of flames only did a little damage. If they weren¡¯t under water, he would¡¯ve been in real trouble.


    Suta waved the sword back and forth. ¡°Too big.¡±


    ¡°I know. Just wait.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shade dropped to the ground as the elemental swung for him again. The obsidian hand passed right over the skeleton.


    ¡°Its skin is too hot.¡± Owin pulled a wand from his belt. ¡°Do you think Ice Aura can cool it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Suta tried to hand the sword back.


    Meanwhile, Shade tripped and caught another elemental palm. This time, the skeleton flew right into the ruined wall, throwing bricks far off into the water. The skeleton was still mostly intact, minus an arm that had flown away with the bricks.


    ¡°Give me that.¡± Owin took the sword back, holding it in one hand. He had never cast Ice Aura before. When Barracuda had first used it against him, it wasn¡¯t clear if it was cast on something or in a spot.


    Without having his own spells, the best Owin could do was improvise.


    He nudged Suta. ¡°Get its attention again.¡±


    Suta sprinted ahead, watching Myrsvai, who had yet to move. The magus had connected with Suta, transferring power, or whatever it was that they did. The elemental seemed to either not notice or not care about Myrsvai at all.


    Suta punched the elemental in the leg, which didn¡¯t do anything. The mob shifted, moving its other leg to turn itself.


    Owin sprinted across the ruined stone, over the rubble, jumped, and cast Ice Aura with the wand pointed right at his chest. White wisps appeared, circling around him. The water cooled immediately, which was a relief on his burning feet.


    Owin crashed against the elemental¡¯s chest again and scrambled to put his wand back in his belt. Luckily, he fell slower in the water than he would have on the surface. The elemental¡¯s body was full of angles and odd, sharp surfaces, giving Owin just enough room to find a spot to grip and pull with his strength. He needed to stand to give a real attempt at stabbing into obsidian.


    The elemental noticed him, but didn¡¯t try to attack as it was still fighting Suta. The familiar had been hit a few times and still walked back toward the elemental like he was going to rip its arm right off.


    Ice Aura spun around Owin, making it easier to stand atop the elemental¡¯s shoulder. Another burst of fire erupted from its body, which failed to do even a point of damage to him.


    Owin held the Incandescent Blade in both hands again, and with all his strength, he stabbed right between his feet. A chunk of obsidian immediately broke off, revealing flowing molten rock beneath. Water and Ice Aura caused it to harden and freeze into obsidian, sealing the wound.


    How much did he have to chip away before it would die?


    Another stab at the same spot caused cracks to slither from the wound. The elemental had no clear face, but it did have a head. Would breaking that kill the mob? Was it worth trying when he already had a weakened spot?


    ¡°How do I kill an elemental?¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°They always have a core. Similar to a mana crystal!¡± Myrsvai walked to the edge of the broken floor. ¡°It could be anywhere!¡±


    ¡®Anywhere¡¯ wasn¡¯t helpful. The core could be in its foot or in one of the hands attacking Suta. It probably wouldn¡¯t be in the head because that was too obvious.


    Ice Aura was weakening the obsidian while also cooling the molten rock too quickly. Maybe he could¡ª


    An obsidian fist swung at Owin. He blocked it with the sword and let the blow carry him through the water. He bounced right off the top of the broken wall and landed outside the building.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Gray dust poofed into the water, making a cloud that stretched just above the rubble.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade swung both of his arms back and forth. ¡°Now I am. I was armless!¡± His arms swung through the spinning aura. ¡°Ah, what is this?¡±


    Owin climbed the rubble, leaving the skeleton behind. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have stood up and grabbed your arm?¡±


    ¡°I thought if I acted injured, perhaps someone would show compassion!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°I knew you were fine.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know anything!¡± Shade climbed the rubble with surprisingly bad dexterity. ¡°My arms are all frozen.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°You are trying to make me freeze to death with that spell!¡±


    Owin sighed.


    Myrsvai had finally moved, joining Suta in distracting the elemental. Abyssal spells flew through the water, striking the same shoulder Owin had attacked. More cracks had formed in the obsidian, though nothing had broken off.


    After four floors of Myrsvai winning nearly every fight with such ease, it was time for Owin to handle an enemy. He grinned and reached into his bag.


    The core could be ¡°anywhere.¡±


    Most of his fighting style came from instinct, from the time before he gained real consciousness. Part came from Artivan, though that part was small. The mostly stationary, defensive fighting style of a knight had little impact on Owin, but Artivan himself had a lot of good ideas for Owin to try. The rest had come from experience. From seeing how other people of different classes fought.


    Owin clutched a percussion grenade, gifted to him by Ernworth Eckelson. Would it explode as soon as it touched the lava or would it sink? Either way, it would do some damage to the elemental.


    Myrsvai swung his staff in a wide circle, covering an entire half of the room in a veil of abyssal magic. Owin had only seen the spell once before, back when he had tried to help Gropnil fight Nosolus on the second floor of the Great Forest. It had been a choking, debilitating spell.


    Now, from far away, it looked like a dark cloud and nothing more. The elemental swung through the cloud, failing to hit Myrsvai or Suta. It walked closer, crushing more of the floor with each step. It looked like the entire building, or what was left of it, was barely surviving on top of a whole pool of lava.


    ¡°Now would be the time to go,¡± Shade said. ¡°This is what we experienced heroes call ¡®an opening.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Owin checked the grenade in his hand. If he gripped it too hard, would it explode? His experience with grenades was non-existent.


    ¡°Unsummon me,¡± Shade said quickly, right as Owin was about to leap.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If you put that grenade inside, you¡¯re going to blow yourself up, and that means another fifty years in the box. Summon me on top of that beast, hand me the grenade, and get out.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Three steps and a leap brought him through the water and onto the elemental¡¯s back as it was still bent over, trying to hunt for Myrsvai or Suta. It didn¡¯t notice as Owin gently landed on its back.


    A quick crawl brought him up the shoulder to the broken, cracked section. Ice Aura still spun in a circle, making it possible to stand on the fire elemental.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re already here.¡±


    The elemental quickly stood upright, forcing Owin to grab Shade to balance. The skeleton, somehow, stood with perfect balance and held the Incandescent Blade by the sharp sides to help Owin balance.


    ¡°Now might be a good time to start stabbing.¡±


    Owin passed the percussion grenade to Shade and smashed the sword down with both hands. More cracks spread out, but nothing chipped away. The elemental swung its fist overhead toward them. A solid black block out of the corner of his eye was difficult to miss.


    Another stab chipped a small piece of newer obsidian away without revealing any lava. Owin flattened himself to the shoulder after Shade squealed and dropped under the fist.


    The elemental staggered as its weight shifted from the failed punch. It took a few steps, crushing more of the floor. Soon, there wouldn¡¯t be anything left.


    Owin pulled Shade up and repositioned himself. This reminded him of fighting the golem on the floor below, but at that point, his sword¡¯s fire was enough to cut through. Now, that fire would only strengthen the elemental, if it did anything at all.


    The Incandescent Blade carried Owin¡¯s strength down into the obsidian, finding the smallest crack. Unique items couldn¡¯t break under normal circumstances, and with that knowledge, Owin forced the sword down, even as he felt an odd vibration ringing through the blade.


    He clenched his jaw, closed his eyes, and pushed. The sword slipped into the crack and acted as a lever causing a section of the elemental to peel off. Owin saw the glowing lava spread before him, but Shade caught his hair and yanked before Owin could fall in.


    ¡°Go!¡± Shade shoved him to the side. If Owin had been ready, he could have easily overpowered the skeleton. Since he wasn¡¯t ready, Owin slipped right off the obsidian. The Incandescent Blade fell from his hands and quickly disappeared into the elemental¡¯s inner body.


    Before Owin even crashed to the ruined floor, the entire upper section of the elemental detonated. Obsidian shards shot up, flying toward the surface of the ocean, while lava spewed into the water, quickly cooling and hitting the ground as hardened rock.


    0 Experience


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Owin sat, staring at the legs of the elemental for a moment. He hadn¡¯t gotten the kill, but since Shade had, it still counted.


    Suta sat down beside Owin. The familiar had some blood on his face that was getting washed away with every small movement in the water. The wound appeared to be in his mouth somewhere, behind his mandibles, but Suta wasn¡¯t bothered.


    ¡°Not a battle I was expecting,¡± Myrsvai said as he walked up. He was untouched from battle. ¡°A grenade?¡±


    ¡°Shade did it, but . . . my sword was inside the elemental.¡±


    ¡°The unique one?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shade?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Gray dust condensed into the skeleton. He yawned. ¡°All in a day¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°You made me drop my sword,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make you do a thing. Hold onto things if you don¡¯t wish to lose them.¡±


    ¡°Unique items won¡¯t disappear that easily. We¡¯ll fan out and look for it while you search in the lava.¡± Myrsvai gestured to the legs of the elemental and the pool around it.


    ¡°The beast has already frozen again. And besides, a sword wouldn¡¯t fall to the legs that quickly. Surely it is out there something.¡± Shade gestured to the floor as a whole.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first unique weapon,¡± Owin said.


    Shade groaned. ¡°Fine.¡± The skeleton stepped directly in the pool of lava. ¡°I¡¯ll just swim around until I melt.¡± He took a few steps. ¡°Can I melt? It appears I cannot, though . . .¡± He disappeared beneath the lava. A few seconds later, he popped up with lava streaming over his skull. Somehow, his white glove and dark purple scarf remained untouched even in the molten rock. ¡°This is pleasant. Anyone wish to join me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find you that weapon,¡± Myrsvai said, ignoring the skeleton.


    Suta pulled Owin to his feet. ¡°Prize for winner.¡±


    ¡°What winner?¡±


    ¡°Whoever finds the sword, I guess.¡± Myrsvai scanned the area.


    Suta took off at a sprint.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going to let Suta win the prize, are we?¡± Myrsvai took off running in a different direction.


    ¡°But who is giving the prize?¡± Owin asked quietly. Was he going to have to supply the prize?

 Book 3 - Chapter 27

    Vondaire held his hand out, palm up, and stared.


    ¡°Finally,¡± he whispered.


    A silver shard floated just above his hand, spinning silently in midair. His whole life, he had been dreaming of acquiring a shard, and it had been . . . easy.


    Sunlight beat down on him, finally feeling warm after a long, damp journey.


    Well, it hadn¡¯t been that long. Afterall, he hadn¡¯t even brought a meal with him.


    His stomach rumbled.


    The goblin and the Maimed Magus wouldn¡¯t be that quick. He had time to catch a ferry back, grab a meal and a drink, and head back long before they would arrive.


    A few heroes waited outside the dungeon, counting down the time before they were going to enter. They noticed the shard.


    Vondaire closed his hand, causing the shard to vanish. He felt it in his shoulder, sitting idly, waiting to be activated. He snapped his fingers, causing the water to leave his clothes in a flash.


    An assassin would simply swap clothes in the blink of an eye with their odd little disguise technique, while an entertainer could do a Costume Change and be in a new, dry outfit. An umbra actually had to use a spell, though Vondaire couldn¡¯t complain all that much. Other classes would have to stay soaked until they reached Minolitana Prima.


    A hero left the line to approach Vondaire.


    A quick glance caused the hero to turn around and rejoin the line.


    Even without speaking, he was already gaining more respect. The respect he deserved.


    In the index, a new tab formed, listing it as Shard Heroes. The list was smaller than he had expected.


    He had joined a list of over 100 heroes with 1 shard, but the number dropped quickly as the shards increased until only two were listed as 7 Shard Heroes.


    Althowin Alegarra and Zezog the Barbarian.


    In a few months, that list would grow to three.


    Vondaire adjusted his jacket, fixed his collar and sleeves, then strode over to the line of heroes. They watched him silently.


    ¡°When was the ferry last here?¡±


    ¡°About an hour ago,¡± the first hero said. She looked up at him. A short soldier. She would do fine until the fifth floor. Those grenadiers would cause an issue if she didn¡¯t find range.


    Vondaire nodded. ¡°My thanks.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me any advice?¡±


    ¡°Stay alive.¡± Vondaire strode down the line, giving the heroes plenty of time to take a look, to memorize his appearance.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± a hunter asked.


    ¡°Vondaire Faikel. Soon to be the third 7 Shard hero.¡± Vondaire bowed.


    Someone snorted.


    ¡°You can assume what you wish. I completed the Ocean Dungeon. Have you?¡±


    Some grumbling confirmed what Vondaire had expected. People with shards could sense each other, in some form. He wasn¡¯t sure how that worked, but he had seen it first hand with Chorsay and Taralim.


    If someone in the line had a shard, Vondaire would know.


    Sloswen had said Owin was on the fifth floor with Mrysvai, which meant at their current rate, he had a few days before they finished.


    And that was assuming they both did finish.


    There was a cafe over a cliff on the western side of Minolitana Prima that served the most exquisite red wine. While he had time for a few bottles, he would simply go, eat a meal with a bottle, then order another of each to go. Even if he was going to wait on a little sandbar, he could still eat as he deserved.


    He was a Shard Hero, afterall.


    ***


    Blood filled the hovel holding the stairs from the fourth floor. The water had already been filled with paint, but now, cetanthro blood spread through the entire room.


    The Incandescent Blade had embedded itself in the far wall after slicing straight through both the cetanthro painter and her subject.


    Owin stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. They had been harmless mobs, but he couldn''t blame himself for their deaths. He hadn''t killed them. If anything, it was the elemental¡¯s fault. Or Shade''s.


    ¡°The aim is impeccable,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°If only you could earn experience. These are not the first mobs we have accidentally killed on this adventure,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Shade strode into the hovel and yanked the sword from the wall. ¡°At least we found it.¡±


    Specifically, Owin had found it.


    ¡°Does this mean I get a prize?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Myrsvai said quickly.


    Suta chittered and grabbed a paintbrush from the floor. ¡°Prize?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°I don''t want that.¡±


    Suta stuck it in Owin''s belt beside the wands. ¡°Keep prize.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    They went back to the ruined building, to the metal chest sitting on the edge of the lava. As parts of the floor collapsed and sections of the river hardened to obsidian, the flow of lava took them away, washing them toward the boundary wall.


    ¡°It''s yours,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What are you going to do on the isolated floors when you see a chest?¡±


    ¡°I will leave it.¡± Myrsvai smiled. ¡°I can''t be bothered to find better equipment.¡±


    ¡°Chests for me,¡± Suta said happily.


    ¡°That is also an option. He needs . . . What do you need, Suta?¡±


    ¡°Third fist.¡± He stuck his arms up.


    ¡°We''ll work on that. Get the chitin helmet so we can keep moving.¡± Myrsvai gestured to the chest, which Shade had decided to sit upon.


    ¡°I would rather maintain my comfortable position.¡±


    Owin pushed the skeleton off the chest and into the lava. Shade flailed as he fell, sinking right to the bottom.


    A moment later, his head popped up. ¡°While I do have to say I''m offended, I would likely have done the same thing. Well played.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°Actually, I wouldn¡¯t have done that, as you would burn and wither like a little tomato.¡±


    ¡°A tomato?¡± Owin asked. ¡°Wait. Can summons kill their masters?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta nodded.


    Myrsvai bumped him with his staff. ¡°Yes. But it isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    Suta mimicked stabbing. ¡°Simple.¡±


    Owin and Shade exchange a look.


    The skeleton brought both arms straight into the air. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you! Do you think regicide would help with the whole Cursed thing? I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Cursed? Me? We have certainly talked about it.¡± The skeleton crawled onto a broken section of flooring.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking about regicide, Shade. Regicide is killing a king. It¡¯s an old word, one that isn¡¯t relevant outside the dungeons anymore, as there are no kings left in Verdantallis.¡± Myrsvai reached out and helped the skeleton finish crawling back onto land.


    ¡°Killing a king has its own word?¡±


    ¡°There are so many words for killing specific people. Patricide, filicide, fratricide, matricide, infanticide, suicide, prolicide, nepoticide¡ª¡±


    Myrsvai used the butt of his staff to push Shade back into the lava, effectively silencing the skeleton as he disappeared underneath.


    ¡°Are those all real words?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Likely, yes. Not that any of it matters.¡±


    A distant explosion passed through the water. It sounded like it was far away, maybe from the opposite side of the seamount.


    Shade popped his head back out of the lava. ¡°A firm ¡®Shut up¡¯ would have done nicely.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Myrsvai offered his staff to help the skeleton crawl out once again. ¡°A summon killing the summoner is only common with demons and elementals. Familiars wanting to kill their master is rare, though there have been accounts. Other than shoving you into lava, I don¡¯t believe Shade would even be capable of killing you if he tried.¡±


    ¡°Actually!¡± Shade finished crawling out of the lava. Bits of dried lava clung to his arms and fell off with the faintest flick. ¡°I did knock him out with a single hit once. Do you remember? I remember. It was just a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember. That was an assassin ability. You aren¡¯t even aware of what class you are when you are summoned. At best, you can send a fireball into Owin¡¯s face, but it won¡¯t have enough power to do any real damage.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe in me!¡±


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open the chest so we can continue on?¡±


    Owin had been watching with interest. Shade didn¡¯t seem hostile at all. If he did kill Owin, he would just be trapped again until someone stumbled across a bone. ¡°Can you tell me more about the Cursed?¡±


    Shade looked up, scowled, then looked down. ¡°Who builds a damn dungeon upside down?¡±


    ¡°There are two towers that go down. I think you already know that,¡± Mrysvai said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Shade walked over, leaned on the ruined wall, and nodded toward the chest. ¡°Are you going to open this or are we going to stare at it all day?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±


    Shade groaned. ¡°Sloswen might¡ª¡± He attempted to snap his fingers, but it didn¡¯t work. His fingers flailed awkwardly. ¡°Snap me out of existence.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you actually snap when you say that?¡± Owin snapped without much effort.


    ¡°If I wanted a lesson in snapping, I would have asked. I believe step number one would be something like ¡®have skin¡¯ or something that I have no control over, but no, continue making fun of the poor, haunted skeleton.¡± Shade pointed at the chest. ¡°Do you need me to open it with my incredible strength? With my arms of steel?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re made of bone.¡± Owin flipped the chest open as Shade made a whole series of noises.


    ¡°Is it the helmet?¡±


    Owin reached inside and pulled out a red chitin helmet. ¡°Ernie said they were nearly impossible to find.¡±


    ¡°They are.¡±


    ¡°But I have a full set.¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    Light from the lava shone weirdly off the helmet. It looked like a bucket with a T shape cut out of the front. Two small slits were open on the top of the helmet, big enough for Owin to fit his finger through.


    ¡°This is ugly.¡±


    Shade took it out of Owin¡¯s hand and tried to fit it over his head, but it sat awkwardly on top of his head. ¡°This is too small.¡±


    Myrsvai approached and tapped the helmet off Shade¡¯s head. Owin caught it and slipped it over his head. His ears poked through the top as the helmet fell onto his head, morphing to fit.


    Owin almost stumbled as the word Crab appeared in his vision. It vanished almost as quickly, leaving behind the full description of the armor set.


    The Crab Chitin armor set is formed of broken pieces of chitin from crab mobs throughout the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. When wearing the full set, the Crab Chitin armor strengthens the armor and reinvigorates the pieces as if worn by a crab. When sustaining damage, the armor can molt, shedding the damage.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch. Cannot be unbound.


    Note: Current Crab Chitin set - 8/8


    Comfort wasn¡¯t the priority with armor. That much was obvious. Owin had hoped it would at least feel less . . . awkward. He could still hear perfectly fine with the helmet since his ears stuck out so far, but his vision was more limited.


    ¡°A complete armor set,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I never thought I would see one.¡±


    Owin shifted, moving his arms and legs in turn, trying to get used to the feeling. How did Artivan do it?


    Suta knocked on the breastplate, then reached up and did the same on Owin¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°Does it seem protective?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta nodded.


    Having a helmet on wasn¡¯t the same as being blinded. That had been terrifying and disorienting. Instead, his peripheral vision was smaller and it felt like someone was constantly reaching hands around his face, slowly covering his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you make that face,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°You don¡¯t like the armor, do you?¡±


    Owin grunted. Sinew grew from the bottom of the helmet, stretching down to connect with the pauldrons and the breastplate. The sinew strands covered most of his neck and flexed well enough to not limit his head movements.


    Suta poked at the strands. ¡°Muscle.¡±


    ¡°Look at our little crab. Our stabby little shellfish,¡± Shade patted the top of Owin¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Owin said. He adjusted his belt to stop the lich bone knife from scraping on the chitin.


    ¡°You will need to find a more effective way of carrying your weapons.¡± Myrsvai climbed a pile of rubble. ¡°You look like a soldier now. Are you ready to explore the other side of the seamount?¡±


    Owin hopped back and forth, then jumped right over the pool of lava. He landed near Myrsvai and skidded over a few crumbling bricks. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 28

    Burning a city block hadn¡¯t been part of the plan.


    Burning anything usually wasn¡¯t part of the plan. What was she? Some fireball crazed wizard?


    It had made a mess of things.


    That was an understatement. And what was ¡°it¡± in this situation? Her? The Golden Bulls? The fire?


    Nobody liked taking responsibility for mistakes. Even in her own mind, Potilia didn¡¯t want to admit she had fucked up.


    Magna Regum had sent a squad of high level heroes to investigate. They had obviously already found Yasuari¡¯s body in the alley and were now on alert. Something suspicious was going on.


    Luckily, Potilia was great at blending in if nobody looked at her. Calm and collected weren¡¯t words often used to describe any part of her life.


    Magna Regum¡¯s attention meant Caspius¡¯s attention, and that would only complicate taking out the last spies.


    Golden Bulls - dead.


    Security Regime - dead.


    Unity Force - Currently talking to Magna Regum.


    Three Heads - Unknown and/or alive. Did they even send a spy? Did they care?


    Sylmare and Void Nexus - very alive and probably hunting for Potilia.


    Caspius and Magna Regum - annoying and awful, and probably watching her at the moment.


    She looked entirely less calm and collected as she sat on a bench and whipped her head about, searching for the smug face of Caspius.


    Natholdros Ozzoad was an old man. Old enough to be considered old, but not Chorsay levels of old. Natholdros was also a wizard employed by the Unity Force of Izylia. The same Unity Force that desperately wanted to kill Owin to contain the ¡°mob that escaped the Great Forest¡± as if Owin was somehow their responsibility and not Ruvaine¡¯s.


    Even if they were somehow to blame for Owin . . . how could they be? And who cared?


    Natholdros was old enough to say that he had lived a ¡®good life¡¯ or something. She was going to smash his skull in. The old wizard had been on missions near Potilia before, but he had never been one of her targets. Sylmare had brought him near death once to send a message. It looked like he had recovered fine from that beating.


    Natholdros glanced at Potilia under his overly bushy, unkempt eyebrows. What made old people grow such wild eyebrows? Was it all old people? Would she one day have crazy eyebrows?


    Calm and collected.


    Natholdros slowly walked over. He wore a robe that was oddly short, showing his scrawny, bare legs from the knee down. His sandals were weathered and dragged as he approached.


    ¡°Potilia Ennia,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know me. I saw you use Examine.¡± She leaned back on the bench with the kanabo resting on her lap. Did he know who she was?


    ¡°Magna Regum heroes are running all through the city looking for a criminal.¡±


    Potilia nodded. ¡°Something to do with that fire?¡±


    Dark smoke still hung in the sky above the tenements. It really did spread much farther than she had anticipated.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Natholdros had a wand attached to the inside of his sleeve. The tip poked out near his wrist with each little arm movement. He had no other visible weapons, but that wasn¡¯t uncommon for wizards.


    ¡°Crazy,¡± she said a little too loud.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The old man was slow, making it more and more difficult to see how he would possibly prove to be an effective spy. Maybe he just stood around idly all day and observed. Every other spy tried to blend in or to use some abilities or spells to make their spying easier. What would a wiz¡ª


    Where was his familiar?


    Potilia wanted to smack herself in the face. Natholdros wasn¡¯t the spy. He was a decoy. Killing the familiar would only be temporary if Natholdros lived, but did she want to be responsible for sending a familiar to a home? Or would she need to kill the familiar too?


    It was too much.


    She would need to observe longer, but her time was more than gone. Sylmare could make a move at any moment.


    Caspius or Sylmare could ruin her whole mission. Just another couple of hours. If she could find the familiar, she could stop the Unity Force.


    ***


    A beautiful brick building sat at the base of the seamount following its curve. The door leading inside was on a curved wall and upon opening it, a cetanthro threw a grenade. There was no hesitation from the mobs.


    There was plenty of hesitation as the grenade smacked Shade in the face. It didn¡¯t explode on contact, giving the skeleton time to catch it and hold it awkwardly up to his face. ¡°Some grenades are on a timer. Do you think¡ª¡±


    Owin, Myrsvai, and Suta had all jumped to the side as soon as the cetanthro had thrown the grenade.


    Owin pressed his face into the rocky ground and felt the explosion pass through the water. Without armor, he may have felt some type of pain, but with armor on, he was untouched.


    Upon sitting up, Owin spotted the cloud of gray dust that had once been Shade.


    Suta pulled Myrsvai away as an Abyssal Blast flew from the magus¡¯s staff. Owin sprinted in through the doorway and drove the lich bone knife into the head of the injured grenadier fish. Myrsvai¡¯s attack had taken part of its face off, but at the higher level, things weren¡¯t just dying in a single hit.


    Another cetanthro watched from the other side of the room. Before it could grab a grenade, Owin was tearing through its head.


    ¡°Owin!¡± Myrsvai shouted.


    His eyes widened. Had that explosion done real damage? Owin sprinted back outside and grabbed Suta by the shoulders. ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Owin shook Suta. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Suta shook his head quickly.


    ¡°Why are you yelling for me? I thought Suta was hurt.¡±


    ¡°If he was hurt, I would simply send him away to let him regenerate, as you did with Shade.¡± Myrsvai nodded toward the cloud of gray dust.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t unsummon him, actually. I didn¡¯t think I had to if there was nothing left.¡±


    Myrsvai got close enough to move his staff through the dust. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re correct, though this may be a situation in which we need to test to verify.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton appeared directly beside Owin. He wobbled once, then let himself fall back. ¡°How many times have I died since you first summoned me?¡±


    ¡°A few.¡± Owin pointed. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°I do see. Welcome back, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton raised a brow, making one eye socket bigger than the other. ¡°Are you admiring my mortal remains?¡±


    Suta offered a hand and pulled Shade back to his feet. Even with the size difference, Suta was strong enough to yank the skeleton off the ground.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t mortal, Shade,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°While you aren¡¯t wrong, I am right. ¡®Immortal remains¡¯ doesn¡¯t have the same ring to it. So . . . that¡¯s the end of the argument, I suppose.¡± The skeleton peeked his head back in the building. ¡°I see those bomb loving fish are dead.¡±


    ¡°There will be more.¡± Owin looked to the top of the mount where there were definitely fish spying on them.


    ¡°What I find fascinating is the design of this floor. Look at this,¡± Myrsvai said, pointing with his staff.


    Owin followed the gesture and noticed the boundary wall above the building. By stepping through the front door, he was passing underneath a section of the boundary. From where they stood, the outer boundary was also visible. Going through the building was the only option to progress.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there could be walls other than the one all the way around the floor.¡± He wanted to go touch it. Not that touching it would do much. He had poked boundary walls before and nothing happened. He just couldn''t pass through.


    ¡°These are placed in a way to suggest there is something special or necessary about this building. A boss of some kind, perhaps. There are open floors like this in many of the towers, and most of those that I have seen don¡¯t have boundaries guiding us like this.¡± Myrsvai stared quietly for another minute.


    Shade waved his hands through the dust cloud that acted as his remains.


    ¡°Is it weird?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Reappearing in my box after catching a grenade? I cannot say I¡¯m surprised. How many directions could that have gone? Two? No. Just the one. Boom. Gone. Dead. Vanished from this plane of existence.¡± Shade made a noise like an explosion and swung his arms around wildly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t vanish.¡± Owin pointed at the gray cloud.


    ¡°Ha. So funny. Look at the skeleton who is now just dust. Isn¡¯t it funny that he experienced incredible pain and was brutally murdered?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel pain.¡±


    Shade sighed. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m aware.¡± He tried to pinch himself, but his skeletal fingers just scraped on his arm bone. ¡°Existence is a horror and we¡¯re all going to suffer for eternity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling so happy,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°How should we approach this building?¡±


    Owin looked back through the door. It was narrow and curved, so even if there was a long room, attacking any mobs from a range would be difficult. Myrsvai was far from slow, but his attacks required time and range.


    ¡°I should lead. Suta can stay close to me to help when there¡¯s more than one cetanthro. If anything gets past me, you can hit it with a spell.¡± Owin adjusted his grip on the lich bone knife. The Incandescent Blade would be too big and unwieldy in a small space. The classic jump and stab technique would be the most helpful when rushing from room to room.


    ¡°Shade, stay behind me so I don¡¯t accidentally hit you with any magic.¡± Myrsvai used his staff to help push the skeleton into the back of the line they had formed outside the doorway.


    Another distant explosion passed through the water.


    ¡°That sounded like it was likely from the same place as before,¡± Myrsvai said, looking past the boundary wall and into the distance.


    Nobody had paid much attention to the explosion before. Owin had been wondering if he was imagining things. ¡°Other heroes?¡±


    ¡°Likely, yes. We spent a long time in the cathkabel fortress. There is no way to tell who may have passed in that time. It could be the Void Nexus heroes or it could be someone who showed up after we entered. The only thing I am certain of, is that whoever is ahead of us is not Vondaire.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably already done,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s possible. He doesn¡¯t seem like the type to find secrets or spend time looting. His focus was entirely on acquiring his first shard.¡±


    Owin took a step inside the building. ¡°Then we should try to hurry. The people ahead of us might need help.¡±


    ¡°What if enemies?¡± Suta asked.


    ¡°Like Siora and Nikoletta?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Owin strode through the room with the dead grenadiers and kicked open the next door.


    Itajara brutes, the same kind as the third floor, sat in chairs facing the wall. On a little table, some herengo danced. The only other time Owin could remember seeing a herengo was in Miya¡¯s lab where she burned a dead fish. Herengo were barely the size of Owin¡¯s knife. Were they even considered real mobs?


    In hindsight, kicking the door open was a bad idea. Being a goblin darkblade meant sneaking and hiding. After all, he had spent most of his life hiding in the shadowy recesses of a cave, jumping out only to stab. When did he decide that it was a good idea to make so much noise? Did he ever really sneak?


    Itajara brutes stood and charged immediately, forcing Owin to dive to the side. With such a narrow room, diving only brought him into the wall. The brute was tall enough that only his hip caught Owin, causing him to hit the wall a second time and bounce back into the fish¡¯s leg.


    Suta had a similar problem on the opposite side.


    Magenta light flashed in rapid succession as an Abyssal Barrage ripped through the brute pummeling Owin. As soon as it lulled, he slipped between its legs, leapt and stabbed the lich bone into the top of the other itajara¡¯s head. With both hands, he tore through the skull. Before he could leap again, the first brute swiped its finned hand, catching Owin¡¯s whole body. He flipped through the room and crashed against the table with the herengo.


    0 Experience


    0 Experience


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered.


    As the itajara brute attacking Suta fell limp, the familiar jumped through the floating viscera and clung to the other cetanthro, punching over and over until the brute collapsed.


    Owin brushed the herengo remains from his bottom and checked the room for loot.


    Nothing worthwhile.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Myrsvai asked, looking between Suta and Owin.


    Owin shrugged. He had taken a few points of damage, though nothing concerning. The armor had dampened all hits.


    Suta looked at Owin and mimicked his shrug.


    ¡°I can tell you took damage,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Do you need to heal?¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°If you get injured and need to rest, I won¡¯t be asking. I¡¯ll make you go away.¡±


    Suta nodded quickly.


    ¡°Try opening the next door quietly,¡± Shade said as he entered the room. ¡°Or do you need me to do it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get in the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my name!¡± The skeleton walked right up and opened the door.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know your name.¡± Owin pushed him aside as two cetanthro watched.


    Both mobs were sitting at a short table. The middle of the room had a calm fountain that somehow ran underwater. Each fish had a mug with a steaming drink inside.


    Owin grinned. ¡°Katalin would love this.¡±


    One cetanthro was a grenadier, the other was a phyraena with a long, pointed face. They didn¡¯t move quickly as the door opened. Instead, they each reached for nearby weapons and kept watching.


    ¡°At least this room isn¡¯t curved.¡± Myrsvai sent an Abyssal Blast over Owin¡¯s head, striking the grenadier in the face as it reached for the nearby explosive.


    Owin sprinted and chopped with the knife, cutting off the fish¡¯s hand before it could get its grenade. The phyraena grabbed a sword and swung from overhead. Owin rolled to the side, using his pauldron to let the sword slide off. Suta used the opening, striking the fish right in the face.


    The phyraena staggered. Before it could recover, Myrsvai¡¯s staff smashed against its throat, tossing the fish into the fountain.


    Meanwhile, Owin swung back around, jamming the lich bone through the grenadier¡¯s eye. The fish somehow survived until Owin tore the knife out.


    Shade walked in and grabbed a grenade from a small pile beside the grenadier¡¯s corpse. ¡°What are the chances I¡¯m an alchemist?¡±


    Suta finished killing the phyraena in the fountain, then sat where the fish had been. He picked up the mug and tried to drink it, but as expected, the steaming liquid just poured into the water and spread out in a dark cloud.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably not an alchemist. Even if you are, do you know how to use their spells?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°If I say yes, are you going to believe me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Shade gathered the rest of the grenades and held them cradled in his arms. A few rolled oddly along his ribs. The skeleton made an odd noise, then tried putting a grenade inside his ribcage. After a few adjustments, he balanced them atop one arm with his ribcage full of incredibly dangerous grenades.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Please get away from me.¡± Owin pushed the grenadier¡¯s corpse. It dropped an empty glass bottle, which he slipped into his bag.


    Suta grabbed the phyraena¡¯s corpse from the fountain and shook it violently. Some coins fell out.


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°How does he manage to do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s like me finding all the armor pieces.¡± Owin tried to shake the grenadier¡¯s body, but all he did was throw viscera onto Shade, who stood perfectly still.


    ¡°That seemed unnecessary.¡± The skeleton used his free hand to wipe fish entrails from his face. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel bad, but . . .¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°I feel better than I did before shaking it.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Shade waddled across the room, keeping the grenades balanced inside his ribs. He cracked the next door open and stuck his head inside. ¡°Oh, a boss. Oh! A¡ª¡±


    Something bright flashed inside. Before Shade could back away, something struck the skeleton. Magenta flames immediately engulfed Suta, causing the familiar to vanish.


    Owin only had the thought of covering his face by bringing both gauntlets together as every grenade within Shade¡¯s ribs exploded.

 Book 3 - Chapter 29

    Vondaire held a glass of wine, swirling the burgundy liquid slowly as he leaned against a wall in an alley. Was it too similar to his days as a Unity Force operative?


    Perhaps.


    From what other angle was he going to see such a perfect view of the destruction?


    Someone had been careless, or something more than careless. Incompetent?


    Half the tenement block still smoldered on the northern side of Minolitana Prima. What looked to some like a horribly unfortunate event was clearly set up to hide the evidence of a fight.


    The berserker aura still hung in the air, even if it was so faint as to not be noticeable to most. Berserkers weren¡¯t made for stealth in even the slightest sense. Their abilities left evidence, whether it be blood or otherwise.


    A little invisibility would allow him to sneak right inside the remains and investigate for himself, but if one of Magna Regum¡¯s elites are nearby, it would only be bothersome. It was better to let them investigate the murders in their city.


    What interested Vondaire was the golden chainmail armor still sitting in the ruined building, nearly untouched by the flames. Only one group was pompous enough to wear such bright, shining beacons, asking to be stabbed.


    Someone had assassinated a Golden Bull, or two. There was no evidence that the second charred skeleton was from a Bull, but there was nothing to suggest it wasn¡¯t. The fire had been too intentional for the second corpse to be from the berserker. Whoever had activated a Rift Aura certainly didn¡¯t die. That was too powerful of an ability in close quarters.


    Vondaire took a sip of his wine as he strode into the street.


    ¡°Civilians aren¡¯t allowed,¡± a Magna Regum hero said.


    The shard hummed as it lifted from Vondaire¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Shard Hero, I apologize.¡± The hero bowed his head.


    ¡°Who caused this fire?¡±


    ¡°We are trying to find out, sir. There was a man dead in an alley on the other side of the city. With all these tourists trying to see that goblin, I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll find the culprit. Are you assisting us?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Vondaire took a long drink, finishing off the glass. He handed it to the hero. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother. You¡¯re right. You won¡¯t find the one responsible.¡±


    Vondaire vanished in a puff of smoke. The teleport only brought him to the end of the street, but combined with invisibility, it truly did look like he completely vanished. The hero looked around, then ran to another Magna Regum hero, already gossiping about Vondaire.


    While in the Unity Force, there had been rumors of hero company spies. Legends is perhaps the better word. Nobody was ever able to verify, as any military sent into the field with the purpose of spying seemed to die.


    Did that stop the militaries?


    No. They just found new heroes.


    If it was true, which all evidence points to the spies existing, why send them when the tourists are already swarming the city looking for Owin? What is there to gain? Are they spies or are they assassins? Do they want to report his movements or do they want to know how powerful he¡¯s grown?


    Too many variables.


    While in the Unity Force, he only worked as a portal guard or in Taralim¡¯s squad, which was primarily for arresting dangerous individuals, or killing them if they resisted. Taralim loved when they resisted.


    Legends of the hero company spies that somehow continually beat the militaries were only ever fringe stories. Taralim would never bother with rumors.


    Vondaire still had plenty of time. How long would it take to find these legendary spies?


    ***


    Nothing Owin had seen was quite the size of Katalin¡¯s pipebomb explosion outside Ligala Lepis. Even still, Shade¡¯s grenades had launched Owin through the doorway, back against the brick wall by the herengo corpses.


    Hitting his back and head on the wall took a small chunk of health away, enough that he reached for a potion as soon as the water calmed. It cleared his headache before it could even fully start.


    Myrsvai was on the ground nearby, covered in burns. His face was scrunched as he sat upright, wincing with each little movement. ¡°That damn skeleton.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Myrsvai tried to reach over his back into his backpack, but his one arm was mostly helping him stay upright.


    ¡°Here.¡± Owin grabbed a health potion and carried it over.


    Myrsvai took the red potion and drank it immediately. ¡°Do you see my staff?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin looked around the small room. Unless it somehow ended up around the curve, it wasn¡¯t nearby. That meant it was still in the fountain room. Owin adjusted his bag and turned to the door, but before he could step, a purple spell smashed into his chest. Owin felt himself flip as four more arcane spells struck him ,one after the other.


    Mrysvai rolled out of the doorway and used the wall to help him stand. ¡°I can¡¯t cast spells without that staff.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Owin said through clenched teeth. Even with the armor, each spell felt like a hammer blow. Bruises were already forming, making each movement ache.


    A cetanthro wizard was two rooms away. Too far to Examine, but not too far for its spells. Violet energy swirled around its staff.


    Owin pressed himself against the wall on the opposite side of the door from Myrsvai.


    ¡°Your armor is cracked.¡±


    Owin looked down. His breastplate looked like it was seconds from shattering. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do this? You¡¯re fast, but not fast enough to avoid arcane spells.¡± Myrsvai tried to peek around the doorway but another spell flew through the opening.


    ¡°Did you see your staff?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. This boss and the ones beyond are going to be a real challenge now. We had it easy on the first floors. Sprinting in will only get you hurt, if not killed.¡±


    ¡°I can send Shade in as bait again.¡±


    ¡°Arcane Barrage will seek a new target when Shade vanishes. Your bait wouldn¡¯t last long enough to get close.¡±


    He always had the option of his own spells and his wands, but a real wizard could use the spells faster and with more power than Owin ever could. Even if he shot his own Arcane Blast at the wizard, it would have enough time to hide behind the wall or block the attack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other ideas. None of my spells are going to hit and I don¡¯t want to waste my wands.¡±


    Myrsvai furrowed his brow. ¡°What if . . . What if you send Shade inside, attack with your wand, and run? Shade will give you an opening to attack, and your attack should keep Shade alive long enough for you to get to the other side of the room. I¡¯ll search for my staff, which might make me bait as well. If I find it, I¡¯ll summon Suta immediately to assist with the boss.¡±


    Owin pulled the journeyman wand from his belt. He checked to make sure it was the one with Arcane Blast. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like a great plan.¡±


    ¡°You said you had no ideas.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t. That doesn¡¯t make this a good plan.¡±


    Summon the Withered ShadeStolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Shade poofed into existence and immediately flattened himself against the wall beside Owin. ¡°I made a mistake, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Owin nodded without looking at the skeleton.


    ¡°Well, how can I apologize?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to sprint at the boss. Go to the left side of the room as you run in. I¡¯ll try to stop him from killing you.¡± Owin held up the wand. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°You had decided that Shade would be a fitting name when it should really be Bait.¡± Shade adjusted the scarf around his neck. ¡°Fine. I guess I can be ready. I just run? What if I reach the boss?¡±


    ¡°Punch it.¡±


    Shade made fists. ¡°Understood, Commander! Off with his head and all that!¡± He sprinted around Owin and went straight through the doorway without hesitation. At times like this, immortality seemed nice, though Owin still didn¡¯t really understand the skeleton.


    As soon as Shade was through the doorway, Owin turned the corner and launched an Arcane Blast over the fountain at the opposite door. A barrage already flew from the boss, zipping through the water toward Shade.


    Myrsvai also fully committed, nearly tripping over Owin as they both stepped through the door.


    There was no time to protest or wait. Owin leapt over the small table that had held the cetanthro¡¯s tea and landed near the far right wall.


    The first part of the barrage hit Shade, fully destroying the skeleton in a single hit. The rest of the violet spell turned to Myrsvai, who was the next closest. The magus was bent over, reaching for his staff as the first of the spell hit his ribs, right under his arm. He hit the wall as the spell battered him.


    With the opening, Owin finished crossing the room and jumped with all his strength through the doorway. He crashed into the cetanthro, knocking them both to the ground. Owin rolled, sliding his knife out in one quick move.


    The cetanthro was sluggish in its movements, even if its spells were incredibly fast. By the time it raised its staff again, Owin had managed to slash its throat and drive the lich bone through the skull.


    Wizards were strong, until he got close.


    He stared at the corpse for a moment, before his attention snapped back. ¡°Myrsvai?¡±


    ¡°Alive.¡± The magus had his staff and was standing, though his leather chestpiece had a hole on the right side. The skin was burnt and twisted from the arcane spells.


    ¡°I can give you¡ª¡±


    Myrsvai smashed his staff down, summoning Suta in a burst of abyssal flames. The familiar didn¡¯t even wait a second before gesturing for Myrsvai to crouch. Suta pulled a health potion from the magus¡¯s bag and shoved it into his hands.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Myrsvai said after drinking the potion. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lose you for the rest of the floor.¡±


    Suta chittered and grumbled.


    ¡°Owin didn¡¯t want to use me as bait. That was Shade¡¯s job.¡± Myrsvai used his staff to gesture to the cloud of gray dust. ¡°He tried.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade poofed into existence beside Owin. The skeleton crossed his arms and tapped his foot. ¡°Are we going to wait all day for you two?¡±


    Suta crossed the room and tackled Shade so quickly that Owin hardly had time to step back. Suta tore the skeleton¡¯s head off and punted it into the wall, causing it to poof into dust.


    Owin sighed.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Okay, take your time.¡± Shade put his hands up. ¡°Do whatever you want, I guess.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s angry,¡± Owin said.


    Suta nodded and put his hands up to fight.


    Shade tried holding his arms higher, but they were already fully outstretched. ¡°Leave my head attached! I need it for talking!¡±


    Suta moved, causing Shade to flinch.


    ¡°Be nice,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. We can find new armor. We all know I needed some.¡±


    Owin gave him a look.


    ¡°Yes, Owin. I know you¡¯ve been telling me that.¡±


    The wizard¡¯s room was decorated with some cathkabel statues and mosaics. Nothing was damaged in Shade¡¯s explosion, which was odd compared to other buildings he had seen. When looking back in the fountain room, Owin realized the tables were still there, as were the mugs. The explosion had shifted the water and launched him and Myrsvai, but it didn¡¯t touch the furniture, the fountain, or the walls and doors.


    A chest was nestled in the corner, behind a pedestal holding a statue of what looked like a cathkabel priest, though Owin could be wrong. It was difficult to tell since the cathkabel all had such similar appearances. The statue had wings that were spread wide. From what he had seen, even Graliel as a deacon had wings less than half that size and some unnamed cathkabel in the fortress hardly had wings at all.


    Owin opened the chest and pulled an orange potion out.


    ¡°That¡¯s all yours,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Strength buff? For this weakling?¡± Shade reached down and nudged Owin. ¡°Get it? Weakling?¡±


    Artisan Strength Buff


    +30 Strength


    Duration: ???


    Owin took the cork out. ¡°If you ever want to keep a buff to use for yourself, you can.¡±


    ¡°It would never be as helpful for me to have a temporary boost as it would be for you to have a permanent one. Even if I find buffs on the isolated floors, I will be collecting them to give you after.¡±


    Owin opened his mouth.


    ¡°No argue,¡± Suta said quickly.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The salty strength buff made him shiver.


    Strength +30


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 416


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 275*


    Intelligence: 275


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    He shook his arms out. He never actually felt stronger, faster, or smarter after a buff. It wasn¡¯t until it counted that the differences were noticeable.


    But he crossed 400 for strength. That had to mean something.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Before he could keep talking, his breastplate fell apart. Chunks of chitin drifted into the water, leaving only a thin pale layer where the armor had been.


    ¡°Ew.¡± Shade poked it. ¡°It¡¯s almost squishy.¡±


    ¡°It said my armor can molt.¡± Owin poked the breastplate. It did feel almost squishy. ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°Many shelled animals molt to help them grow. They then regrow a new shell.¡± Myrsvai looked all over Owin, checking the different pieces of chitin armor. ¡°I suppose armor made from crabs could do the same. It should regrow, though the speed will likely be different than an actual crab.¡±


    ¡°I would recommend not getting hit in the chest until it grows back,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s helpful.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not you¡¯re sarcastic, I will always accept gratitude when it is passed to me. You can never have too much. Even when every person in the world lines up to thank me, I will still be humble.¡±


    Owin stared at the skeleton for a minute. Was it helpful to say anything? Or to insult him?


    Suta opened the next door, which led back outside. It was dark without any lamps on the outside of the building. A few hundred feet away was the next structure, which was also sitting within a boundary wall.


    ¡°Are you ready to keep moving?¡± Owin asked.


    Myrsvai nodded.


    A series of explosions rumbled nearby.


    ¡°Whoever is being attacked hasn¡¯t moved,¡± Myrsvai said. He pushed past Shade and Suta to stand outside. Owin slipped past and looked up.


    What looked like a long ramp spiraled all the way around the seamount, leading to the top where Owin could still spot the silhouettes of a few distant cetanthro.


    Another explosion rumbled, sending a flash of light from past the bend of the seamount, somewhere midway up the ramp.


    ¡°How are they still alive?¡± Owin knew there was no way Myrsvai had an answer, but he had to wonder. If he had been the one being bombed for so long, he couldn¡¯t imagine surviving.


    ¡°There is one way we can find out.¡± Myrsvai strode through the opening. About three steps into his walk, a grenade hit the ground nearby. Suta sprinted past and tackled Myrsvai, who had been uninjured from the explosion.


    Owin backed into the doorway, knocking Shade over. ¡°That was from above!¡±


    More cetanthro had gathered high above. With how dark it was so far beneath the surface of the ocean, the fish were difficult to see, and any grenades dropped were impossible to notice.


    ¡°Send me out!¡± Shade jumped over Owin, fell, and rolled. He looked up. ¡°Oh, that is so many grenades.¡± He scrambled back inside and pressed himself against the wall.


    ¡°Run!¡± Owin yelled.


    Suta grabbed Myrsvai¡¯s arm and pointed at Owin. Before they could move, a grenade hit the ground a few feet ahead of Owin, causing him to stumble back. A shard of stone hit his chest, cutting through the soft breastplate and lodging itself in his muscle. Owin winced.


    ¡°Go for the next building,¡± he shouted.


    Suta pulled Myrsvai toward the next door as more and more grenades hit. Within seconds, the space between buildings was lit like daytime.


    ¡°Abyssal Armor!¡± Magenta armor formed around Myrsvai as shrapnel and broken stones flew across the opening.


    Shade pulled Owin backward as more grenades landed nearby and sent shrapnel flying through the doorway. ¡°You need to take that out and heal immediately.¡± Shade grabbed a health potion from Owin¡¯s bag and shoved it into his hands.


    ¡°But Myrsvai and Suta.¡±


    ¡°You dying from a stone near your heart doesn¡¯t help them.¡±


    Owin actually looked down at the piece of stone. He had just ignored it before, but it was fully impaled in his muscle.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he whispered. Dizziness hit and caused him to stumble.


    Health 61/310


    Shade let him fall to the floor, then sat on Owin¡¯s stomach. The skeleton made sure Owin had a good grip on the potion with his right hand. ¡°As soon as I pull it out, you drink that.¡±


    ¡°I still have health,¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°For now.¡±


    Health 60/310


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking and get ready,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Pour it on.¡± Owin mimicked pouring the potion as he almost dumped it on the floor.


    Grenades continued exploding outside.


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°T-the stab,¡± Owin said. His brain felt fuzzy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how health potions work!¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Owin said weakly. He clenched his jaw and shoved the potion at Shade.


    The skeleton sighed. ¡°Fine. If you die and I end up in purgatory again, I will be pissed.¡± The skeleton wrapped his hand around the stone jutting from Owin¡¯s chest. ¡°Stay alive or I will find a way to haunt you. Well, I might already be doing that, but I will keep doing it. I¡¯ll haunt you more.¡± The skeleton ripped the stone free.


    Health 15/310


    Owin blacked out.

 Book 3 - Chapter 30

    Owin groaned. It was all he could really do. Shade sat nearby, leaning casually against the wall. If the skeleton had been worried about Owin, he wasn¡¯t showing it now.


    ¡°Are you finally awake?¡±


    ¡°How long was I gone?¡± Owin stared straight up at the ceiling. He could move if he had to, but the pain was far from gone.


    ¡°Odd way to phrase that, but I understand the question. Probably almost half an hour. For someone who doesn¡¯t sleep, you sure slept.¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai and Suta?¡± Owin sat up slowly and rubbed his chest. The breastplate had some firmness to hit, though it hadn¡¯t grown all the way back.


    Shade shrugged. ¡°If they¡¯re alive, they¡¯re in the next building.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the next building.¡± Owin stood and squinted. He felt like he might fall right over again.


    Shade scrambled to his feet and grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°People don¡¯t taste death and just hop to their feet and start walking again.¡±


    ¡°Taste death? I had fifteen health left,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Maybe when you passed out, but I used a few health potions as your health started to drop. To be honest, I think I used too many.¡± Shade kept one hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder while he bent and grabbed the bag from the floor. ¡°Is five enough to get you through the rest of the floors?¡±


    ¡°Only five?¡±


    ¡°I used way too many.¡± Shade put the bag over Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± His head was still fuzzy. He pressed his hand against the breastplate, right over the wound. It was still tender. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Too many is better than not enough. Right? I just feel like a little confirmation that you aren''t angry would do us all some good.¡±


    Was he angry? Was there anything to be angry about?


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shade took a step back. ¡°Are you going to rip my head off? I thought that was only Suta. What if we made a deal where I kept my head and . . . and you didn¡¯t have to resummon me? Fair deal, right? A great deal. Best deal I¡¯ve ever made.¡±


    ¡°You talk a lot.¡±


    Shade tapped the side of his head. ¡°There¡¯s no brain up here to contain the thoughts. They fall out.¡±


    ¡°You saved me.¡±


    Shade nodded.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The skeleton took a big step forward and grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Stop looking so confused. Your brain is clearly functioning better than mine.¡± His eyes got bigger. ¡°Do you see one in there?¡± He stuck his finger right through his empty eye socket. ¡°Nothing. Gone. How do I talk without lips or a tongue? So many mysteries, and you are still staring at me like you aren¡¯t sure if I¡¯m real or not.¡±


    Pressure on his chest wound caused Owin to wince as the chitin breastplate formed a layer and compressed slightly. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have hurt. He might not have even realized it was happening.


    Shade flicked the breastplate. ¡°It¡¯ll be solid before you know it.¡±


    Owin escaped Shade¡¯s grip and pressed his face to a nearby window. From the perspective, he couldn''t see the top of the seamount or if there were still grenadiers above.


    ¡°Do you think they still have grenades?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been about a half hour, so if they ran out, they will probably have more on respawn, right? Do boxes of explosives respawn?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Owin¡¯s lich bone knife was immediately in his hand. He creeped toward the center of the room. ¡°A half hour.¡± His head wasn¡¯t clear and the pain radiated from the wound, even if it had been healed, but nothing was going to cause him to miss the opportunity.


    The wizard boss respawned three feet in front of Owin. The cetanthro turned, eyes wide, as the knife slashed through its thighs. An Arcane Barrage flew wildly toward the ceiling before curving and pummeling Shade into dust while Owin drove the knife through the boss¡¯s heart. He ripped the blade out to ensure the boss collapsed in a dead heap.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Sorry, I was trying to kill it before it got you,¡± Owin said.


    Shade waved his hand through the gray dust. ¡°I haven¡¯t a single concern on the matter, Owin. That was a swift kill. Or, I assume it was, as I was beaten to death.¡±


    Owin shook the body, following Suta¡¯s strategy, and found a handful of coins and a mana potion. He shoved it all into his bag, which now felt empty with so many health potions missing.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t beaten to death. You got hit by a spell and got summoned back right away. That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°And what would you know about it?¡±


    ¡°I summoned you.¡±


    Shade strode over to the door, yawned, and leaned against it. ¡°That you did. Summoned into this wet nightmare of a dungeon. Can you imagine having wet socks for hours? Or days? I mean, days for you. Look how fast we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°What are socks?¡±


    Shade cocked his head. ¡°Alright.¡± He opened the door and gestured into the dark. ¡°I have no further comments. Would you like to rejoin Myrsvai and Suta so you can ask them stupid questions instead?¡±


    ¡°What was stupid about that question?¡± Owin whispered.


    Shade dramatically placed a cupped hand at the side of his head. ¡°You will need to speak up. I have this condition called ¡®I have no skin and therefore no ears to hear properly.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Then how do you normally hear me?¡± Owin stopped at the threshold and stared at the building across. It wasn¡¯t that far, but as soon as grenades started falling, it was the most dangerous stretch of dungeon he had experienced. A few hundred feet of explosions.


    ¡°Stop asking me questions that I don¡¯t want to or intend to answer. If you have a question along the lines of ¡®Oh, Shade, why are you so handsome, kind, and intelligent?¡¯ then I will be happy to give you a lengthy explanation on the matter. But socks? Hearing? Human anatomy? Goblin anatomy?¡±


    What would Suta and Myrsvai be doing a half hour later? Were they safe?


    ¡°I¡¯ll resummon you when I get across.¡±


    Shade patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°See you there.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    He poofed into a cloud of gray dust.


    It wasn¡¯t that far. If he sprinted fast enough, he would be across and gone before the grenades even hit the ground.


    It was only dangerous because they were moving slowly before. Waiting wasn¡¯t going to help.


    Owin bolted through the door, launching himself as fast as he could toward the lava brazier hanging outside the next building. A quick upward glance confirmed cetanthro were still high above as little silhouettes that stood out from the bright, distant surface.


    He crashed into the wall, bounced off, opened the door, and slammed it shut behind him. A second later, the first grenade hit the ground outside. For the next ten seconds, all he could hear was the constant rumble of explosions, followed by shrapnel pinging off the bricks and door.


    A sigh of relief brought a sense of calmness, finally letting some of the pain in his chest fade. Owin checked his bag and his belt, then turned and saw four cetanthro watching him. They were each in a personal tub that somehow had steam rising only from the water inside the tub.


    ¡°Myrsvai? Suta?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The fish looked at each other.


    ¡°Anyone?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Are those baths?¡± Shade looked back and forth quickly. ¡°A bathhouse under water? I don¡¯t remember this. What kind of nonsense is this?¡±


    ¡°What do you remember?¡±


    Shade pointed to Owin and stalked toward the cetanthro. ¡°What about you, gentlemen? Did you see a man with one arm and his pet insect walk through?¡±


    The fish looked back and forth again.


    ¡°Can you talk?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the closest cetanthro said. ¡°Can you?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    Shade stepped into the bath beside the cetanthro and gently pushed the fish aside. Each bath was clearly meant for a single person, and the fish¡¯s response of punching Shade in the face seemed reasonable, but even that didn¡¯t stop the skeleton.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cozy. What is it? Lava running beneath? Magma? Molten rock? A touch of elemental magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s magma,¡± the fish said.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said.¡± Shade put his arm around the fish and pulled it closer.


    Three of the four cetanthro were grenadier fish with small heads and bulbous eyes, while the other two were phyraena with long noses and sharp teeth. The phyraena seemed far more annoyed than the grenadiers who just shied away when Owin looked at them.


    ¡°Would you like to be friends?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the fish said, trying to pull away.


    Shade was incredibly weak. Why was the fish struggling?


    ¡°Oh, what a shame.¡± Shade used his free hand to lift the end of his scarf. ¡°I got my scarf wet.¡±


    ¡°Everything is wet, Shade.¡± Owin opened his index and used Examine on the grenadier cetanthro.


    Ocean Mob


    Grenadier Cetanthro


    Level 10


    ¡°He¡¯s only level 10,¡± Owin said. A quick scan of the room showed all grenadier fish were low levels with the phyraena in the early twenties. That still left every mob in the room below the floor¡¯s normal level. They deserved to be on the second or third floor.


    ¡°Do you think Suta took a bath?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to take baths. We¡¯re already soaked.¡±


    ¡°But do you think he would try? He seems like the type to try anyway.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Suta takes baths.¡±


    ¡°Is that why he smells?¡± Shade patted the cetanthro on the head and climbed out of the bath. He paused, pointed at Owin, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare ask how I smell.¡±


    ¡°You can smell?¡±


    ¡°Better than most.¡± Shade finished standing up and adjusted his scarf. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m lying to you, but I don¡¯t intend to stop.¡±


    Owin finished his search of the room. The whole bathhouse was just a single room of five circular baths. There were some decorations that looked valuable on pedestals near the wall, but he was more focused on the door leading to the next area. ¡°You¡¯re distracting me.¡±


    ¡°Rather spectacularly, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You think Myrsvai and Suta are dead.¡±


    ¡°Well, when the evidence presents itself, I tend to accept it.¡± Shade crouched beside the central bath and stuck his hand into the steam. ¡°This one is warmer.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re alive,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shade patted the grenadier on the head then stood back up. ¡°So, Master . . . what is our plan? Search for the missing magus?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How do we know they didn¡¯t continue to the next floor?¡±


    A rapid series of explosions sounded above.


    ¡°Because Myrsvai would go to help other heroes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you self-righteous morons. Most people aren¡¯t worth saving. Look at me. I was a mess then and I¡¯m a disaster now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to help.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Shade walked over and flung the door open. ¡°Then let us continue into the wet, dark abyss.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°Not the capital A Abyss. Lower case, like you know, a hole. A pit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡± Owin walked through the door and kept an eye on the top of the seamount above. There were a few silhouettes that seemed to be looking over them. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t love running? Skeletons sure love running. Let us run.¡±


    When Owin didn¡¯t respond, Shade groaned.


    Two hovels like the one holding the stairs were off to the left, with the farthest sitting near the corner where the boundary walls met. To the right was a long, narrow building with a tower in the back. The ramp circling the seamount looked like it started at the top of the tower.


    An explosion went off on the ramp above them, sending a flash into the dark water.


    ¡°We¡¯re skipping the hovels. Go for that building.¡± Owin pointed to the long one.


    ¡°Got it. Following you.¡±


    Owin sprinted. Before long, grenades exploded behind him. If he had been slower, they absolutely would have hit him. A few shards of shrapnel bounced off his armor, with a few sticking into the sinew that filled the space between the chitin. The sinew was strong enough to stop the shrapnel, allowing Owin to press himself against the edge of the building, under an overhang.


    A few more bombs went off near the bathhouse where Shade was still standing. The skeleton was missing a leg and simply waved when he noticed Owin looking.


    ¡°Stupid skeleton,¡± Owin muttered.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade pressed himself against the building. ¡°What a run.¡±


    ¡°You were never going to run, were you?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. Look how fast I got here.¡±


    Owin sidled toward the door. There were going to be mobs inside protecting the stairs up to the ramp. There were always some enemies protecting narrow passages, whether it was the snail on the first floor or the swarm on the third.


    ¡°Go in first.¡± Owin moved to the other side of the door. ¡°I¡¯ll open it for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I can do that. If you find that helpful, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Shade opened the door, waved, and lost his head to another Arcane Blast.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°They have a wizard.¡± He squealed and ducked as another spell flew over his head. ¡°Why did you summon me right in front of the door?¡±


    ¡°Run inside and distract them!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s three enemies! Who am I distracting?¡± He jumped into the air, hoping right over another violet spell.


    ¡°The one attacking you!¡±


    Shade dove into the room, narrowly avoiding another spell. He rolled awkwardly and lost his arm to an attack. With a quick gasp, more in anger than anything else, he was back on his feet and running with his single arm flailing wildly.


    Two itajara flanked the wizard. Each one held an old, barnacle-encrusted mace. They watched Shade scream and run, but didn¡¯t chase.


    Owin pointed his wand and cast Ice Bolt, sending a chunk of ice spinning through the water until it smacked the wizard in the face. It tore part of the fish¡¯s gills and spilled blood into the water, clouding the wizard¡¯s vision.


    Both itajara shifted and moved toward Owin.


    ¡°No, over here! Look at me!¡± Shade jumped up and down. An Arcane Blast flew from the cloud of blood and hit the skeleton¡¯s breastbone, causing him to explode into gray dust.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin whispered with the wand in one hand and the lich bone knife in the other. Ice Aura formed as a visible spinning circle around him.


    The wizard moved his staff aside, pushing the cloud of blood out of his face. He cast Arcane Blast, sending it right between the advancing itajara. Owin twisted and lifted his shoulder, letting the spell bounce off his pauldron. The blow was solid enough that he staggered a half step. Too many of those and the chitin would crack.


    He would need to start dodging again.


    As the itajara advanced, they closed off the wizard¡¯s opening. Both huge fish slammed their maces down in sync, allowing Owin plenty of time to dive to the side and hop onto their shoulders. He stabbed with the lich bone, driving the thin knife right into the top of the fish¡¯s skull. It wobbled, but didn¡¯t drop before an Arcane Blast filled Owin¡¯s view.


    Everything was violet. He felt the impact on his forehead, right on the chitin helmet.


    Right after, he felt the impact of the ground with his back.


    The living itajara shoved its dead counterpart aside. The lich bone knife remained in its skull as the mob fell to the ground.


    ¡°Finish it,¡± the wizard said.


    Owin rolled backward and landed on his feet. The itajara grinned as much as a fish could grin on its wide face.


    ¡°Are you out of mana?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak to me.¡±


    He was out of mana. Owin had been there enough times to understand.


    Now, how could he take out a huge berserker fish without a weapon? He could try to slip past to get the knife and finish both itajara the same way, but that would take extra time, and any extra time allowed the wizard to recharge some mana.


    Both mobs were weaker than Owin, but he had five floors left. He couldn¡¯t afford to take hits that could cause any serious injuries.


    Owin looked at the wand in his hand. Long ago, he had used a wand against Naxile. Owin looked up at the itajara. Fish eyes were big. He jumped in close as the itajara swung the huge mace.


    Owin ended up pressed against the cetanthro¡¯s belly. He leapt back and immediately lunged at the itajara¡¯s face. Before it could lift the mace and attack again, Owin stabbed the wand into its eye and cast Ice Bolt.


    The back of its head exploded out as the ice ball flew through the water a few feet before losing momentum.


    0 Experience


    Owin pulled the wand out and jumped down as the fish collapsed. He tore the knife out as he advanced on the wizard.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the fish said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I will¡ª¡± Violet light flared on the staff.


    Owin pushed off the ground hard enough to shatter the wooden floor. He ripped the lich bone through the wizard¡¯s face, from one end to the other, without losing any momentum. He landed with a cloud of viscera floating in the water behind him.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade grabbed the wizard¡¯s eye, which floated near his face. He tried to fit it in his own eye socket, but it was too small and slipped into his empty skull. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to go up the stairs?¡± Owin opened the next door, which held a spiral staircase. It was a steep set of stone stairs without a railing anywhere.


    ¡°I wish this staircase brought us to the surface. But, yes. I am ready.¡±


    Another explosion went off above.


    ¡°As ready as I can be. I would love to not explode again on this floor.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re going to explode again.¡± Owin started up the stairs. ¡°Just try to dodge faster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you dodge? I thought I was supposed to let the enemies hit me. You¡¯re so smart, Master. What would I do without you?¡±


    ¡°Sit in a box.¡±


    Shade grumbled as he followed up the staircase.

 Book 3 - Chapter 31

    Familiars were common enough in most cities of Verdantallis. They became more common when one found the familiar houses and factories hidden on the fringes of major cities. Anytime heroes gathered, familiars were also bound to appear. Whether they were the pet-like mender familiars or the intelligent mob-like familiars of magi and wizards, heroes liked to show off their friends.


    Searching for a wizard¡¯s familiar meant looking for the oddest of the bunch. Wizard¡¯s weren¡¯t tied to any elemental or demonic appearances like a magus, meaning the freaks often made more freaks.


    Potilia had confirmed the long armed familiar was Natholdros¡¯s as soon as she spotted the odd creature walking down the street. Its arms were twice the length they should be and dragged on the ground when it walked. If it stood on a chair, its hands would still touch the ground. The familiar had a box for a head with the top perfectly flat. Whatever mobs he had used to create the abomination weren¡¯t obvious from an initial glance.


    It took effort to create such an ugly creature.


    ¡°I had a feeling you were going to cause an issue,¡± Natholdros said.


    Potilia swore in her head. Multiple times. Lots of swearing. She turned slowly while tightening her grip on the kanabo.


    ¡°She used Examine,¡± the familiar said. It waddled over, dragging its arms.


    They were in the middle of the street. Any action on either side would raise alarms, and the last thing anyone wanted was Magna Regum getting involved.


    ¡°You were sent to stop the spies?¡± Natholdros asked.


    Potilia nodded. She didn¡¯t need to stutter or shout and draw more attention from passersby.


    ¡°There is a place up the street.¡± Natholdros took a step closer. He didn¡¯t move all that differently from his familiar, but his arms were much shorter. His wand was in his hand. ¡°A place with less eyes.¡±


    She nodded again.


    The old wizard led her down the sidewalk, not worried about having a berserker at his back. They both knew any violence would make it worse for the victor. As much as she would love to bash him over the head while he wasn¡¯t looking, she would wait until they had an opening.


    The place Natholdros had mentioned was a few blocks away, and the silent trek was as awkward as Potilia had expected. A tall series of buildings covered in old plaster formed a compound beside an expanse of ruins.


    ¡°A familiar home?¡± Potilia asked quietly.


    ¡°It is. Depressing places.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Potilia said to the familiar.


    ¡°He won¡¯t end up there.¡±


    The familiar nodded its square head.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Potilia lifted the kanabo.


    ¡°Were you raised in the sewers? No conversation? No civility?¡± Natholdros didn¡¯t bother raising his wand. ¡°I expected more from someone as infamous as you.¡±


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know who I am!¡±


    ¡°No, but I have heard of the mysterious, somewhat legendary, spy assassin. It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It was probably Caspius or Sylmare, but revealing their identities would only cause more problems for Potilia. No answer was the best answer. Right? She fought to keep a glare.


    Natholdros raised an eyebrow. ¡°You are an odd person.¡±


    ¡°Can we fight?¡±


    ¡°I only wish to learn about the goblin. There is no need to fight.¡±


    ¡°The Unity Force wants to kill Owin!¡±


    Natholdros shushed her. ¡°No need to yell.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be alive!¡±


    A snort of laughter behind made Potilia jump and shriek.


    Sylmare was sitting atop a pile of ruined bricks. She was relaxed, sitting with her legs crossed and her staff lying across her lap. ¡°Is that the best comeback you have, Potilia?¡±


    Potilia scowled.


    ¡°A friend?¡± Natholdros¡¯s index appeared before his eyes. ¡°Void Nexus . . . Another spy?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°I know my time is up,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°Finish the job.¡± Sylmare gestured. ¡°Wizard or familiar first?¡±


    Wizard, obviously. But saying it out loud would only put Natholdros more on guard. Although, a smart fighter would already be on guard.


    What would she need to kill a wizard? Getting close should be enough, but what kind of wizard was he? And what kind of familiar was the ugly little thing?


    Bull Rush brought her face to face with Natholdros, just in time to catch a fist from the familiar. She stumbled and missed her swing. The kanabo smashed the bricks, pulverizing them into dust.


    Bolts of electricity erupted from Natholdros. When three hit Potilia simultaneously, she was launched across the ruins. Each of the solid three bounces off the rubble felt like hammer blows to her ribs. She skidded and rolled to her feet on the opposite end of the ruins from Sylmare who watched with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Stormcaller¡¯s Fury,¡± Potilia said.


    Natholdros turned. His eyes shone blue as electricity still raged around him. The familiar stood at his side with its own storm aura.


    Stormcaller¡¯s Fury was one Potilia had read about plenty of times, but rarely saw. It was more like a berserker¡¯s aura abilities than it was a normal wizard spell. While it was active, Natholdros would be faster and she would be bombarded by bolts if he got close.


    Unfortunately, fighting a wizard at range was about the worst thing she could do. Especially against an electric wizard.


    The familiar pointed its long arm at Potilia and launched Lightning, which she was far from fast enough to dodge. The bolt hit her directly in the chest, launching her back into the half wall behind her.


    Bricks tumbled as she went straight through the ruined wall and hit the dirt in the space between ruins and the familiar home. Dust hung in the air as she groaned and stood.


    She couldn¡¯t get close to the wizard, and if she stayed at range, she was dead. A few ribs had broken, and a deep breath did a great job confirming that.


    ¡°Damn wizards,¡± she muttered as she climbed the foundation back onto the ruins.


    ¡°You are more resilient than you look,¡± Natholdros called.


    Sylmare hadn¡¯t moved an inch. The Void Nexus hero didn¡¯t even bother to change her expression. Wry amusement.


    Could Potilia pull out her stronger techniques? Yes.


    Did she want to? No.


    For a number of reasons, really. Nobody liked how they looked when using transformations. Hideous, hairy, and horrible. And, more accurately, she would need transformations when fighting Sylmare or Caspius, and the cooldown would waste her strongest abilities on an old wizard and his ugly assistant.


    All she had to do was take the range away from him and find a way to get through the storm aura. If she ruined his focus, he would lose the spell. All he had to do for now was focus and allow his familiar to launch the attacks. A solid blow to the forehead would disrupt any spell.


    ¡°What is it going to be, Po?¡± Sylmare called.


    Lightning relied on a direct path to the target, otherwise it could easily be diverted. That was the weakness of the spell compared to something weaker like Bolt that would always fly in a straight line.


    Ruins had dust that could easily be stirred up. There was already a thick cloud hanging in the air behind her from the wall she had fallen through. It was easy enough. Well, no. But she would make it work.


    Potilia hadn¡¯t focused nearly as much on weapon abilities as other berserkers she knew or had read about. Most were body and weapon focused with maybe one aura to help control the battlefield.


    She had eight auras, and planned to choose more as she continued to level up.


    Battlefield Quake was a nightmare to use when fighting alongside someone, but in a solo fight, or one where she was outnumbered, it had its benefits.


    Her foot immediately felt heavy. Lifting it strained her thigh, but upon stomping down, the entire foundation of the ruins shuddered and cracked. The layer of dust and debris all across the ruins lifted into the air as the ground shook.


    As soon as the aura was released, her foot was as light as ever. Potilia bolted straight for the wizard, who was a beacon in the dust as blue lightning continued to flash all around him.


    The familiar launched another Lightning, but it hit something in the air and bounced to the side. The creature quickly used Bolt but such a weak spell couldn¡¯t stop a charging berserker. It hit Potilia¡¯s arm, tearing her jacket and ripping through some skin.


    She activated Revenge and immediately felt a surge of energy. With the hits she had taken, her next swing would be strong enough to cleave the wizard in half. Unfortunately, one couldn¡¯t heal while Revenge was activated. Fortunately, she had no plans to heal. Not until she was ready to fight Sylmare.


    Battlefield Quake continued rumbling, causing the ruins to shift and collapse, but only the initial quake was strong enough to keep dust in the air. As it quickly settled, Potilia lifted the kanabo and activated Tectonic Impact.


    A straight charge to Natholdros would give him an easy counterattack. One more distraction, one more disruption to his view, and she would be ready to kill him.


    Tectonic Impact¡¯s strength was entirely dependent on the strength of the swing. With Revenge running through her body, her swing couldn¡¯t be anything but immensely powerful.


    She smashed the kanabo against the ground, completely shattering the entire foundation. She fell a foot as everything nearby was pulverized into dust. The ruins had been over a hundred feet long of partially standing walls and piles of bricks, and within a second, all of it was dust.


    Spells flew wildly from the familiar.


    Natholdros was too stupid or too confident to stop using Stormcaller¡¯s Fury. He was only using it to stop her from getting close, which was a waste of its benefits.


    And Potilia was way too stupid to avoid the lightning. What was it going to do? Shock her?


    Each point of damage she took only made Revenge that much more deadly.


    She appeared out of the dust, right into the lightning aura. Electricity coursed through her veins, sending explosions of pain. Potilia gritted her teeth and swung the kanabo sideways, smashing the metal spikes into Natholdros¡¯s ribs.


    All of her power went into the swing, powered by Revenge and her anger, fury, and other synonyms for the same emotions that clouded her brain. She let out a roar as the kanabo completely pulverized Natholdros¡¯s chest. Her swing carried through where his heart and lungs had once been and smashed against the familiar¡¯s box head. The blow launched the familiar through the dust, sending its corpse vanishing somewhere into the city.


    Hopefully somewhere not populated.


    Stormcaller¡¯s Fury vanished immediately, leaving Potilia splattered with blood, standing in a silent dust cloud. Her breathing was labored as she forced the kanabo into the ground to help balance.


    Revenge shut off, flooding her with even more pain than before. She reached back for the one health potion she had and . . . it was broken. After bouncing off the ground a few times and breaking through a wall, she guessed it would make sense.


    That put her in a rough spot for the next fight. The inevitable next fight.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    She walked away from Natholdros¡¯s corpse and sat down. Both halves leaked blood, which the dust hungrily absorbed.


    Sylmare sat nearby. ¡°You¡¯re sloppy.¡±


    Potilia laid back and groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lesson.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill him, I would have.¡±


    Potilia sat up. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Veph thinks the militaries are going to use Owin as a means to start the wars. They aren¡¯t afraid of him. Not anymore, at least. They¡¯ve been waiting centuries for an excuse. The hero companies might be the only buffer from all out war.¡± Sylmare adjusted the staff in her lap. ¡°She wants military eyes off Owin.¡±


    ¡°They were going to execute him.¡±


    ¡°Taralim could¡¯ve simply killed him if he had wanted. Chorsay is strong, but you were all outnumbered. The Unity Force was only trying to arrest him while they prepared their plan, whatever that plan may be.¡±


    Potilia groaned. ¡°Izylia doesn¡¯t seem that hungry for war. Have you been spying on him that long?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was Void Nexus who caused most of this, after all.¡± Sylmare stared with a blank expression. ¡°Vekuborg has been doing some odd things as of late. I don¡¯t know more. The goblin is a unique entity in the world, and right now, everyone wants to use him. Why would entire militaries be scared of a first floor mob? You don¡¯t need a Shard Hero to defeat him. Not yet, at least.¡±


    ¡°Seems like there is a lot more to figure out. I did my job. Well, most of my job. What does Veph want with Owin?¡± Potilia slowly stood up, fighting to ignore the aches throughout most of her body. ¡°When is this going to end?¡±


    ¡°If she told me that kind of information, I wouldn¡¯t share it with you.¡± Sylmare pressed her staff into the ground and stood. ¡°Are you prepared?¡±


    ¡°I could use a health potion, but I am guessing you would rather start now?¡± Stalling would help cooldowns, but not enough to really make a difference. Tectonic Impact and Battlefield Quake would be ready to go again, but Revenge had a twenty four hour cooldown. It probably stopped berserkers from killing themselves, but in cases like this, it would have been helpful. At least she could rage.


    Sylmare raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t carry health potions.¡±


    ¡°I thought maybe you changed that after I¡ª you know.¡± Potilia shrugged.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    They both went silent as armored footsteps crunched on rubble near the street. Potilia recognized those steps. She wanted to pre roll her eyes. Sylmare flipped her staff around, preparing to fight.


    ¡°It appears I have arrived at the perfect time,¡± the man said. He stopped about thirty feet away and had his forever smirk twisting his lips. His brown, almost gray hair was blown back like a ridiculous mane, and his beard was trimmed, although stubble had already grown in on his cheeks. He wasn¡¯t even that old. He just looked old.


    Sylmare caught Potilia¡¯s eyes. For someone who didn¡¯t often show a lot of emotion, Potilia could tell Sylmare also wanted to roll her eyes.


    The man looked back and forth between them. ¡°Not even a greeting? After all we¡¯ve been through.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Caspius,¡± Potilia said.


    The damn Magna Regum spy was dressed in the most Magna Regum way possible in banded armor and a cape. Maybe in Minolitana Prima that made sense. Anywhere else, he would have stood out.


    ¡°Hello to you, Potilia.¡± He raised an eyebrow and looked to Sylmare.


    ¡°I know you heard our conversation.¡± Sylmare hadn¡¯t moved an inch.


    ¡°Egnatia has been contacted by every country in Verdantallis. I don¡¯t need to overhear your conversation to know the state of the world. As far as I am concerned, there are two possibilities. First, the goblin doesn¡¯t care about the balance of the world and continues growing. Based on the information gathered, he potentially has no upper limit and therefore could become the strongest being in the entire world. If he gathers all seven shards and wishes for something peaceful and goes about his life, perhaps that doesn¡¯t matter. But is that likely if he has gathered the vitriol of humanity or is he likely to wish for something that could have adverse effects on us?¡±


    ¡°He wants to stop conflict,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°If he becomes the strongest ever, he could stop conflict just by threatening to intervene. The wish is another issue that I am assuming is unpredictable in reality. Only the goblin knows what he would wish for.¡± Caspius rested his armored palm on the pommel of his rapier. He stood casually, as if he wasn¡¯t ready to draw the sword and stab Potilia in a million places until she couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°He has a name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Sylmare finally shifted, turning to fully face Caspius. ¡°And what¡¯s this second possibility?¡±


    ¡°The goblin¡¯s existence creates two main factions. One that supports his existence.¡± Caspius nodded toward Potilia. ¡°And one that doesn¡¯t.¡± He nodded to Sylmare.


    ¡°Leave my opinion out of this,¡± she said.


    ¡°The factions would view each action taken for or against the goblin in a different light, and conflict would soon arise. This would soon create friction across the world. Egnatia thinks this is more likely, and has suggested the countries could attempt to bar entry through their portal cities, effectively making it impossible for the goblin to access the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°She suggests that while he is already inside the Ocean.¡± Cooldowns were done. Potilia was ready to bash his skull in.


    ¡°Exactly. If the Harmony Unit wants to stop his passage through Strobukha, it could create an interesting scenario far from us.¡± Caspius¡¯s smirk grew.


    ¡°This is . . .¡± Potilia scowled. ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°A waste of time,¡± Vondaire said.


    All three spies shifted stances, prepared weapons, and turned to the umbra sitting on a stack of bricks nearby. All the rubble had been shattered in the fight against Notholdros, so where had the bricks come from and how did they get stacked so nicely?


    Vondaire pulled the cork from a bottle of wine and poured four separate glasses. He set three of them on the ground before him while he gently swirled the burgundy liquid around the fourth. He sniffed it and took a sip. ¡°A port is so distinct that one cannot help but appreciate its profile.¡±


    Caspius took a step forward with his rapier pointed directly at Vondaire¡¯s face. ¡°Who¡ª¡±


    The shard hummed as it lifted from Vondaire¡¯s right shoulder. Potilia¡¯s eyes widened as the silver shard hovered in the air. He had gone through the Ocean so fast. That was impossible.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been a challenge without the shard, and I can assure you it would be a waste of my time to prove it. Besides, a little spat might spill some of this beautiful port, and I think you could all use a moment to appreciate the situation in which we find ourselves. Indeed, I am impressed with myself. In one afternoon, after getting the shard, I was able to get some wine, a nice meal, and find the infamous hero company spy killers.¡± Vondaire let the shard drop back into his shoulder. ¡°With the familiarity in which you three speak, I assume you have decided not to slaughter each other for whatever reason, while the half of a wizard over there was not spared the same privilege. Neither were the Golden Bulls that Potilia killed and burned, or the Freedom Corps spy that you executed with that rapier.¡±


    Potilia caught Sylmare¡¯s eye. Neither of them had known of a Freedom Corps spy. Sylmare would¡¯ve said something if she knew the Brukiya military was in Minolitana Prima.


    Caspius¡¯s index covered his face. ¡°You¡¯re also a Nimble Hog?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sylmare said. ¡°He¡¯s a Unity Force soldier. Part of an elite squad.¡±


    ¡°Ah, do not underestimate the appeal of a military salary. But alas, that contract is done and I am a Nimble Hog out of necessity. You should both be aware of how welcoming Chorsay Eoghet is compared to your leaders. Would either Vephthru Veriss or Egnatia Lucan support one of their own becoming a 7 Shard Hero?¡±


    Neither answered. It was an obvious answer. Hero company leaders wanted to be the strongest in their company. Who would help someone toward all seven shards? Maybe one, but seven? Never.


    Vondaire appeared directly beside Potilia. She screamed and swung her kanabo, entirely out of instinct. The umbra grabbed the weapon and gently lowered it. He held out a glass of port until she took it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t suspect you were a killer.¡±


    ¡°T-there¡¯s a lot!¡± She shrunk back and chugged the whole glass.


    Vondaire pressed his lips together. ¡°You would be better to savor it. A lot of what?¡±


    ¡°Things you don¡¯t know,¡± she said quickly.


    ¡°I assume there is plenty I have yet to learn. As far as educating myself is concerned, I have learned quite a bit today. So, here is the situation. You two are going to leave,¡± he said, pointing at Sylmare and Caspius.


    ¡°This city is my home,¡± Caspius said.


    ¡°These ruins do not look like the home of any Magna Regum hero to me. I assume you have a residence you could return to, so as to not bother me while I await my comrades¡¯ return from the Ocean.¡± Vondaire vanished and appeared next to Sylmare with another glass of port.


    She quickly took the glass and sipped without a word. Vondaire smiled and vanished, reappearing directly in front of Caspius, so the rapier was pressed against the skin of his neck.


    ¡°Take the port, savor it on your walk back home, and do not leave until I bring Owin and Myrsvai back through the portals. If you leave your home, I will know.¡± Vondaire shoved the glass into Caspius¡¯s hand, spilling some over the rim. He vanished and reappeared on his stack of bricks.


    ¡°Egnatia will not allow you to control me.¡±


    Vondaire poured a new glass and sniffed it. ¡°Egnatia Lucan, 4 Shard Hero, leader of the Magna Regum Hero Company.¡± Vondaire sipped his port. ¡°Delicious. If a figure as important as Egnatia can bother to confront a lowly 1 Shard Hero like me, I would be delighted. I do have to inform you that she may reconsider threatening me upon learning more.¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re more powerful than a 4 Shard Hero?¡± Capsius laughed.


    Potilia caught Sylmare¡¯s eyes again. They had spent hours talking about how much they hated that laugh.


    Sylmare¡¯s expression shifted.


    They would have fought. It was tradition. Did it matter who would win? Not really. Neither would have walked away without injuries, but both would live. All the spies that mattered were dead and wouldn¡¯t be bothering Owin or passing any information along.


    Fighting Caspius was a pain, but fighting Sylmare was a good way to test her talents, to hone the timing of her abilities. There was some disappointment in missing the opportunity.


    But . . .


    Vondaire was an unknown, unpredictable player in their little game. How did he find them and what did he know? What was he going to say to Chorsay? What would he do to Sylmare?


    Sylmare took a drink of her port, lifted her glass, and nodded to Vondaire. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Tell Veph that her plan to raise Shard Heroes is . . . hmm.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Let¡¯s say, unwise. It makes it appear as though she is preparing for something. She would be better off bankrolling untethered heroes that cannot be traced back to Void Nexus.¡±


    Caspius glanced at Sylmare.


    ¡°I will pass along the message.¡±


    Vondaire raised his glass toward her. ¡°I will see you back in Atrevaar, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Sylmare finished her port, set the glass down, and departed without a second glance.


    Vondaire watched her until Sylmare vanished, either becoming invisible or teleporting. It was really impossible to tell with umbras. Potilia had no doubt that Vondaire could tell exactly what was happening, but he also would just act like he knew even if he had no idea.


    ¡°Now, that leaves you.¡±


    Caspius had yet to relax. His rapier remained in his hand. If he intended to fight Vondaire, Potilia couldn¡¯t imagine the thin sword doing much good.


    ¡°How have I not heard of you before today?¡±


    ¡°It is, perhaps, because you are ill equipped for your role. Or, it is because I am more qualified to be a spy than you could ever hope. Who other than Magna Regum would ever hire a soldier as a spy? Look at you, wearing all that metal. You clank louder than a pot bouncing down the stairs. A berserker is an odd choice with the mess they make of every fight, but at least Potilia is unassuming and bland.¡±


    She scowled. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Vondaire shrugged. ¡°I could kill you before you even finish a single stab with that flimsy sword. And even if you did stab, it would not pierce my skin. At no point in this encounter was I worried about you. I am trying to be kind. I have done some heinous things for the Unity Force, and other than Potilia here who burns down entire blocks¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I am trying to follow the Nimble Hogs¡¯ good example of kindness.¡±


    Potilia couldn¡¯t force the scowl from her face, but he did have a point. She absolutely killed more heroes than anyone else in the Nimble Hogs, and that was a good thing. She did the dirty work so they could help people.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let this go,¡± Caspius said.


    Vondaire was immediately in front of Caspius with his shard humming in the air. Potilia couldn¡¯t even follow the movements. Had Vondaire teleported or simply stepped over to Caspius?


    Vondaire turned his back to Caspius and looked over the rapier¡¯s blade, which he held casually in his gloved hand.


    Caspius, wide-eyed, looked at the bladeless hilt in his hand.


    ¡°It is time for you to go,¡± Vondaire said.


    Potilia let out an involuntary laugh as she noticed Vondaire was also holding Caspius¡¯s glass of port.


    Caspius took a step backward. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Vondaire appeared directly beside him with a fog-like knife in his hand. ¡°Run.¡±


    Caspius turned and bolted.


    Vondaire watched for a few seconds before casually walking back to his stack of bricks. He poured Caspius¡¯s glass into his own. ¡°You were hiding this from me.¡±


    ¡°Uh. Ah.¡± She also wanted to run. ¡°Only Chorsay knows!¡±


    ¡°Head back to Atrevaar. Inform Chorsay that Owin is progressing well. He should be somewhere on the fifth floor at the moment. Myrsvai too, though I am admittedly less interested in his progress.¡±


    Potilia nodded.


    ¡°I will be awaiting their arrival and escorting them back to Atrevaar.¡±


    ¡°W-what if Egnatia¡ª¡±


    ¡°Magna Regum is going to leave me alone. Whatever these machinations are forming throughout the world, Egnatia is not going to be the initiator. Veph, perhaps.¡±


    Potilia nodded. She sighed and turned to leave.


    ¡°Do not trust your friend.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus. Veph is not trying to prevent a war. Her interests are entirely her own. She is selfish and arrogant. Unless you inhabit her mind, you cannot guess at what she is planning. I am certain the spy passed on what she was told, but that doesn¡¯t mean she had heard the truth.¡±


    Would Veph lie to Sylmare? It didn¡¯t seem likely. Sylmare was more than just a spy for Void Nexus. She was Veph¡¯s right hand.


    Potilia looked over her shoulder. Vondaire sat on the bricks with his black and yellow eyes watching her.


    ¡°Whose side are you actually on?¡±


    ¡°My own,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°And for now, our interests align. As annoying as I find Owin, I will not let any harm befall the little idiot. I protected him once already. That should be enough to prove my word.¡±


    Potilia nodded.


    ¡°Enjoy the port.¡±


    She set off into Minolitana Prima and sipped port, staring into nothingness. By the time she started to think again, she remembered she was splattered in blood, both her own and the wizard¡¯s. It was too late to do anything about it, and based on Vondaire¡¯s confidence, she had a feeling she would find a way to walk through the city unimpeded.


    Who was he really?


    She looked over her shoulder, not surprised to find the ruins empty. Was he still close enough to watch her or had he vanished altogether?


    Her mission was done, and her injuries were minor. At least more minor than they usually were after a battle against Sylmare or Caspius. She would call it a win, though it left a sour taste in her mouth.


    Or maybe that was the port. It was terrible.


    ***


    Viscera hung in the water at the top of the stairs. Bits of armor and shattered weapons lay across the wooden ramp, also splattered with gore.


    It wasn¡¯t the scene Owin had been expecting, though maybe it should¡¯ve been based on all the explosions.


    ¡°You could feed a family of four with all this meat,¡± Shade said.


    Owin smacked the skeleton. ¡°We don¡¯t know who this is.¡± At least he knew it wasn¡¯t Myrsvai or Suta. None of it matched their gear.


    The ramp was wider than he had expected. It was dozens of feet across as far as he could see, where the ramp rounded the seamount. Various wooden barricades and boxes formed obstacles on the ramp, which seemed out of place until Owin spotted a group of figures huddled behind a barricade.


    Three grenades exploded, one after the other, on the opposite side of the barricade. The wooden wall withstood the explosions without any visible damage, fully shielding the figures.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell who that is.¡± Owin squinted. There were four people, but at hundreds of feet away, he couldn¡¯t make out many details. None were Suta. They weren¡¯t small enough. But was one Myrsvai?


    Shade leaned through the doorway, waved some viscera out of his way, and squinted his eye sockets. ¡°Surprisingly, I can¡¯t tell either.¡±


    ¡°We should help.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to help?¡±


    More grenades exploded on the other side of the barricade.


    ¡°One of us will think of something on the way.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be me. No brain, remember?¡±


    Owin sighed, stepped around the remains, ducked underneath the floating gore, and set off toward the figures. Shade walked right through and sputtered as he spat out chunks of flesh.

 Book 3 - Chapter 32

    Hero


    Avani Conastra


    Knight


    Avani sat with her back to the barricade. Her shield was latched to her back and her axe was on her hip. She looked terrible. Her armor was pitted and blood leaked from her exposed fingers. Owin couldn¡¯t see her face at the moment, as she was resting her head on her knees.


    It only took a second to recognize the other three.


    ¡°The fucking goblin comes to save the day,¡± Siora said. She flinched as another grenade exploded on the other side of the barricade.


    From far back, Owin hoped to see the cetanthro grenadiers that were constantly bombing the heroes, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. He was too short. Some cetanthro watched from high above, from the top of the seamount, but they weren¡¯t dropping grenades. At least, not yet.


    Hero


    Codhyses Prolotod


    Magus


    Void Nexus Hero Company


    The third member of the Void Nexus party looked younger than Siora or Nikoletta, and was covered in tiny cuts all over his face. He rested his head back against the barricade even as it shook from explosions. He watched Owin through tired, empty eyes.


    Nikoletta sat beside Codhyses with her same mace lying across her lap. Her normally bald head was covered in short, bristly hairs. She had some new scars, though her wounds appeared significantly less severe than Codhyses¡¯s. Her eyes flicked between Owin and Shade.


    Siora crouched at the end of the barricade. She braved a peek and pulled back before an explosion went off. Unlike the others around her, she had no new wounds. Her face was still twisted and scarred from Artivan, and her eyes were still full of anger.


    ¡°Who are these lovely people?¡± Shade asked quietly.


    There was about a hundred feet between Owin and the barricade. Past the barricade, farther up the ramp, were two small towers with a gate spanning the space in between. Little cetanthro heads occasionally popped up over the parapets.


    Whoever was throwing the constant grenades wasn¡¯t in one of the towers, though Owin assumed those fish also had their own supply of explosives.


    ¡°Other heroes. I was hoping to catch up to them,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I do have enough going on up here to think of that, you know. The whole ¡®no brain¡¯ thing only matters when I am asked to do something of importance. If we¡¯re just talking, I will use the full capacity of my missing brain.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°Sometimes I just start talking and I can¡¯t seem to stop.¡±


    ¡°Try to be quiet so I can find out what¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°What do you hope they know?¡±


    ¡°Where Myrsvai and Suta are. Do you see them?¡±


    Shade put his hands on his hip bone and cocked his head. ¡°Did Suta get taller?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t think any of those are Suta. Why were you hoping to catch up with these heroes? They don¡¯t look like anything special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    ¡°When you say later¡ª¡±


    Owin shushed him as they set off toward the barricade. Shrapnel flew past after each explosion. It whistled through the water as it zipped past, disappearing off the ramp.


    The barricade was built next to a huge, solid wooden block that butted up to the stone wall of the seamount. Owin pressed himself to the block, near Avani, and looked between the three Void Nexus heroes who all stared at him.


    Shade crept up slowly, not being nearly as casual as Owin had hoped.


    Nikoletta¡¯s face turned from her normal scowl into outright anger upon seeing the skeleton creep up. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a skeleton,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°You¡¯re making friends with mobs now?¡± Her index appeared and her face only became more twisted upon seeing Shade¡¯s description. ¡°A summon?¡±


    ¡°I am more than a summon. How rude.¡±


    Owin shushed him again.


    Even Avani raised her head. The knight had cuts all over her face, most of which still leaked blood. A section of hair had burned away, leaving mottled skin underneath the strap of her goggles.


    ¡°Owin,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Please help.¡±


    ¡°Your party . . .¡± He left the sentence hanging as she looked back at the viscera near the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Void Nexus saved me, but . . . they¡¯re all gone.¡± She put her head back on her knees. ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    Siora peeked around again and flinched back as an explosion shook the barricade. She whispered something to Nikoletta and shoved the mender toward the edge. Codhyses also scooted down as Siora ran over and pressed herself against the stone wall of the seamount.


    ¡°How did you get behind us?¡± she whispered.


    Shade stood between Owin and Siora, and the skeleton had never looked more uncomfortable. He glanced back and forth quickly and obviously wanted to disappear, but unless he died or Owin unsummoned him, he had nowhere to go. It was probably good to have some buffer between him and Siora, even if that buffer was a skeleton.


    ¡°I took a long time on the first floor. It¡¯s fine. I was hoping to find you.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What does that mean? I would¡¯ve seen you. Where did you get all that armor?¡±


    Owin shrugged.


    ¡°Well, where are the others?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you would know. You haven¡¯t seen Myrsvai or Suta?¡±


    ¡°The Maimed Magus? No. I think I would remember.¡±


    If Myrsvai hadn¡¯t been on the ramp, was he still below?


    ¡°I heard explosions over here for hours. Have the mobs respawned?¡±


    Siora gestured toward the tower holding the stairs. ¡°Mobs are going to respawn here soon. Some of them blow themselves up just to try to kill heroes. Avani and her party were up here first, stuck in the tower while we were getting bombed from above. What we really need is a magus¡¯s ranged spells.¡±


    ¡°I have spells.¡±


    Shade somehow cleared his throat.


    ¡°I have some spells.¡±


    Even Siora raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I want to find Myrsvai too. If he hasn¡¯t been up here, then he has to be below, right?¡±


    Siora smacked her fist on the seamount wall beside her. ¡°I don¡¯t see any other way up. Do you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin scratched his head. They could all retreat back to the stairs to search for Myrsvai and Suta, but after Avani and the others already fought to get out of the tower, Owin had to assume she wouldn¡¯t want to go back inside. When the rest of the mobs respawned, they would have to fight back to the barricade again.


    ¡°Shade, what class are you?¡±


    ¡°Would you like the truth or would you like me to guess?¡±


    ¡°Guess?¡±


    The skeleton finally stepped out from between them. ¡°Hunter.¡± He mimicked pulling back a bowstring. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°How is this helpful?¡± Siora asked.


    Owin ignored her and snuck around, passing Avani, Codhyses, and stopped beside Nikoletta. The mender ignored him, though there was no way she didn¡¯t know he was right beside her.


    Owin leaned to the side, peeking around the barricade. A series of shorter barricades facing them protected a group of grenadiers, each with a full box of grenades. They spotted Owin and chucked grenades.


    He pulled back and waited for the shaking to stop. ¡°I want to find Myrsvai and Suta, but we need to get Avani somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°There is nowhere safe,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°We need to get her to the exit.¡±


    ¡°Right. If that¡¯s what it takes.¡± Owin pointed to Shade. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    The skeleton folded his hands and rested them on top of his skull. ¡°Have I ever been anything else? I live to serve.¡± Shade¡¯s eye sockets narrowed. ¡°I unlive to serve? That doesn¡¯t have the same ring to it. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Siora asked. She leaned closer to Shade and reached out to poke him, but the skeleton swatted her hand away. ¡°What is he?¡±


    ¡°I am the Withered Shade. A Cursed. An entity of unknown power.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know your own attributes,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°As I said. Unknown power. So unknown that even I do not know it.¡±


    Siora, crouched, waddled over to Owin. Another grenade exploded on the opposite side of the barricade. ¡°Cursed?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°After Ar¡ª After he died, it said a Cursed had been summoned. Was Shade a hero?¡±


    Owin stared straight into Siora¡¯s eyes. ¡°After you killed Artivan.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Yes.¡±


    Owin had his Arcane Blast and Magma Mine wand ready with his lich bone knife. The wands didn¡¯t seem like they would be specifically helpful at the moment, but any range was better than his knife.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Owin said. ¡°Shade doesn¡¯t know either.¡±


    Shade stepped onto Nikoletta¡¯s shoulder, grabbed the top of the barricade, and peeked over. A grenade sailed right past his head and exploded farther down the ramp.


    Nikoletta¡¯s eyes flashed yellow as she grabbed his shin bone and yanked him off, practically slamming him back onto the wooden ramp.


    Shade flailed and smacked onto the ground. He didn¡¯t move for a few seconds, then sat up and crouched beside Owin.


    ¡°She tried using luminous on me,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re immortal anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around. We need to go fast.¡±


    Shade narrowed his eyes again. ¡°Me? Messing around? How dare you. I actually caught a glimpse of the situation ahead. I will run to the outside at the edge of the ramp, which will likely result in me falling off at some point.¡±


    ¡°I have the summon spell ready.¡± Owin always had it ready. Shade died a lot.


    ¡°You stay close to the barricade when you turn. You can use the other side of the grenadiers¡¯ barricades and push up from there.¡±


    ¡°Will that work?¡± Owin asked.


    Siora raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t tried thinking of a plan the whole time you were stuck here?¡±


    Shade put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t have a brain and I even thought of a plan.¡±


    Siora knocked his arm away. ¡°It sounds like it will work. Nikoletta can stun with her luminous fire bullshit and Codhyses can help keep grenades off of us.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was just going to kill the mobs to let you get through,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°What good would it do to have you blown up?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re ready to go.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the unofficial bounty?¡±


    ¡°There is no chance Veph thinks we can kill you right now. But she¡¯s paying us to get stronger. Right now, I want to get Avani out and I want to get to the sixth floor.¡±


    How would Siora and the others fare on an isolated floor? Owin wondered¡ª


    Shade leaned way too far to the side of the barricade, squealed, and flinched. Somehow in the chaos of the moment, he caught a grenade and held it in front of his face.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Siora shouted.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shade shoved it against Owin¡¯s chest.


    ¡°What do I do with it?¡± Owin still held his own weapons and could only cradle the grenade in his arms.


    ¡°Throw it!¡± Shade took a step away.


    ¡°My hands are full!¡±


    ¡°Morons!¡± Siora pulled the grenade out of Owin¡¯s arms and threw it over the barricade. It didn¡¯t make it far. Its explosion shook the whole barricade and sent shrapnel sailing overhead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you even made it this far.¡± Siora drew her sword. Its glowing blade immediately disturbed the water around it, causing bubbles.


    ¡°Mostly accidentally, I believe,¡± Shade said. ¡°I¡¯m all limbered up and ready to run. Everyone else ready?¡±


    ¡°Are we really following a monster and his abomination summon?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°Do you have a better plan?¡± Siora asked over her shoulder.


    Nikoletta¡¯s mace glowed with the same luminous light as her eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Codhyses, what can you do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Telekinesis. I¡¯ll try to keep grenades and shrapnel away from us, but with cooldowns, I can get overwhelmed if we¡¯re careless.¡±


    Avani stood and pulled her shield from her back. Blood continued leaking from the cuts on her face and fingers. Her jaw was set and her eyes locked onto Owin. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Screaming or no screaming?¡± Shade asked.


    Siora scowled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Screaming,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yes, sir, Commander.¡± Shade saluted, then turned, screamed and sprinted around the barricade. He flailed his arms above his head as he ran.


    Grenades immediately started exploding, but shrapnel had no serious effect on Shade. He likely didn¡¯t even realize he was being hit. As soon as the explosions were farther away, Owin stepped out of the barricade and took a better look at the space ahead of them.


    Grenadiers were hunkered down behind a series of smaller barricades with boxes of explosives for them to use. The barricades were close to the seamount wall, while the fifty feet to the edge of the ramp were wide open.


    The gate was centered on the ramp with walls on each side, also holding grenadiers. Their bulging eyes peeked over stone parapets, but they weren¡¯t yet throwing anything at the screaming skeleton running along the outer edge of the ramp. A gatehouse with a roof was centered on the wall, directly above the gate.


    A balcony above the barricades held some other cetanthro who also weren¡¯t attacking. They weren¡¯t grenadiers or any fish Owin had seen before, but he had no time to Examine them.


    Grenades exploded near Shade, close enough that they would have done serious damage to any living creature. The skeleton was launched forward, where he fell right onto his face.


    The closest grenadier was facing Owin, not bothering with the distraction Shade had caused. It grabbed a grenade from the box and lobbed it forward.


    A burst of telekinetic energy rushed past Owin and threw the grenade into the seamount wall. It gave just enough of an opening for Owin to leap over the barricade and stab the grenadier in the head as it reached for a second grenade.


    Siora hurdled the barricade and decapitated two other grenadiers with quick, precise slashes.


    Nikolleta stayed by Avani and Codhyses, getting them to crouch on the front side of the barricade, opposite Owin.


    In the time they were stopping the first cetanthro, Shade was hit by another grenade, tossing his flailing body off the ramp. An arm had disconnected and was floating aimlessly through the water.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Attention immediately shifted to Owin. The shorter barricades provided significantly less cover, and a whole box of grenades nearby made him feel a little unsure.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in cover here,¡± Siora said.


    The next barricade was twenty feet away, and Siora was right. They would have to be on the front, angled side of the barricade to have any cover from the explosions. After all, the barricades were made to face away from the gate to protect the grenadiers.


    He needed to move faster.


    ¡°Keep up.¡± Owin dashed to the left, along the seamount wall. Siora¡¯s steps weren¡¯t far behind. Her glowing blade caused sizzling water that made a distinct sound.


    ¡°Get down,¡± Shade shouted. He stood and thrust his arms out. A grenade hit him directly in the face, causing it to explode before getting over the barricade. He burst into gray dust, but Avani, Nikoletta, and Codhyses were safe.


    The magus ran out on the right side and pointed forward. A bolt of telekinetic energy shot through the water, hitting a cetanthro at the second barricade in the shoulder. It stumbled and dropped a grenade, blowing itself up immediately.


    The others hesitated and turned to their comrade, who was nothing more than viscera. Owin leapt over the first one and tackled the second as he stabbed rapidly into its chest. He rolled off and ripped the knife through another¡¯s stomach. Siora easily killed the first cetanthro, then grabbed Owin and pulled him back behind the barricade as a series of grenades flew through the air.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade shrieked and crouched behind the front of the barricade with them. Codhyses, who had still been advancing, took a piece of shrapnel to the shoulder as he fell against the front of the barricade.


    ¡°Damn.¡± He pressed his hand to the wound.


    Owin tried to see the wound. Some blood leaked from between the magus¡¯s fingers. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Nikoletta can fix it when we clear the mobs.¡±


    ¡°Be careful. Do you have a familiar that can help us?¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯s recovering after helping us get out of the tower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you an Infusion,¡± Nikoletta shouted from behind the other barricade.


    ¡°Give it to the goblin!¡± Siora ducked as a grenade hit the barricade just behind them. The box of grenades also detonated, knocking Owin onto his face. If the barricade wasn¡¯t indestructible . . .


    He sat up and pressed himself against it again. ¡°What¡¯s an Infusion?¡±


    ¡°Boosts a stat. Give him agility!¡±


    A white light flashed from Nikoletta¡¯s position.


    +50 Dexterity


    Dexterity: 325*


    +50 of any attribute was going to be helpful for any hero, but with Goblin Cunning, it made Owin that much faster. This time, there was no reason to tell Siora to keep up. She couldn¡¯t.


    He hurdled the barricade and sprinted to the next. He nearly crashed into it as he moved too quickly. A small hop brought him over the wooden structure and right into the face of a grenadier.


    A telekinetic spell hit Owin in the chest, but only felt like a firm punch to the chest. A blast of energy erupted out from him, pushing some grenades that were overhead off at the seamount wall. One went high enough to the balcony to hit a spectating cetanthro and eviscerated it with shrapnel.


    Owin used both the knife and the wand to stab as he jumped between each cetanthro. Codhyses blocked another detonation near Owin with a push spell, sending all the shrapnel at the next barricade.


    Siora ran along the seamount wall, staying low while everyone was focused on Owin.


    His eyes darted all over. He felt too fast. He ripped the fish apart and had to steady himself for a moment to gather his surroundings. The Agility Infusion also made his mind move faster, and it was too much.


    Shade was back running through the open side of the ramp. He garnered plenty of attention as grenades were lobbed in his direction.


    Only one more barricade before they had to find a way to deal with the wall and gate.


    Siora and Codhyses were already moving ahead. The last barricade was longer, though still only a few feet tall. It had ten grenadiers behind it, which was a lot to deal with in a short time. Even at his speed, Owin wasn¡¯t sure he could cut them all down before they caused everything to explode.


    Owin looked at the wand in his hand. He looked at the screaming, flailing skeleton to the side.


    Shade had done it before. Why couldn¡¯t Owin do it now?


    ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted.


    Siora and Codhyses hesitated, then pulled back and took cover as the grenadiers threw the first round of grenades. They both took some damage from explosions and shrapnel, but they safely made it to the front of the barricade.


    Owin sprinted to the seamount side, jumped to get the angle, and pointed the wand at the box of grenades.


    Just like when Shade had filled his ribs. An arcane spell could detonate grenades.


    ¡°Arcane Blast.¡±


    Violet energy swirled and formed into a ball at the end of the wand, then blasted through the water. With the boosted dexterity, his aim was better than normal. The spell hit a grenade on the edge of the box, and caused a chain reaction, quickly causing the entire box to explode.


    The grenadiers, who were also holding individual grenades, also exploded, causing a series of bloody detonations down the line of the barricade.


    Owin hit the seamount wall and slid down. He felt the sudden sluggishness as Nikoletta turned off the infusion. It was like the sensation of first moving around in the water of the Ocean Dungeon before he had gotten used to it.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade helped Codhyses stand, then took a step away as Siora gave him a look. Nikoletta escorted Avani forward as the cetanthro behind the walls all leaned on the parapets and watched the group of heroes.


    Owin expected a sudden barrage of grenades, but they had yet to throw anything down.


    ¡°You killed them all!¡± a cetanthro yelled.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Owin said. ¡°Can we go through the gate?¡±


    ¡°Through the gate? No! You just killed everyone!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°Great negotiating,¡± Siora said.


    Nikoletta forced the wound on Codhyses¡¯s shoulder closed. He winced as he moved it, but thanked her and adjusted his staff.


    ¡°You¡¯re as dangerous as I heard,¡± Avani said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a compliment,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I meant it as one.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°How do we get through the gate?¡±


    He could jump high and float a bit while in the water, but would it be enough? If he floated in front of the walls for too long, it could give the mobs an easy attack.


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± Codhyses said.


    Siora gave him a look.


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid, but I think you might be up for it, Owin.¡±


    ¡°He loves stupid plans,¡± Shade said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 33

    Owin stood near the fourth barricade. Codhyses had suggested going farther back, but it wouldn¡¯t take him long to hit full speed.


    Nikoletta and Siora stood before Avani like they were protecting her even though the mobs were dead.


    Shade waited near the wall, watching eagerly. He was more excited for the plan than anyone else, which could only be a bad sign.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Codhyses had one hand extended and his short staff pointed to the wall.


    Owin had his knife and wand back in his belt. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t need them right away. Drawing them never took that much time, but a moment could be the difference between surviving or getting a grenade in the face.


    He preferred surviving.


    Owin nodded. Codhyses shifted a bit and traced the path he wanted to follow with his finger, pointed up to the edge of the wall.


    The cetanthro on top watched with interest.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to open the gate?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re sure.¡±


    Owin took a deep breath. Time to go.


    He sprinted alongside the barricades and jumped with all of his strength. As soon as he passed over Codhyses¡¯s, a telekinetic wave hit his feet, throwing him higher into the water. His momentum carried him toward the wall, though the water did slow him down. A burst of energy shot from Codhyses¡¯s staff, increasing Owin¡¯s speed beyond what he was expecting.


    The stone parapet greeted him far sooner than he had expected, and the cetanthro behind it found a way to widen its already massive eyes. Owin¡¯s hips hit the parapet while the top of his body continued forward, forcing him into a flip where he headbutted the fish with enough force to knock the grenadier backward. They both collapsed and rolled over the wall, plummeting off the opposite side.


    Behind the wall was covered with piles of bags and stacks of boxes, mostly all pushed against the stone wall. Various trash and debris covered the ramp, leading to another, much shorter wall.


    Owin landed on top of the cetanthro and punched him repeatedly in the face until the experience notification flashed in his view.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said quietly as he righted himself. It was disorienting to flip over the wall, especially when he had expected to land on top.


    The ramp shook under his feet without the noise of explosion. Two more quick shakes brought Owin¡¯s attention across the expanse to the next wall. A fish was walking toward him. A huge fish.


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t walking. It was building up speed, working toward a sprint.


    Ocean Mob


    Itjara Giganta


    Level 38


    The mob was built the same as the itajara he had seen before with big, wide faces and muscular arms, but the giganta was at least twice the size of the other itajara, and it had built up speed quickly.


    Owin cast Smoke Cloud, obscuring him from the charging fish, and dove to the side. Unfortunately, the spell also hid his surroundings, causing him to dive straight into the side of a box. Chitin tumped against wood. No matter how uncomfortable it was, Owin was suddenly grateful for the helmet.


    A boom thundered through the water as the giant fish crashed straight into the stone wall beside Owin. The box he had landed upon was only a foot off the ground, and a stack of other boxes blocked his escape. He hopped off the box and cast Shade¡¯s summon spell, putting the skeleton on top of the wall.


    ¡°Find a way to open the gate!¡±


    Shade looked around, panicked, ran straight into a grenadier, and exploded.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Second try!¡± Shade shoved another grenadier off the wall and ran, disappearing from Owin¡¯s view.


    Unfortunately, Owin yelling had grabbed the attention of the itajara giganta. It blindly reached through the smoke and caught Owin in its finned grasp. He felt its power wrap around him before tossing him out of the smoke, farther down the ramp. Trash cushioned the landing as Owin bounced twice before recovering.


    ¡°Bombs away!¡± A fish wearing a beret pointed at Owin.


    The ramp was covered in trash and debris because a gallery of cetanthro stood under the seamount wall, in a section where the stone had been cut away. There was a mix of phyraena, grenadier, itajara, and other cetanthro Owin had never seen.


    All of them held something, whether that was a trident or a grenade. All of it could be thrown. And from their sudden panicked movements, they intended to throw everything.


    He slipped on a random piece of cloth and nearly fell on his face as the first object, a sharpened stick, sailed right past his face. Everything on his right darkened as a flood of items flew from the cetanthro.


    Running was probably faster, but Owin decided to jump as high and far as he could as the first grenade hit the ramp where he had just been standing. He flipped through the water and was able to catch a glimpse of the items clattering on the wooden ramp, adding to the trash and debris.


    Itajara giganta had left the smoke cloud by the time Owin crashed against the ramp again, so he turned off the spell. The last thing he needed was to end up back inside, blinded from the charging giant.


    The gate was still closed, and a cloud of gray dust floated above the parapets like Shade had died while jumping.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    If he tried moving ahead, he was going to get a million objects thrown at him, and if he retreated to the gate, he would need to fight a fish that was even bigger than the ogres he had fought back in the Great Forest.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Without the gate open, he couldn¡¯t get help from the other heroes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help with this,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Itajara giganta? More like ¡®Big Fish.¡¯¡± Shade sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling very funny right now.¡±


    ¡°Move!¡± Owin shoved Shade aside and dove as the giant fish charged through.


    It stuck its arms out and grabbed Owin and Shade, pulling them right off their feet. A quick stab into its hand would force it to let go, but his arms were pressed close to his sides and he couldn¡¯t find a way to get the lich bone knife from his belt.


    The itajara slowed in front of the gallery and held Shade and Owin up triumphantly. Fish cheered.


    ¡°What now?¡± Shade asked.


    Owin pressed both his hands against the itajara¡¯s oversized fingers. Out of all the bad ideas he had had in the past, this one felt like the worst.


    Discharge.


    Electricity flowed through Owin¡¯s hands. With a deeper mana bar, even after casting Smoke Cloud, there was plenty of mana to consume. If the Band of Power 1 still worked, he would have even more mana to feed into the itajara¡¯s finger.


    Electricity arced through the water, zapping Owin and the giant¡¯s face, feet, and everything else nearby. It roared and threw Owin straight at the ground.


    He curled into a ball and hit the wooden ramp hard enough to bounce. Shade hit the ground next to Owin and exploded into a mess of bones. Usually he turned back into gray dust.


    Owin took the opening to run back toward the gate, away from the sudden influx of thrown objects. Heavy footsteps trailed behind.


    What was the best way to kill a giant? Artivan had told him to aim for the eyes, but that was for ogres who had stone-like skin. Would stabbing an itajara in the eye be the best? The giant liked to grab and throw, which Owin specifically did not enjoy.


    ¡°Get me over the fucking wall!¡± Siora shouted.


    ¡°The plan was for Owin to open the gate,¡± Codhyses said.


    ¡°Do you see the moron on top of the walls?¡±


    ¡°Fine! Get ready!¡±


    Owin stopped at the stone wall and pressed himself against it, hiding from the cetanthro still waiting on top. As expected, the itajara was sprinting toward him once again. Its face was scorched, making it look even more angry.


    ¡°Not our best plan, to speak honestly,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Owin turned and punted the skull beside him. It hit the seamount wall and poofed into gray dust. ¡°Oops.¡±


    A burst sounded from the other side of the wall as Siora appeared over the parapets. She landed perfectly atop the wall and slashed her glowing sword through a cetanthro¡¯s skull. A quick step and pivot brought her sword through the chest of another mob.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Trying to open the gate!¡± Owin pulled the knife from his belt, bounced on his feet, and darted right between the giant¡¯s legs as it crashed against the stone wall again. He leapt and stabbed the knife right into its back, easily puncturing the scaled skin.


    A small knife against a massive enemy did little. The fish turned and slammed Owin into the stone wall. Its scaled skin enveloped him in darkness. A flash of yellow passed his eyes, followed by a burst of blood and viscera.


    The itajara giganta fell diagonally in half with skin still sizzling from Siora¡¯s blade.


    Owin brushed fish guts off his face. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He pulled the lich bone from the itajara¡¯s back. It had hardly made it past the mob¡¯s thick skin. ¡°How do we open a gate?¡±


    Siora rolled her eyes. ¡°Why did we send you over if you don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re doing?¡± She climbed on top of the box Owin had landed on earlier. ¡°Get up here.¡±


    He climbed up the box and followed her lead as she tossed him into the air, landing on top of the taller stack of boxes. ¡°How do you get up?¡±


    ¡°Can you summon that thing?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade poofed into existence on the box beside her. It wasn¡¯t a big box, so he just leaned his elbow on her shoulder. ¡°I have to say, kicking me was so unnecessary.¡±


    Siora shoved him away.


    Shade flailed and fell off the box. ¡°Everyone is so rude.¡±


    ¡°Get back up here and help me.¡±


    The skeleton hesitated, then crawled back up. ¡°How am I going to assist?¡±


    ¡°Pick me up.¡±


    Shade lifted his arms straight into the air. ¡°These arms have the strength of a newborn child. If you want me to pick you up¡ª¡±


    ¡°To your knees. I¡¯ll use you as a stool if I have to.¡±


    ¡°That I can do!¡± Shade immediately fell to his hands and knees. ¡°Try not to get that foot of yours between my ribs.¡±


    ¡°This will be a lot less weird for me if you shut up.¡± Siora stepped on top of Shade, then jumped, shattering the skeleton¡¯s spine in the process. Owin caught her arm and helped her the rest of the way up.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Well, that went as expected.¡± He stood on top of the wall, looked around, then leaned on the parapet. ¡°Ah, there you all are. You look terrible.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Codhyses said.


    It was a quick jump from the stack of boxes to the top of the wall. Owin joined Shade on the parapet while Siora muttered something and strode to the side, over the gate.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Codhyses waved to Owin, which earned him a glare from Nikoletta.


    ¡°For now.¡± Owin¡¯s health had taken a big hit from the throws, the slam, and his own spell.


    ¡°It¡¯s this easy,¡± Siora said, gesturing at a lever on a pillar in the gatehouse. She grabbed it in both hands and forced it up. As it moved, the huge gate parted, opening the way for the other heroes.


    ¡°I¡¯m too short to open that.¡±


    Siora rolled her eyes again. ¡°Come on.¡± She climbed down a nearby ladder, which Owin had not seen earlier.


    Instead of waiting, he hopped down. With the water, the distance was a simple fall back to the ramp. Shade also jumped off, but his coordination was worse and he fell right onto his head.


    Owin picked the skeleton up and set him on his feet.


    Nikoletta led Codhyses and Avani through the gate. She took a moment to look at the itajara giganta, then leaned in close and whispered something to Siora, who laughed.


    ¡°Owin, you¡¯re hurt.¡± Avani crouched at his side. ¡°This looks bad.¡± Her finger pressed into a burn on his cheek, which he had caused.


    ¡°Kill your enemies faster,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°That is good advice.¡± Shade leaned his elbow on Nikoletta¡¯s shoulder.


    Owin quickly shook his head.


    Shade moved his arm just as Nikoletta¡¯s eyes started to glow yellow. ¡°Apologies. I, uh, yeah.¡± He nodded and took a dramatic step away from the mender.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving before any more mobs respawn,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°Not before Owin¡¯s healed,¡± Avani said. She grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and turned him toward Siora. ¡°Look at him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just as ugly as normal,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Nikoletta, you¡¯re a mender.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t heal monsters.¡± She folded her arms across her chest. ¡°My mana is for humans.¡±


    Owin glared at her. He had heard all this before, back when he first met Nikoletta and her party. Before her party died.


    ¡°Owin helped save our lives,¡± Avani said.


    Owin nodded. He even smiled a little. If Nikoletta was going to cause a scene, he would let her. What was she going to do?


    Both of them had leveled up. Significantly, even. But they couldn¡¯t win against him.


    ¡°Heal the wounds. He can manage his own health,¡± Siora said.


    Nikoletta sighed, crouched, and pressed fingers into Owin¡¯s breastplate. Pain lanced through his face as the burns recovered. A few other injuries he hadn¡¯t been aware of fixed themselves in the brief burst of pain before Nikoletta removed her hand.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Avani said.


    ¡°A real talent, you are,¡± Shade said. ¡°Can you try that on me? Maybe I can grow back my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Owin yelled.


    Shade narrowed his eye sockets. ¡°. . . skin.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin adjusted his helmet and belt. He had to be ready to move quickly against the gallery of fish. Did he jump into the stands or did they run past? Avani and Codhyses were too injured to sprint past without risking their lives.


    ¡°We need a real plan before we continue,¡± Siora said. ¡°Not some bullshit about throwing the goblin.¡±


    Owin scowled. That was his plan.


    Shade leaned far too close to Owin¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I was going to say penis.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 34

    A high pitched noise rang through the water. Everyone froze.


    Following Siora had felt wrong, but now that they froze and were probably going to be blasted by some spell, he felt a lot better about letting her lead.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked because none of us were curious,¡± Shade said.


    Owin took a step away from the skeleton just as Nikoletta spun around, grabbed one of his ribs, and shook him with force.


    ¡°Do not speak to me!¡±


    Shade made noises with each shake that sounded somewhere between vomiting and laughing. Nikoletta growled as her eyes and mace glowed with luminous light.


    If he was half specter, did luminous even hurt him? Myrsvai¡¯s spell had done very little the first time Owin had summoned Shade.


    She clubbed him in the head, tossing the skeleton onto the wooden ramp. Shade rolled back, then jumped to his feet. He pressed his hands onto the sides of his skull and somehow made his eye sockets wider.


    ¡°Wow. Nothing like a solid smack to wake me up!¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Siora said. She grabbed Nikoletta¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Focus!¡±


    ¡°Am I expected to act like this isn¡¯t some horror?¡±


    Shade tsked and waved his finger. ¡°No, that was Baby Head. Or is it Ilthaman? What do you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Shade, shut up.¡±


    The skeleton pointed at Owin. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Can you just get rid of him for now?¡± Siora asked.


    Avani placed her hand on Shade¡¯s shoulder and gently guided him away. ¡°He¡¯s not that bad. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°About math?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have so much to teach you!¡± Shade put his arm over her shoulder.


    ¡°I know what math is. Why would we talk about it now?¡± she asked, her voice quiet.


    Owin let her pull him a few more steps behind as he started talking about addition. Avani quickly gave up and listened to the skeleton¡¯s rambling.


    ¡°How did you find him?¡± Codhyses asked.


    ¡°I found a gray bone that is part of him, or something.¡± Owin shrugged.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Siora stopped again where the trash became heavier on the ramp. Ahead to the left was the gallery of eager cetanthro. They were waiting with things to throw ready in their hands. A few more steps and they would start tossing everything.


    ¡°If we hit them with a spell, could we detonate a grenade early?¡± Siora asked. She squatted and picked up a torn shirt on the ground. ¡°Why all the trash?¡±


    ¡°Some were throwing trash or rocks.¡± Owin pointed ahead. ¡°That¡¯s a skull.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is. There¡¯s also a thigh bone out there.¡±


    Nikoletta kept her eyes and mace glowing, despite Shade being a dozen feet behind with Avani. The mender took a step forward, which caused another high pitched squeal. ¡°It¡¯s coming from the stands.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Siora stood and placed a hand on her sword. After the bubbles had interfered with her vision a few times, she had kept it sheathed. Owin didn¡¯t mind. It was an ominous-looking weapon.


    He looked down at the little white knife he used. A bone of a lich. Maybe it was also ominous.


    Nikoletta strode toward the stand. It was a bad idea, unless she was ready to run, but Owin wasn¡¯t going to go out of his way to stop her.


    A light flashed over the gallery, and when it vanished, a boundary wall stood between the gathered crowd and the ramp. The cetanthro inside dropped their arms like they knew not to try throwing their items.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t happen before,¡± Owin said. He hurried to join Nikoletta as she walked right up to the gallery. Siora followed a step behind.


    A door in the back of the gallery, embedded into the stone wall, swung open. The gallery hushed and turned to watch the fish descend. He wore a long coat that had various tools sticking out of every pocket. Underneath, he wore odd metal armor that looked sleek and unlike anything Owin had seen before.


    Despite the unique clothing, the cetanthro was a grenadier with huge eyes, just like most of the other fish on the fifth floor. He had goggles sitting just above his eyes, much like Avani, though his goggles were much farther apart and also huge enough to cover his big, bulging eyes.


    The cetanthro in the gallery watched silently as the new fish finished walking down the narrow stairs between rows of seats. He grabbed a small object with a black ball on the end and tapped it. Each tap caused a booming noise.


    ¡°Is this on?¡± it said, its voice loud and coming from somewhere above.


    Ocean Mob


    Elstima the Crafter


    Cetanthro Grenadier Master


    Level 45


    Elstima gave the object one more tap before becoming satisfied that it was turned on. He brought it close to his face and said, ¡°I am Elstima the Crafter.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Owin said.


    The fish nodded. ¡°It appears our giganta was defeated by these intruders. How was the show?¡±


    Every fish in the gallery cheered.


    ¡°I am certain it was exciting! Since these intruders still stand, I think we should bring in our next entertainment!¡±


    The crowd cheered more.


    Nikoletta looked back. ¡°Entertainment?¡±


    ¡°Are we the entertainment?¡± Siora drew her sword. ¡°Get this damn boundary down.¡±


    Owin ran back over to Shade, Avani, and Codhyses. ¡°Get ready for a fight.¡±


    ¡°Well, I feel like that was obvious,¡± Shade said.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The next gate slowly opened, which elicited another cheer. Owin caught a flash of something red.


    ¡°Get over here,¡± he shouted.


    Nikoletta gave him a side glance, but remained near the gallery.


    Siora walked a few paces and stopped. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much we hate each other. Try working together.¡±


    The gate swung open, fully revealing a ten foot tall . . . thing. It had red and white skin and thin arms that ended in serrated claws. Ten legs spread from its hips.


    ¡°A lobster?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°A what?¡± Owin looked back at the new enemy. Its head was small with two long antennae. He couldn¡¯t see its face from so far away. ¡°What¡¯s a lobster?¡±


    Siora pointed with her sword. ¡°That! Obviously!¡±


    It hadn¡¯t felt that obvious before. The lobster strode forward while the gallery cheered wildly. The gate swung shut behind the new enemy. At the same time, the gate behind Owin also closed.


    ¡°Intruders! I am excited to present Malacoe!¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Malacoe


    Spiny Lobster


    Level 40


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the wandering boss,¡± Owin said. Why else would a mob be that much higher of a level?


    ¡°Wandering? It¡¯s right here,¡± Shade said. He tilted his head. ¡°I guess you are always right where you are.¡±


    Avani shushed him.


    ¡°How do we fight a lobster?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°They have shells like your ugly armor,¡± Siora said. ¡°We¡¯ll need to break through before we can do any damage.¡±


    Owin scowled. ¡°Can your sword cut through it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but we should focus on giving Nikoletta openings. Her mace will easily smash through.¡± Siora swung her sword through the water. Bubbles rose from the glowing blade. ¡°Are we ready?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the freak¡¯s assistance.¡± Nikoletta glared at Elstima as she set off toward the lobster.


    ¡°And the battle begins!¡± Elstima tapped something. ¡°Remember, no grenades! Let Malacoe fight!¡±


    The crowd cheered and immediately started throwing everything they had. Old clothing, ceramic mugs, and bits of old food flew through the boundary wall and pelted Siora and Nikoletta, who were the closest to the gallery.


    A rock struck Nikoletta directly in the side of the head, causing blood to bloom into the water. She stumbled to the side and shielded her face while the cetanthro continued pelting her with items.


    Malacoe let out a deep laugh. ¡°You are fools to challenge me!¡± His voice came from the same area above as Elstima¡¯s. Owin couldn¡¯t see an object like the one Elstima held, but there had to be something making the lobster¡¯s voice so loud.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rip this freak apart!¡± Luminous light erupted from Nikoletta, causing her entire body to glow. Another rock struck her face, but she didn¡¯t react even as blood leaked from a gash on her cheek.


    ¡°I am the superior creature!¡± Malacoe clicked his claws. ¡°I¡¯ll devour your soul!¡±


    ¡°Can he do that?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fucking lobster, Owin. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s eating souls.¡± Siora took a couple steps, shielded her head from some trash, then waved Owin forward. ¡°Let¡¯s get up there before Nikoletta kills herself.¡±


    Owin stared blankly at Siora for a long moment. Meanwhile, Nikoletta roared and sprinted at the lobster. White light trailed her as her entire body continued to glow.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Codhyses said. He adjusted his staff and ran, wincing with the movement.


    Shade raised his brow. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Owin groaned. ¡°Fine.¡± He sprinted ahead of Codhyses. Siora ran just beside him with her sword unsheathed and ready. If he ran at his full speed, she had no chance of keeping up, but he had no reason to reach the lobster first.


    Malacoe swung a heavy claw while Nikoletta attacked with her mace. She battered the claw aside in a flash of white. Malacoe staggered and pulled his claw back, now with cracks spread through the chitin.


    ¡°Go right,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°Obviously.¡± As soon as they were close, Owin dashed away, slipping underneath Malacoe¡¯s other claw.


    Codhyses sent a telekinetic attack that struck Malacoe in the face. Siora jumped and chopped straight through Malacoe¡¯s thin arm. The lobster¡¯s cracked claw fell to the ground beside Nikoletta, who lost her full body glow.


    ¡°Fools!¡± A burst of energy pulsed from Malacoe, throwing Owin straight onto his back. The whole Void Nexus team was also pushed to the ground, with Codhyses hitting the ground harder than the rest. Owin ran over and gently slapped the magus.


    Another pulse of energy burst from Malacoe as four more arms sprouted from his torso. Instead of claws, they were tentacles about twice the length of his normal arms. Blood poured from his body as the tentacles shot into the water.


    ¡°I will show the cetanthro how superior I am!¡±


    The crowd cheered so loudly Owin couldn¡¯t hear anything else.


    ¡°Fortification!¡± The ground rumbled around Nikoletta as a glowing circle of light appeared on the ground. Siora stepped into the light and raised her sword just as a tentacle whipped over and smashed against her. The blow caused her to take a half step back, but otherwise she was unharmed.


    ¡°Wake up,¡± Owin said. He gently slapped Codhyses again. Two tentacles snaked through the water, aiming for Owin. He flipped over Codhyses and tossed the unconscious magus toward Shade and Avani.


    Codhyses hit the ground limp and bounced. Owin winced. It wasn¡¯t his best idea. He leaned to the side, dodging the first tentacle, then caught the second with the lich bone and carved the end off.


    ¡°In the circle,¡± Siora said.


    Owin was able to reach Nikoletta¡¯s spell quickly. Instead of letting himself get hit like Siora did, Owin still dodged and cut each tentacle that attacked. ¡°What are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Taking a second to figure out the boss,¡± Siora said through clenched teeth as she took another hit before counter attacking.


    Nikoletta stood in the center of the circle with her eyes closed. She held the mace with both hands with the head just below her chin. Owin hadn¡¯t learned much about mender spells, but it was obvious they could take more hits while in the circle. What it actually did was beyond anything he could guess.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you do? Just jump and stab like a moron?¡±


    Owin grinned and launched himself at Malacoe¡¯s face. The lobster was so distracted with trying to batter Siora as she chopped through more and more of the tentacles, that he reacted slowly as Owin crashed right into his face. He would have bounced right over if the lobster hadn¡¯t had large antennae to grab.


    Back when he had first fought Etosai, Owin had to really fight to crack the chitin. Malacoe looked to have a similar shell, but Owin was significantly stronger than he was back then. If he really focused, he could puncture the chitin and get to Malacoe¡¯s true skin. Or he could use the advice Artivan had given him.


    Even if the old man wasn¡¯t as agile, he still knew how to easily defeat most enemies. Ogres had rock-like skin, so stabbing them in the eyes was easiest. Did Artivan ever stab them in the eyes? Probably not. How would he get up there?


    Owin kept one hand on the antenna and swung himself low enough to drive the lich bone directly into Malacoe¡¯s eye.


    The lobster flailed, turning everything that was left of the tentacles at Owin. As they all shot forward, Owin pulled himself behind Malacoe¡¯s head and dropped onto the lobster¡¯s tail. Whether it was because he was partially blinded or he was just in a fury, Malacoe hit himself in the head four times, leaving Siora fully open to tear her glowing sword across Malacoe¡¯s gut.


    She flashed as she leveled up.


    Malacoe fell to the ground as blood quickly filled the water in the area.


    Owin ran back over to Codhyses, who was already being healed by Nikoletta. The mender was on her knees with both hands on the magus.


    ¡°Is he okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Nikoletta ignored him.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t challenging you to try jumping at his damn head, you know,¡± Siora said. She sheathed her sword and joined the group. ¡°It gave me an opening, so I can¡¯t be that critical, but damn, that was a dumb attack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten me this far.¡±


    ¡°He does jump at everything,¡± Shade said.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°And what do you do? Stand here and criticize?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I have been more helpful in some other situations, but normally I serve a different role. Combat, it turns out, requires some sort of constitution in which I have none. You know, muscles or skin or anything else that makes one able to give or take a hit.¡± Shade patted his own arm as if it wasn¡¯t obvious he was a skeleton.


    Codhyses groaned and sat upright. ¡°Ugh. Where are we?¡± He noticed the huge cloud of blood from Malacoe. ¡°Is that the lobster?¡±


    ¡°It was the lobster.¡± Siora grabbed his hand and pulled him up. ¡°Stay back in fights where we have Owin.¡±


    ¡°I can help too,¡± Avani said.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re staying out of it,¡± Siora said quickly without even looking at the knight.


    Avani put a hand on Shade¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Fine.¡±


    The skeleton widened his eye sockets and looked at Owin.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°The intruders gather to regain their strength after that harrowing battle!¡± Elstima held up a hand, stopping any cetanthro from throwing more trash. All kinds of trash filled the ramp, covering the wooden ramp far more densely than when Owin had first arrived.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that is the end of our show for today. The intruders will face me above, where their journey will end.¡±


    The crowd cheered as the boundary wall became solid stone, cutting off the noise abruptly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin looked around. ¡°Now what?¡±


    Both gates slowly opened.


    Two figures stood at the first gate. The shorter of the figures cocked its head.


    ¡°Twin?¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 35

    Suta moved faster than Owin had ever seen him move before. The familiar tackled Owin and embraced him in a tight hug that felt like it might crush his ribs.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin said. ¡°Hi, Suta.¡±


    ¡°It appears I missed the boss fight,¡± Myrsvai said. He nodded to the Void Nexus heroes. ¡°I apologize for my tardiness.¡±


    Owin grabbed Suta and lifted the familiar while he stood. Suta let himself be picked up and just hung limp in the air. ¡°I thought you were ahead. I was worried and then I found them in trouble and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain. We were worried about you. I saw the stone in your chest. By the time we made it back to check, you were gone.¡± Myrsvai gently tapped Owin with the butt of his staff. ¡°I am glad you are unharmed.¡±


    Owin set Suta on the ground. ¡°Shade saved me.¡±


    ¡°I used so many health potions,¡± Shade said. ¡°I really overdid it.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°I was wondering where you were,¡± Siora said. ¡°We¡¯re getting Avani out.¡±


    Myrsvai took a second to look at the knight. ¡°I am happy to help. Is everyone ready to continue this adventure?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Owin asked Codhyses.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I literally threw you. I don¡¯t know if you should thank me.¡±


    Suta ran over to Malacoe¡¯s corpse, grabbed a leg, and dragged it out of the cloud of blood. More blood was still spilling from the gash across the lobster¡¯s waist, but the movement caused loot to fall from the boss.


    A few shining gems, a health potion, and a gray bone fell to the wooden ramp. Suta pushed the corpse back into the blood and pointed at the loot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that,¡± Siora said, immediately grabbing the gems and the potion. ¡°What is this?¡± she muttered as she tried to grab the gray bone. Her hand passed through it. She tried a few more times before sighing and looking up. ¡°Is this one of your bullshit things?¡±


    Owin grabbed the bone and tossed it to Shade.


    ¡°Oh, boy. This is an exciting day.¡± He poofed into a cloud of dust.


    ¡°Did he just die?¡± Codhyses asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s already dead. Or undead.¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what getting more bones will do. The last one gave him that scarf.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Avani laughed. ¡°How does a bone make a scarf?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Bone of the Withered Shade


    5 of 50


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared beside Owin and thrust his arms out. ¡°How do I look? Beautiful? Spectacular?¡±


    Owin squinted. He even poked Shade a few times. ¡°You look the exact same.¡±


    Shade gasped. ¡°What about . . .¡± He stuck his arms out. ¡°Oh.¡± He used a single finger to scratch his arm bones. ¡°I am less dusty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. I can see that.¡±


    ¡°Is this worth our time?¡± Siora asked.


    Shade pointed at her. ¡°Yes. What if I was resummoned and exploded like an alchemical bomb?¡±


    ¡°Can that happen?¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°Probably not.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t really give a shit. I don¡¯t know if these bosses can respawn, but I am not interested in finding out.¡± Siora grabbed Shade by the arm, dragged him away from the group, and angled him toward the gate. ¡°We need to get to the top of the ramp.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I assumed so.¡±


    ¡°I need you to lead me there.¡± She pushed him forward.


    ¡°I am not some child that can be so easily convinced. No, I am an undead eternal being that can be very easily convinced! I would love to help. Okay, team! Follow me!¡± Shade waved everyone forward and started walking with a skip in his step.


    ¡°We¡¯re not a team,¡± Nikoletta said.


    ¡°Team,¡± Suta said.


    Nikoletta muttered something and hurried ahead. When Shade noticed her getting close, he stopped and tried chatting again, but a quick luminous mace to the head shut the skeleton up.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Those small homes were open. After passing through the baths, I saw the opportunity to sleep. I figured you would check every building before continuing. You¡¯re normally thorough.¡± Myrsvai poked Suta with his staff. ¡°We both needed rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re okay? I was worried the grenades¡ª¡±


    ¡°We are both fine. We were worried for you, but we couldn¡¯t get back across.¡±


    Shade managed to stay quiet as he led the way through the gate to continue up the ramp around the seamount. Nikoletta followed a few paces behind, and everyone else clumped together in the back. Despite walking nearby, Siora didn¡¯t talk. She just watched and rolled her eyes a few times.


    Shade stopped near the end of the ramp where it met with the seamount. A small group of grenadiers waited at the top of the ramp, watching. One rolled a grenade to Shade, who picked it up and threw it back, immediately killing the fish as the grenade detonated.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    0 Experience


    0 Experience


    0 Experience


    ¡°Uh.¡± He looked back. ¡°I thought they wanted to play catch.¡±


    Nikoletta pushed past the skeleton. ¡°Nice throw.¡± She continued forward, bashing in another cetanthro¡¯s head before it could even pull out a weapon.


    ¡°Did she compliment me?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it.¡± Siora drew her sword and stopped on the edge of the seamount. ¡°We have four smaller hovels and that central building.¡±


    The central building was nearly identical to the metal structure at the beginning of the floor.


    A cetanthro looked through the window of the nearest hovel. Nikoletta punched through the window, grabbed the fish, dragged it out, and murdered it.


    ¡°Oh, she is terrifying.¡± Shade stepped behind Owin. ¡°Protect me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°Protect me anyway.¡±


    Owin stared at Nikoletta as she pulled cetanthro guts from her face. She spat into the water and continued. He hated Siora, but Nikoletta was somehow worse.


    ¡°She¡¯s a monster,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is she? She looks quite human to me.¡± Shade squatted beside Owin. ¡°Is it the angle? No, still human.¡±


    ¡°She acts like one, Shade. She¡¯s already hit you, and she¡¯s the first one that hunted me.¡±


    Shade put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. His bony fingers tapped on the chitin pauldron. ¡°And what is the best revenge?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t gotten revenge before.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, perhaps we need to practice.¡±


    Nikoletta found another cetanthro, which she brutally killed. Siora walked to the edge of the seamount and pointed to the building holding the stairs far below. Myrsvai chatted with her, pointed to the lava where the fire elemental had been.


    ¡°Practice revenge?¡± Owin asked. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let them get to the top. People like Nikoletta shouldn¡¯t have shards.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of worse people have climbed the towers before. And besides, how are you going to stop them when everything else is isolated? Well, the seventh isn¡¯t, but you know, timing things out can be quite difficult. Impossible, some might say. Improbable is more likely the correct phrase, but I am not one to say one way or the other.¡±


    Shade was right, although Owin would do his best never to admit it. The last half of the Ocean Dungeon was primarily isolated. If he wanted to stop them from getting shards . . . He grinned.


    Avani groaned and leaned on Codhyses. ¡°Are we near the end? I need to sit down.¡±


    ¡°We will get there soon. It should be inside this building,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°We will clear it quickly and get you to safety.¡±


    Suta nodded and ran to the door of the metal building. ¡°Twin?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin joined him, only giving the hovels a quick glance. There was no chance of finding the secret on this floor. Not with everyone trying to hurry. Even if he could find it, would he want Nikoletta or Siora to know where it was?


    ¡°Are you going inside?¡± Nikoletta stepped between them and opened the door. ¡°Let me lead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be better to let the skeleton go first,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not following that abomination anymore.¡± Nikoletta¡¯s mace glowed brightly as she opened the door, quickly illuminating the inside of the dark building.


    ¡°Avani, please wait here. Siora or Codhyses, would you keep her safe?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I can¡ª¡± Avani quit halfway through and leaned on the metal wall. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    Siora glanced at the door and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep her safe. You need Cod¡¯s magic in there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to insult anyone, but I am also a magus,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Codhyses smiled. ¡°A famous one. I know. But I am a telekinetic focus. It helps with the grenades.¡±


    ¡°Ah, understood. I would love the assistance.¡±


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Shade asked.


    Myrsvai used his staff to guide Shade toward the door. The skeleton let himself be pushed.


    Owin held Suta back as Nikoletta ventured inside. He watched the humans talking and waited for Myrsvai and Codhyses to join them before stepping into the dark hallway.


    Nikoletta had only walked to the end of the hall and stopped at the door, holding up her mace to cast light. ¡°Enemies on the other side,¡± she said.


    ¡°The building like this below had a lot of grenades. We should be careful of explosions,¡± Owin said. He had seen enough explosions for a lifetime.


    Nikoletta pressed her lips together, then stepped back and gestured to the door.


    Nobody moved.


    ¡°Skeleton?¡±


    Shade pressed his gloved hand to his chest. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°We need to check for explosives.¡± Nikoletta¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. She looked annoyed even having to think about Shade leading.


    ¡°Here,¡± Owin pulled one of his last grenades from his bag and shoved it into Shade¡¯s hands. ¡°If there are grenades¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kill everyone. I know the routine. I¡¯ve mastered it by now, I think.¡± Shade walked to the door and knocked. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Idiot,¡± Nikoletta hissed.


    ¡°You might want to back up.¡± Shade opened the door and was immediately smacked across the head by an iron pipe. He grabbed the cetanthro¡¯s other hand and shook. ¡°Great to meet you. My name is the Withered Shade. My friends call me Shade because they don¡¯t know my real name, but that¡¯s okay because I also don¡¯t know my real name.¡± The fish hit him again. ¡°Wow, that is a lot of grenades. And what are those sticks? Oh, also explosive from the looks of it.¡±


    Shade forced himself into the room and closed the door behind him while the cetanthro continued smacking him across the head over and over. As soon as the door closed, the entire building shook. The door buckled slightly from the explosion and bits of bright light flashed into the cracks around the door.


    After a few seconds, Nikoletta opened the door. The entire room was scorched with nothing identifiable left inside.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°I have to say, storing all your explosives in boxes like that is not a very intelligent thing to do. How do you stop someone from doing that?¡± Shade leaned on Codhyses¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t it odd?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sloswen planned on you being here,¡± Owin said.


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t remind him. He¡¯s probably watching now, ready to make me a Cursed. Oh, wait. I already am! What are you going to do about that now, Sloswen?¡±


    Shade exploded into a cloud of gray dust.


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin looked at Myrsvai, who had taken an involuntary step back.


    Codhyses coughed and stepped out of the dust cloud. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I believe Shade was just smited.¡± Myrsvai gathered abyssal flames in his staff. ¡°Can you resummon him?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    This spell is on a cooldown


    175 seconds remaining


    ¡°It said the spell is on a cooldown.¡± Owin furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that.¡±


    ¡°Why are you waiting?¡± Nikoletta hurried through the scorched room and passed right into the next. Owin hurried after with Suta right at his side and the magi behind.


    Owin would have preferred to send Shade in to help get rid of any explosions before they became an issue, but Nikoletta wasn¡¯t going to wait a few minutes for Shade to be summoned again.


    A cetanthro was crouched beside a pool of lava. It wore protective gear and held metal tools that it stuck into the pool. The whole room circled around the lava pool. With only two small cetanthro present, it looked less intimidating than any other enemies on the floor.


    ¡°Ah, and there you are.¡± Elstima stood before an anvil on the opposite side of the pool. He smashed the hammer against a piece of metal, held it up before his goggled eyes, and tossed it into a pile in the corner. All sorts of metal pieces, gears, and boxes were stuffed haphazardly into the corner of the room.


    The nearby cetanthro scooped some lava out in a crucible and kept it covered, not letting the water cool it to obsidian. It brought it to a cauldron closer to Elstima and poured it inside.


    Ocean Mob


    Elstima the Crafter


    Cetanthro Grenadier Master


    Level 45


    ¡°Are you the boss?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°I am in charge of this entire operation. Every grenade you have seen has been manufactured by me, at least in part. Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Elstima scooped some lava from the cauldron, placed it on the anvil, and hammered it.


    Nikoletta waited for the cetanthro worker to crouch beside the lava again. As soon as it did, she placed her foot on its back and shoved it right into the pool.


    Elstima stopped hammering and lifted his goggles. ¡°I see.¡±


    Nikoletta flashed yellow as she leveled up. Her mace glowed brightly. ¡°You¡¯re next.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 36

    Elstima took a few steps away from his anvil as Nikoletta stalked toward him. He held a hammer and a shard of metal, but he had no finished grenades. Compared to other bosses, he hardly looked intimidating.


    ¡°You intrude on my operation, push my assistant into the lava, and now approach me as if you are capable of fighting?¡± Elstima spun the metal shard in his hand until it formed into a metal hoop with a sharp edge.


    Before Nikoletta could get closer, Myrsvai sent a barrage of abyssal magic flying over the lava. Magenta flames battered Elstima, immediately causing his head to burst. Nikoletta shielded her head as bits of metal flew through the water and pinged off the metal walls and floor. Elstima¡¯s headless body stumbled to the side. A metal rod stuck up from his jacket, slowly leaking oil into the water.


    ¡°Defeating me won¡¯t be so simple.¡± The voice bounced around the metal room, coming from a hidden source.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°A construct,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Spread out. If explosives are present, we need to be far from one another.¡±


    Owin scanned the room as he ran to the next corner. Nothing appeared different from the metal building at the bottom of the seamount. The whole room, other than the lava pool, was all made of metal panels.


    Nikoletta approached the anvil and ran her hand over the surface. She moved to the door and pushed against it. ¡°We¡¯re locked in.¡±


    Codhyses tried the door they had just entered. ¡°Also locked.¡±


    Nikoletta¡¯s mace rang as she tried smashing the metal door open. It didn¡¯t budge. Her attack didn¡¯t even leave a dent.


    ¡°Come out and fight us,¡± Nikoletta said.


    A noise rang through the room. ¡°As you wish,¡± Elstima said.


    Eight circles on the ceiling appeared as the metal slid away. Directly above Owin, the hole was so dark he couldn¡¯t see anything until two feet appeared. Owin pulled the lich bone knife from his belt and took a step back as Elstima dropped from the hole. Seven other identical Elstimas dropped from the other holes. The nearest cetanthro turned its goggled gaze to Owin.


    Ocean Mob


    Elstima the Crafter


    Cetanthro Grenadier Master


    Level 45


    Using Examine on any of the eight fish had the same result. Each one was Elstima the Crafter.


    Nobody moved.


    ¡°What sort of trick is this?¡± Nikoletta said. Her eyes glowed brightly. ¡°Demonic tricks!¡±


    Suta grunted.


    Nikoletta swung her mace as the closest Elstima. All eight moved at once. Owin caught a glimpse of Nikoletta¡¯s target ducking and cutting her across the face with his metal loop.


    Before Owin could see more, he had to throw the lich bone knife up to block a metal loop strike. He felt an impact of a blacksmithing hammer hit the top of his helmet, but luckily, the chitin held strong.


    Codhyses hit an Elstima with a telekinetic blast that sent it straight into the lava pool. He sent another blast over the lava, hitting the fish in front of Owin. Elstima flew into the metal wall and went limp.


    Owin spun and slashed at the Elstima behind him. He cut into its face, but the metal grated against the bone, slowing the slash. The fish reached into its jacket and pulled out a grenade. A solid yank ripped the lich bone out, but the fish was still standing, bomb in hand.


    Suta pushed off the nearest wall and punched Elstima in the face, sending the cetanthro and the grenade into the lava pit. Owin grabbed Suta¡¯s leg and threw him backward before he also ended up in the lava pit.


    Something behind cut through the sinew on Owin¡¯s armor, nicking the skin underneath. Owin spun and punched, throwing the battered Elstima back into the wall.


    Nikoletta stood over two Elstima corpses with metal pieces scattered about, clearly demolished from her mace. Myrsvai kicked the remains of one into the lava while Codhyses used telekinetic spells to launch the broken pieces.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Elstima said, his voice loud from above. The metal wheel on the door near Nikoletta started spinning. ¡°My prototypes failed, so I will grace you with my true body. Not that I believe fools such as you have a chance to defeat me.¡±


    The door swung open, revealing Elstima in his full form. The cetanthro hardly looked like a fish, especially compared to the small, metal versions they had just defeated. His head looked similar to the other form, but with small tentacles sprouting from his skull, leaking blood where they emerged.


    His head was attached with metal tubes, linking it to a wide, unnatural body. His small cetanthro arms remained hanging limp at the shoulders, surrounded by tentacles and an assortment of metal limbs.


    Elstima took a step inside with his metal limbs whirring. ¡°I am the ultimate lifefo¡ª¡±


    Nikoletta smashed her mace against the side of his head, causing Elstima to stumble to the side. Before he could recover, Codhyses cast a powerful telekinetic spell, throwing Elstima into the metal wall. The monstrosity fell back, denting the metal panel. He slumped, leaking a variety of fluids. Myrsvai¡¯s Abyssal Barrage was more than enough to finish off the boss, fully destroying his head.


    ¡°Sad,¡± Suta said. ¡°No fighting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah . . .¡± Owin scratched his head and looked around. Elstima¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t sounded above again. No cetanthro moved about. There was no sign there was another stage of the boss. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to do anything.¡±


    Nikoletta picked up the body, quickly grabbed whatever loot fell out, and dragged the corpse into the lava pit. ¡°Disgusting.¡± She strode into the next room without hesitation.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Our parties together were perhaps too strong.¡± Myrsvai nodded to Codhyses. ¡°Your skill with telekinesis is impressive. You are talented.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ve heard so many stories about you when you were younger than I am. I can¡¯t imagine reaching your skill.¡±


    ¡°No. No need to think that way. You are plenty skilled and you will do great things. Just be smart. I . . .¡± Owin walked away, hurrying past the lava and anvil, into the next room. Nikoletta had already knocked over a few barrels and checked for any other loot.


    She turned as he entered. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making sure you don¡¯t ruin anything.¡±


    ¡°Ruin?¡± She raised an eyebrow as she pulled the top off a barrel. ¡°More grenades.¡±


    A blue mana wall blocked the next door. Owin followed the blue line to the ceiling, over to the other side of the room, and to the floor where it disappeared underneath a dome with a metal wheel on top.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The mana crystal.¡±


    Climbing on top of the metal dome was more difficult than he had expected. It was slippery and turning it while standing was awkward. Still, he opened the dome on his own. He hopped down, pushed it up, and jumped inside. As expected, a mana crystal was set into the wall with a few solid metal grenades sitting underneath.


    Something exploded above, sending a wave of bubbles over Owin¡¯s spot. He slipped the grenades into his bag and pried the crystal from the wall. A single hop brought him out of the hole, directly into Nikoletta.


    She shoved him back. ¡°Get off me.¡±


    Owin jumped back out to the side. ¡°I was getting the crystal. Are you ever going to be nice?¡±


    Nikoletta wiped some soot from her face. Her boots were blackened from the explosion in the corner, though she wasn¡¯t visibly injured. ¡°Nice? To you? You murdered Kata. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fight?¡±


    They both turned to Suta, who was only standing a few feet away. How long had he been there?


    Nikoletta furrowed her brow. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nobody mean to twin.¡± Suta lifted his hands.


    She pointed at Suta. ¡°What is this thing saying?¡±


    ¡°He will kill you if you¡¯re mean to me.¡±


    Nikoletta raised an eyebrow. ¡°This demon?¡± Her mace and eyes immediately glowed again.


    ¡°Is this the smartest thing you could do?¡± Myrsvai asked. His metal foot tapped with each step as he hurried into the room. ¡°Suta¡¯s rage is not unfounded. Artivan was a dear friend to us all, but Owin has decided you will live, so do not put yourself in a position to turn a different Hog on you.¡± Magenta flames emerged from the top of his staff.


    ¡°Are we not all better than this?¡± Codhyses asked. He hurried in and put himself between Suta and Nikoletta. ¡°They told me what happened in the Great Forest, and I¡¯ve heard what you went through, sir. There¡¯s no reason for us to hurt each other. You saved us, after all.¡±


    Nikoletta scowled. ¡°We could¡¯ve done it.¡±


    ¡°Owin and the Withered Shade helped us,¡± Codhyses said.


    Nikoletta stormed past Owin through the newly-opened door, then stopped. ¡°The stairs are right there. I¡¯ll get Siora and Avani.¡± She strode past everyone without a word.


    ¡°Stairs mean no twin.¡± Suta walked up and embraced Owin.


    After an awkward second, Owin hugged him back. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other on the sandbar outside.¡±


    Suta poked Owin in the chest. ¡°Shade?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Wow, did I mess up,¡± Shade said before he even fully formed. ¡°Wow, was Sloswen mad.¡± He looked around. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re still in the Ocean. Got it.¡± He saluted to the ceiling. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Shade, we¡¯re at the stairs and Suta wants to say goodbye.¡±


    Shade squatted in front of Suta. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you liked me, but I do have a way to¡ª¡±


    Suta hugged Shade. ¡°Keep twin safe.¡±


    Shade patted Suta on the head. ¡°I will.¡±


    Suta waved to Codhyses and hurried into the other room.


    Myrsvai tapped Owin with his staff as he passed. ¡°I will see you when we¡¯re both Shard Heroes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold anything back.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded. ¡°You do the same. Chorsay is waiting for us.¡± He took a step, then poked Shade with the staff. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Shade nodded.


    ¡°Good luck, Codhyses. I have no doubt you will do some great things.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff as a goodbye. ¡°Off to the isolated floors, Suta.¡±


    ¡°Eat mobs,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Stop. Maybe being away from Owin will be good for you.¡±


    ¡°Munch.¡±


    ¡°I will push you down the stairs.¡±


    Owin walked in and waved as Myrsvai took one more look back before disappearing through the doorway to the sixth floor.


    ¡°Codhyses,¡± Owin said.


    The magus joined him near the stairs. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I need you to go out the exit right now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Codhyses looked at the swirling black doorway. ¡°We¡¯re going to keep going and regroup on the seventh.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you involved.¡±


    ¡°Involved? I . . .¡± He took a step back. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Owin,¡± Shade said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting Siora and Nikoletta continue.¡±


    The skeleton touched Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t do this.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade exploded into a cloud of gray dust.


    ¡°They¡¯re not getting to the sixth floor.¡±


    Codhyses took a step back, raised his staff, and pointed his hand. Owin knew a telekinetic spell would be difficult to dodge, but the magus didn¡¯t immediately cast any spells.


    ¡°Please,¡± Owin said. ¡°They aren¡¯t good people.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not evil, Owin.¡±


    Siora laughed loudly from the boss room.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t gone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go if you won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I only want them out the door.¡±


    Codhyses sighed. ¡°They thought they would get shards.¡±


    ¡°Not while I¡¯m here.¡±


    Codhyses walked to the exit. ¡°You¡¯re not my enemy.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t mine either.¡±


    The magus nodded and stepped through the doorway, leaving the Ocean Dungeon.


    Owin stood directly in the doorway leading to the stairs with his lich bone knife brandished. Siora, Nikoletta, and Avani rounded the turn. They all stopped upon seeing him.


    ¡°Everyone is going to leave right now. Out the exit,¡± Owin said. ¡°You¡¯re not getting shards this time.¡±


    ¡°Leave? A fucking joke,¡± Siora said. ¡°We¡¯ve climbed this far. We¡¯re gettin to the tenth floor.¡±


    Nikoletta raised a single eyebrow. She looked amused. ¡°We are going down the stairs. If you stand in our way, I¡¯ll finish the job I started in the Forest.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°Fine. Avani, can you please leave?¡± Owin gestured to his right, toward the exit.


    Avani took a hesitant step away from the other two. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°The beast is going to try to kill us,¡± Nikoletta said. ¡°So we will protect ourselves.¡±


    Siora drew her glowing sword. ¡°Has it come to this, Owin?¡±


    ¡°You both brought it here. Avani, please go.¡± He stepped back and gestured to the door again.


    ¡°Go,¡± Siora said. ¡°He has no reason to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°And he has a reason to hurt you?¡± Avani asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we all just go?¡±


    ¡°See you another time.¡± Siora nodded to the side.


    Avani lingered for one more second before hurrying past Owin. She stopped at the exit and looked back. ¡°I thought you were a hero.¡±


    Owin grinned. ¡°I¡¯m a goblin.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 37

    Compared to the first time Siora had seen Owin, he looked both more human and more formidable. His armor set, while not intimidating, made him look stronger. On top of that, the variety of scars that covered every inch of exposed skin revealed his haggard experiences. The way he held his favored knife was effortless, like an assassin or soldier with years of experience. He was more muscular and more confident.


    And she was scared.


    The three foot, purple haired goblin stood in the doorway. He looked like an idiot with his hair sticking out from the ear holes of his helmet and strands nearly poking him in the eye. He had too much hair for a helmet. And still, all she thought to do was run the other direction. It was like being scared of a child, but what could she do against such a creature?


    Nikoletta was as arrogantly confident as ever. She glowed with luminous buffs and smiled at the opportunity to face Owin. It was her who had started the whole thing. If she hadn¡¯t tried to kill Owin, who knows what would have been different.


    Before their encounter on the ramp, Siora would have said she could handle Owin. In fact, she had told Veph that exact thing. Together with Nikoletta, there was no chance a little goblin could win a fight.


    After seeing the way he moved, she knew he had become a monster. He was often clumsy and didn¡¯t seem to think beyond instinct, but he was faster than anyone she had ever faced. He was fast and his instincts were usually sharp.


    She wanted to become a Shard Hero. Instead, she was going to die.


    ***


    Watching Nikoletta glow only reminded Owin that the lich bone would shatter from any luminous damage. Was it possible to fight Nikoletta with one hand and Siora with the other?


    No, probably not. He placed the knife back in his belt. Wands were an option for weapons, but the charges were low and overusing them would take chunks from his health, which could be painful enough to let the Void Nexus heroes kill him.


    The Incandescent Blade would really be the best option, but without Shade, Owin had no way to draw the sword. It was too big to pull from his back, and too inconvenient to fumble with while two heroes stared at him like he was a helpless child.


    There hadn¡¯t been many chances to punch with all his strength since he finished his chitin armor set. With solid crab chitin over his knuckles, how much more damage could one of his punches do?


    ¡°What did you do to Cod?¡± Siora asked. Being the smarter of the two, she stalked to the side, near the wall. Her glowing sword was still visible, even in his limited peripheral vision.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±


    Light flashed around Nikoletta. A luminous layer formed over her armor, making it difficult to even look at her. Her mace and eyes still glowed with her Luminous Surge ability, as they often did.


    Siora took a few more steps to the side, just far enough to cause Owin to take a step back to keep them both in his view.


    ¡°The next floor is isolated,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to the stairs until he¡¯s dead.¡± Nikoletta actually smiled.


    Owin smiled back. ¡°I was just going to let you go out the exit.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have fun with it.¡±


    They had spread out more than he had hoped, but what better way to open a fight than to reminisce about his time with Ernie and Katalin?


    Owin grabbed one of the metal grenades from his bag and threw it straight at Nikoletta. His dexterity was high enough that he didn¡¯t need to worry about missing. It was almost as if the grenade guided itself directly to Nikoletta¡¯s chest. She brought her free arm over her face and swung the mace, hitting the grenade before it struck. The explosion caused her to vanish in a cloud of smoke and bubbles.


    Owin sprinted through the doorway and leapt at Siora. Her expression hardened and abilities flashed that Owin didn¡¯t recognize. Soldiers were still a mystery.


    His fist met the edge of her shining blade. It melted the end of the chitin, pushing in slightly. Owin kicked, hitting her in the cheekbone with his boot.


    Siora forced the sword down, throwing Owin to the metal floor. He landed and jumped back as she swung twice with incredible speed, only managing to cut through the water.


    Nikoletta stormed through the smoke and bubbles. Her luminous armor was gone and red burns covered her neck. ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±


    ¡°Attack together,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°On my lead,¡± Nikoletta said as she advanced.


    ¡°Together means together, dammit!¡± Siora ran forward, but not fast enough.


    Nikoletta had left herself open. Owin sprinted and made it look like he would jump. Nikoletta committed to a strong horizontal swing, which easily passed over Owin¡¯s head. He kept his momentum forward and punched Nikoletta¡¯s armored kneecap. Metal buckled and she let out a cry as she fell to her knees. The luminous light glowed brighter as she swung, even while collapsing.


    The mace hit the side of Owin¡¯s helmet and pushed him into the hole where he had gotten the mana crystal. It was quiet for a moment. But being below meant the stairs were open.


    Owin grabbed the other metal grenade and threw it out of the hole, aiming for the doorway. There was a cry and an explosion. He jumped out to see Siora near the door with her hand pressed to her face.


    ¡°No more running,¡± Nikoletta said.


    Owin hadn¡¯t noticed he had jumped out right in front of her. Another swing should have hit the back of his head. Instead, he felt something move on his back.


    ¡°Get it off me!¡±


    Siora sprinted over, sword at the ready.


    Owin slipped to the side, letting Siora pass, and positioned himself between the Void Nexus heroes and the door. What was Nikoletta worried about?


    She had dents in her armor that hadn¡¯t been there before. A scratch had appeared from the top of her head, through the buzzed hair, down to her ear. It leaked blood quickly, but a spell forced the wound close. Nikoletta touched Siora and fixed the burns on her face, leaving a scar over her cheek to join the ones that Artivan had given her back in the Great Forest.


    Owin saw a little spike in his peripheral vision. He turned, but it remained where it was. Little red spikes appeared on the other side. He used Examine and grinned.


    The active Crab Chitin armor set draws on the lives of crabs and crab mobs. It sprouts legs and claws to assist in the wearer¡¯s protection.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Note: If arms or claws are damaged, molting and regenerating takes significantly longer than molting a piece of armor.


    Nikoletta stood and pushed weight into her injured leg. Despite the dented metal, she managed to stand, probably after forcing the broken bones back together.


    Owin walked back to the doorway and got into a stance that would let him sprint or jump as needed.


    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t going to kill us.¡± Siora flourished her blade, sending a stream of bubbles to the ceiling. She took a few steps away from Nikoletta. ¡°What happened to that?¡±


    ¡°What happened to Veph¡¯s bounty?¡±


    ¡°She wants you watched. Everyone thinks you¡¯ll become dangerous.¡± Siora pointed with her open hand. ¡°Look at you. Dangerous.¡±


    ¡°You both hunted me first.¡±


    ¡°And you killed our friends first. Your honorable old man cut my friend in half. You threw a hammer at a defenseless wizard. You aren¡¯t better than we are,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°No. But I am stronger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill us just to prove you¡¯re stronger?¡± Siora kept pacing to the side, trying to get to a point to flank him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡±


    Nikoletta took her first step forward. She winced as she placed her left foot, but her mended bones held. ¡°Stop toying with him. There¡¯s nobody to say he didn¡¯t die on the isolated floor. I¡¯m done pretending he has earned the right to live.¡±


    Siora pressed her lips together but said nothing.


    ¡°Try to kill me.¡± Owin stuck his hand in his bag and felt around. Admittedly, he had too much and the round bottles all felt the same.


    Before he could find one of Ernie¡¯s grenades, Siora dove in and stabbed. Owin leaned back, letting the glowing sword pass right over his chest. She planted her foot to stop herself from sliding into the wall. As she pulled back, Nikoletta¡¯s glowing mace swung from above, forcing Owin back another step.


    Immediately, they moved through the doorway and attacked in sync. It hadn¡¯t seemed like they actually worked together as a team, but they had more experience than he had thought. Owin brought up his arms and blocked anything he couldn¡¯t dodge. Even while moving as fast as he could. The glowing sword melted pieces of chitin while Nikoletta¡¯s mace battered him and threw him off balance.


    Owin backed into the wall, ducked under a mace swing, and felt Siora¡¯s sword singe his skin. A crab claw appeared from his back and clamped around the glowing sword, though the chitin immediately started burning.


    ¡°Get off!¡± Siora kicked Owin.


    His crab claw let the sword go as Owin crashed into Nikoletta¡¯s legs. The mender swung her mace over Owin¡¯s back, smashing legs and claws that he couldn¡¯t even see.


    He was better than this. Artivan would have scolded him for getting pushed into a corner. He wrapped both hands around Nikoletta¡¯s shin and cast Discharge. Just like against Malacoe, the lightning arced and spread through the water, but the brunt of the attack went right into Nikoletta¡¯s leg. The same leg she had just healed. A cry escaped her lips as lightning coursed up her body.


    Owin clenched his jaw as some of the spell shocked and burned him. As soon as his mana was gone, he slipped past Nikoletta toward the stairs and exit. Siora shoved the mender aside.


    ¡°After all that, you¡¯re just going to run?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡± Owin sprinted back at her, pulling the lich bone from his belt. He jumped and smacked the knife against Siora¡¯s raised sword, letting himself be carried overhead. He landed and pounced just as she turned.


    Her skills with a sword were obvious, and she was already a better soldier than the last time Owin had fought against her. Since that fight in the hobgoblin¡¯s village, Owin had also gotten better. A lot better.


    He moved so much faster that by the time Siora turned and started to move her sword into position, Owin already had the lich bone in her neck. He didn¡¯t tear or twist, he simply let her collapse backward.


    ¡°No!¡± Nikoletta charged.


    Owin left the knife in her neck and jumped away as the mace passed through the water.


    Nikoletta¡¯s jaw clenched as she stepped over Siora. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to the Abyss.¡±


    Owin grinned as he felt through his bag. He pulled out a health potion and set it on the ground. He reached back in and pulled out one of Ernie¡¯s percussion grenades.


    Nikoletta glanced at the grenade and advanced. ¡°Demonic tricks won¡¯t work on me.¡±


    He threw it, she blocked, and it still exploded. The blast knocked Owin back and caused Nikoletta to fall on top of Siora. The grenade had been bigger than he had expected. He rolled back, grabbed the health potion, and ran at the heroes. Nikoletta was just starting to sit up as Owin punched her directly in the nose. Blood spurted into the water.


    Owin popped the cork and poured the health potion into Siora¡¯s mouth as he tore the knife from her neck. Before jumping away, he smashed the glass bottle over Nikoletta¡¯s cheek.


    Nikoletta cast healing spells on Siora and helped the soldier to her feet. Blood hung like fog in the water surrounding both Void Nexus heroes. Siora¡¯s eyes were glassy and she kept her free hand pressed against her neck.


    Nikoletta touched her nose. It visibly snapped back into place with bruises forming over the bridge of her nose. Some more blood leaked out.


    ¡°Do you have more tricks?¡± Nikoletta asked.


    ¡°Can we just go?¡± Siora asked quietly.


    Nikoletta lifted her mace and chanted something Owin didn¡¯t understand. Luminous flames erupted from the mace, turning it into a torch. She adjusted her grip and wiped blood from her nostrils.


    Siora staggered to the side. She sighed and removed her hand from her neck. She checked for blood, and despite it being clean, she wiped it on her leg.


    ¡°Your mana must be low,¡± Owin said.


    The luminous fire continued burning in the water, causing the whole room to shine. Nikoletta stalked forward. ¡°I¡¯m putting an end to this.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade popped into existence directly in front of Nikoletta. He stuck out his arms to stretch and was greeted with her flaming mace.


    As soon as she started her swing, Owin pulled out a wand and cast Arcane Blast. Siora, who was still mentally distant, took the spell to the side of the face. She cried out as she fell into the metal wall.


    Shade hit the floor. ¡°I thought we were going down to the sixth floor.¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Owin set his bag and the lich bone knife aside.


    ¡°Ugh. Fine.¡± The skeleton got to his hands and knees and crawled toward Siora as Nikoletta advanced on Owin.


    Owin let her get close before he moved. Her swings were angry and predictable, allowing him plenty of time to dodge. A few small missteps resulted in glancing blows on the chitin armor, throwing Owin off his balance. Each time, he recovered quick enough that her slow swings failed to deal any serious damage. With each pass, even when he dodged, the luminous fire burned, but it did nothing special to goblins so it was damage he could ignore.


    Shade helped Siora to her feet and guided her to the exit. When she was close, she protested and turned, only to be shoved into the black doorway.


    ¡°Coward!¡± Nikoletta¡¯s onslaught became sloppier as she looked to the door.


    Owin took the opening to jump directly up, punching her in the jaw. Nikoletta was lifted off the ground and smashed into the ceiling. The mace fell from her hand, losing its luminous flames, as she bounced off the metal panel. Owin caught the mace and waited for her to land on the ground in front of him.


    Blood streamed from her mouth as she stood up and spat out a tooth. ¡°Drop my weapon.¡±


    ¡°This? The thing you tried to kill me with even when you knew I was a hero?¡± Owin turned the mace over. ¡°I could give it to Shade and unsummon him. It would disappear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to be involved in this.¡± Shade pressed himself against the wall near the exit. ¡°Don¡¯t even look at me. Pretend I¡¯m not here.¡±


    ¡°Give me my weapon.¡±


    ¡°Take it.¡± Owin held it out.


    Nikoletta glared. She spat out another gob of blood and whatever else was floating around inside her mouth, then lunged and tried to snatch the mace.


    Owin jumped to the side and swung. He lost his balance in the motion, but still managed to bring the mace around with enough speed to hit her in the left knee once again, buckling the metal even more.


    Nikoletta cried out, fell, and tried to cradle her knee.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of mana.¡± Owin dropped the mace. ¡°Stop while you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    Nikoletta pressed her hand against the wall and stood on her right leg. Blood leaked from her armor on the left leg.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Owin picked up the mace and walked over to Shade.


    ¡°No. Leave me out of it.¡±


    ¡°Hold this.¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡± Shade stuck his hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing and I don¡¯t want to be part of it.¡±


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    Shade sighed and took the mace.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade and the mace vanished in a puff of gray dust.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He placed his bag back over his shoulder and fixed the wands and knife in his belt. ¡°Tell Veph to leave me alone.¡±


    If Nikoletta was dumb enough to move to the sixth floor while injured and out of mana, she deserved to die. If she went outside, there would be someone who could help her. Owin walked down the stairs and stopped, taking one more look at the trembling mender. She glared and limped with the support of the wall.


    Owin smiled and stepped into the void nexus.


    Ocean Dungeon


    Sixth Floor

 Book 3 - Epilogue

    Vondaire had almost found a way to be comfortable while sitting on the sandbar. Comfortable was perhaps too strong of a word, but what else could he say? What else could he be? One didn¡¯t brag about discomfort, though maybe he would start.


    Codhyses was the first to stumble out of the exit. He looked around wildly, sighed, and slumped until he noticed Vondaire sitting nearby. His eyebrows shifted a lot from obvious confusion as he tried to figure out why the umbra was sitting on a cushioned chair with his feet up on a wooden table.


    Who would have furniture out on a sandbar in the middle of an ocean? Well, Vondaire would, obviously. If any rumors were going to spread about the new Shard Hero, it was quite the story. One he could live with.


    ¡°Codhyses, one of the newest Void Nexus recruits. Given up, have you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He stood up straight in a useless attempt to hide his fatigue from a moment ago. ¡°Owin asked me to leave.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Vondaire swung his feet off the table. ¡°Did he?¡± He gestured to the other side of the table where three old wooden stools were stacked. ¡°Join me for a drink. The ferry is long off.¡±


    Codhyses eyed the door uncertainly as he unstacked the stools and sat upon the bottom one. ¡°Do you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Think Owin will kill your comrades? No. But I doubt you know the horror he has felt. That horror, being hunted, sits with one, fermenting, if you will, into anger and ferocity. You have heard the stories of the Maimed Magus, of course. Myrsvai showed his ferocity on the spot, killing almost a hundred heroes. Owin hasn¡¯t had the ability to express his feelings in such a cathartic way.¡±


    Vondaire grabbed a bottle of wine from the sand beside him and pulled the cork out with a ghostly knife. He grabbed glasses from under the table and poured three, setting one to the side.


    ¡°Who is that for?¡± Codhyses asked.


    Avani appeared out of the exit. She immediately turned back and stared into the nothingness.


    ¡°They will survive,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°What?¡± Avani turned and tried to take in her surroundings.


    ¡°Join us.¡± Vondaire gestured to the third glass.


    Codhyses sniffed his wine and took a tiny sip. ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Vondaire swirled the red wine in his glass. ¡°Standing at the exit won¡¯t benefit anyone, Avani. I am certain he will let them leave. Perhaps not in the best of conditions, but they will appear in that doorway one way or another.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± She was hesitant to approach, but with Codhyses waving her over, she finally sat down.


    ¡°It was my job for many years to watch and understand dangerous people. Owin is, obviously, one of those people. I even created a file on him while working for the Izylia Unity Force. He has the potential to be more dangerous than any other Shard Hero ever has been, and yet, there are those of us, like me, who are eager to see exactly what he does.¡± Vondaire took a sip. ¡°Knowing that, he also cares deeply about the opinions of others. Two of his dear friends asked him not to kill those two, and therefore, he won¡¯t. He never did promise not to beat them to a pulp, so I expect we will be seeing pulp before long.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both strong,¡± Codhyses said. ¡°Even with his skeleton¡ª¡±


    ¡°His what?¡±


    ¡°The Withered Shade? The skeleton?¡±


    Vondaire raised his eyebrows. ¡°Now that is something I would love to hear more about.¡±


    Codhyses immediately started talking about Shade, including the skeleton¡¯s appearance, personality, and constant dying and resummoning.


    Vondaire, for once, listened. A Cursed? Where had he heard the term before? There were no mobs classified as Cursed in any of the seven dungeons.


    Vondaire held his hand up, cutting Codhyses off again, just as he was nearing the end of the story. The exit had shifted, however subtly.


    Siora and her glowing sword stumbled out. She immediately looked into the sky and fell to her knees.


    Codhyses ran over, took her arm, and helped her put the dangerous sword in its sheath. He brought her to the third stool, where she immediately slumped and placed her forehead on the tabletop.


    She was alive, but the new scars looked painful, even after forced healing. The wound on her neck had only just closed and was scabbed rather than fully healed. That indicated that it was a fatal wound, forced together using more than one method. She was lucky to be alive.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Codhyses asked.


    ¡°I thought you died,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Owin made me leave.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Avani scowled. ¡°The stories I saw said he was a hero, just like any human. Are all the stories about him being an actual monster true?¡±


    ¡°What would you do if someone hunted you across two floors of the dungeon just because of who you are?¡±


    Siora pressed her hand to her neck wound and sat up. ¡°This isn¡¯t my fault.¡± She winced with each word like the inside of her neck was still healing.


    ¡°You were the one to kill Artivan, were you not?¡±


    Siora sighed and took Avani¡¯s untouched glass of wine. She drained the whole thing, which earned a look from Vondaire. He wasn¡¯t sure what the look was, but it caused her to sip the next glass with some elegance and class.


    ¡°Just remember,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°He could have killed you both. You hunted him, killed his friend, and threw him off the ferry. He could have acted as cruel as you have, but instead he has sent a warning.¡± Vondaire pointed to the exit.


    Everyone turned as Nikoletta stepped out. She had no weapon, and blood ran over her lips, gathering on her chin before dropping onto the sand. She took one step, then collapsed as blood poured from her left knee.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Vondaire teleported beside her. Maybe he misspoke. This was not an act of mercy. Even for Owin, this was too far. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a healing potion. ¡°Do any of you have mana potions?¡±


    Codhyses took off his backpack and grabbed one, handing it to Vondaire.


    Pouring potions down an unconscious person¡¯s throat always felt a little odd. Somehow, it was something he had experience with, which would only raise questions if he pointed that out to the others.


    Health potion first to stop the bleeding, followed by the mana potion so she could finish healing herself upon waking.


    Vondaire returned to the table, leaving Codhyses and Avani to worry over the unconscious mender. Siora had stayed and sipped on her refilled glass of wine.


    ¡°You left much earlier,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°The skeleton helped me get away.¡±


    Vondaire poured extra into her glass. ¡°You don¡¯t seem as angry as the mender.¡±


    Siora stared into the dark wine, then drank the whole glass in two gulps. ¡°I tortured him. I was angry about my friends, about Elas and Titus, but we did it. That old Hog would¡¯ve left us alone. He even let me and Placus run away. I did this.¡±


    Vondaire grabbed the wine glass, making it disappear. He replaced it with a short, wide glass and produced a bottle of whiskey from his jacket. ¡°You did.¡±


    Nikoletta coughed and vomited blood onto the sand.


    Siora scowled and took a sip of her whiskey. ¡°She¡¯s going to be furious with me and Cod.¡±


    ¡°Let her be.¡± Vondaire took a sip of his wine. ¡°What floor did you just leave?¡±


    Siora finished her whiskey. ¡°Five.¡±


    ¡°Five? Still?¡± Vondaire sighed. ¡°I am going to be waiting here for centuries.¡±


    ***


    Sylmare often ended up in situations where she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do, but when Vephthru Veriss told her to do something, she did it every time.


    Standing in Vraxridge outside Althowin Alegarra¡¯s compound was stressful, to say the least.


    A line stretched for miles, disappearing down the street. People lined up every single day even though none of them would be allowed inside. Why? What was the point?


    Veph stood in her full golden suit with her crystal sword sheath on her hip and her wand placed carelessly in a pocket. She crossed her arms and stared at the front of the line.


    ¡°She knows we¡¯re here.¡±


    The other woman clicked her tongue. ¡°Obviously. It doesn¡¯t mean she will entertain us.¡± She wore full armor with deep blue accents. Her cape was purple and blew gently in the wind. Sylmare couldn¡¯t tell if the woman was mismatched on purpose or if it was all part of a set. Company leaders could afford to buy whatever they wanted.


    Egnatia Lucan leaned on her halberd. She had two other weapons sheathed on her hips. She turned and looked at Sylmare. ¡°Have you met the apprentices?¡± A purple burn scar covered almost half of Egnatia¡¯s face. It was spotted with different shades, from magenta to dark purple. It was rumored she had gotten it while killing a Lord of the Abyss. The leader of Magna Regum was known as the ¡°Demon Killer¡± for a reason.


    ¡°I have not.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Why don¡¯t we just walk inside?¡± Egnatia asked.


    Althowin appeared right in front of them. Neither hero company leader jumped, but Sylmare almost teleported herself away simply out of fright.


    ¡°Get out of my city,¡± Althowin said. She wore a lab coat and slippers. Her hair was a bit messy, almost covering the fox ears sticking out the top of her head.


    ¡°We need to talk about the escaped goblin,¡± Veph said.


    ¡°If you had come alone, I¡¯d consider talking, Egnatia.¡± Althowin scratched her head and raised an eyebrow at Veph. ¡°This one is banned.¡±


    Egnatia nodded. ¡°I heard. Hear us out, ma¡¯am. Please.¡±


    Althowin pulled an oblong object from her jacket. ¡°I could detonate this right now. Do you know what would be left?¡± She waited, a sly smile on her face. When nobody responded she said, ¡°Me and my building, leaving my receptionist and my assistants as the only people alive in all of Vraxridge. Would you like to test that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Veph said quickly. ¡°We only want to talk.¡±


    ¡°People who want to have a conversation don¡¯t casually talk about trespassing. You, Vephthru, have been banned for letting your lackeys attack my assistants. And Egnatia, I respected your father, but you are a waste of talent. You¡¯re about to be outdone by a lizard.¡±


    Egnatia shifted uncomfortably. ¡°We would never trespass, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Althowin took a step forward. Both Shard Hero company leaders took a step back.


    Althowin kept the same sly smile on her face. ¡°Three shards and four shards might make seven, but you both know how a fight would go between the three of us. The city would not be standing, and neither would you. Now, leave Vraxridge and ask for my permission before you ever think of returning.¡±


    Egnatia bowed. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I apologize.¡±


    Veph bowed her head. ¡°We will leave. I just have to ask, what will you do about the growing threat?¡±


    ¡°A threat to those who try to stop him, perhaps. I will be on the other side from you clowns, watching the goblin rip your lives to shreds. Begone.¡± Althowin waved them off, then vanished.


    ¡°How does she do that?¡± Sylmare asked. ¡°She¡¯s not an umbra.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just that fast,¡± Veph said. She adjusted her ponytail. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry to the portals.¡±


    ¡°I think that was one of her boss busters,¡± Egnatia said. ¡°I wish I could see it in action.¡±


    ¡°You would see a flash, then your life would be gone,¡± Veph said, already walking away.


    Egnatia looked at Sylmare, raised an eyebrow, then ran after Veph. ¡°That¡¯s true. Do you think Zevvrin is actually about to get his fifth shard? I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get it anytime soon. Especially after Voolyn stalled.¡±


    ¡°Is this important right now?¡± Veph asked.


    ¡°No, I know. Are you coming back to Minolitana with me? Is this umbra worth our time?¡±


    Sylmare was curious what would happen if they approached Vondaire. The aloof umbra had been so powerful, but only compared to people without shards. There was no chance he could even hurt Veph or Egnatia.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet him,¡± Veph said. ¡°Sylmare, you¡¯re coming with us.¡±


    She would rather not. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ***


    Potilia was glad to be home, and even more glad to find a stack of new books on the front counter. If they had customers, leaving stuff out could be a problem. Luckily, no one ever stopped in. Lucky for her, at least.


    ¡°Is that you?¡± Chorsay asked from his office.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    His footsteps were heavy on the floor above. ¡°You aren¡¯t hurt?¡±


    She looked up with her eyebrows skewed. A huge purple bruise covered about half of her face and plenty of other aches would argue with his observation.


    ¡°Badly, I meant.¡±


    ¡°Vondaire showed up before I had to fight Sylmare or Caspius.¡±


    Chorsay leaned on the railing. It groaned under his weight. Someday, it was going to snap right out from under him. ¡°He did?¡±


    ¡°He showed up with a bottle of wine and made us drink it while he threatened the others.¡± Potilia walked under Chorsay and grabbed the top book from the counter.


    ¡°A fictional history of the Abyss. A scholar¡¯s assumption of what it was like when it first formed.¡±


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Potilia sat on her stool and opened to the first page.


    ¡°If you read it for the fiction that it is, I believe you will enjoy it. Some names should be recognizable.¡± He walked down the stairs and passed right into the mess. ¡°The other is an eyewitness recount of the last king of Brukiya¡¯s execution.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She moved the top book off and grinned as the poorly drawn decapitated head of the king looked back at her from the cover. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Vondaire . . .¡±


    ¡°Had a shard and said he was going back to wait for Owin and Myrsvai.¡± She leaned on the counter and started reading the book about the Abyss.


    Chorsay set a cup of coffee on the counter beside her. ¡°A job well done.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    He sipped his own cup, then hummed his way up the stairs. The wood creaked under him with each step, threatening to pull her focus away from the words until he finally sat down. His humming continued, deep and calming.

 Book 4 - Prologue

    80 Years Earlier


    Zezog had mentioned the simple irritation one suffered while in the Ocean. It wasn¡¯t better than the wind burns and dry air of the Sky, but she couldn¡¯t say it was worse. If nothing else, it was equally as annoying.


    The stairs down from the ninth floor were nearly impossible to see so far below. Alchemists didn¡¯t bother with spells or abilities that created light. If she had wanted, she could have created an artificial light source in a bottle that would have lasted through the whole journey, but why waste the time?


    Althowin¡¯s eyes flashed, harnessing the kitsune¡¯s ability to see everything, including things thought to be undetectable. It was her ability now, she had to remember. The kitsune had lost its independent thoughts a few months ago, now becoming perfectly in sync. They were one.


    The layer of hydrophobic gel still held strong over her clothes, keeping them dry even after nine floors of the Ocean Dungeon. Unfortunately, the same thing had only lasted for an hour on her skin and hair, which were now bothered. She would need to air out after spending so long under water. Her drying lamps would come in handy, though those might make her into some leather-like preserved mummy if she wasn¡¯t careful. They were helpful in alchemy, not in anything that was human-related.


    ¡°I¡¯m distracted,¡± she said to herself, striding down the stairs and straight into the Void Nexus.


    A domed room appeared. It wasn¡¯t like a natural cave, as she had expected since traversing through the trench. This was an architectural wonder. Bright mosaics covered every inch of the dome, depicting kraken and snakes. Other mosaics along the walls all around the outside were colorful depictions of the coral reefs on the first and sixth floor, the shipwreck on the third, the olm twins on the fourth, and the bright hydrothermal vents of the seventh.


    It was a monument to the dungeon itself. A carefully crafted piece of art that only one being could have created.


    While the boss stood on the other side, waiting patiently, they weren¡¯t who Althowin was eager to speak with. The boss would wait. They always did.


    She reached inside her jacket and pulled out an oblong container. The pill-shaped hunk of metal was the only bomb she had left after her journey through the other nine floors. Of course, it was intentional. When the Boss Buster detonated, anything she was carrying was eviscerated, so holding onto extra bombs would only be a waste at that point.


    The water shifted, as if preparing, before a shape dropped from above. A tall, unnatural man stood just before her. He had dark brown skin that glowed. Shining blue tattoos wrapped around his forearms, matching the two streaks on his face stretching from his lips to his hair, passing over his stark white eyes.


    As he turned his head to face her, his eyes shifted to blue with faint yellow pupils, barely giving an idea of where he was looking. A snake tattoo slithered over his bicep, crawling down to his forearm, where it turned to acknowledge her.


    ¡°Lord Sloswen,¡± Althowin said, bowing her head.


    ¡°You have made a mockery of my dungeon.¡± His voice was deep and felt as though it reverberated through the water. He reached over and plucked the Boss Buster from her hand. He held it between two fingers as if it was a little pebble.


    A Boss Buster weighed two hundred pounds.


    ¡°Chaudius, activate five shards.¡±


    The boss nodded. A familiar humming started as each of the five shards in turn floated up from the boss¡¯s back. It wouldn¡¯t matter if Sloswen let the boss activate all seven.


    Althowin was getting her sixth shard today.


    ¡°This,¡± Sloswen said, lifting the Boss Buster. ¡°This is not how dungeons are meant to be completed.¡±


    ¡°How else would you expect an alchemist to proceed?¡±


    The unnaturally tall man handed the bomb back, dropping it into Althowin¡¯s arms. ¡°We prefer combat. It gives our champions an opportunity to stretch their legs, at least. When you detonate this, what is it that you expect Chaudius to do?¡±


    ¡°Die.¡±


    Sloswen crossed his arms. The snake tattoo slithered from his left hand onto his right. ¡°Barbaric.¡±


    ¡°What did Zezog do?¡±


    Sloswen almost looked annoyed. Some of the other gods wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to stop to talk. Diphinadra hadn¡¯t even bothered to appear until the fight was done, and even then all that happened was a quick, silent hand off of the shard.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Zezog cut my dear Chaudius in half. It was a swift, unsightly fight.¡±


    Seeing the cetanthro destroyed by the Boss Buster wasn¡¯t going to be any better.


    ¡°I have a question before the battle begins,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°I assumed you did. I have been hearing your name quite frequently, you know. The next 7 Shard Hero, they say. Nehadya spoke highly of you. Even Eldtannatar was impressed.¡±


    Althowin bowed her head again. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Ask your question.¡±


    ¡°How many 7 Shard Heroes have there been? How many before me?¡±


    Sloswen smiled broadly. ¡°What is it that you plan to wish for?¡±


    ¡°Fame. Success. I want to be the best alchemist in the world.¡±


    Sloswen pointedly turned his attention to the Boss Buster. ¡°And you don¡¯t believe you are now?¡±


    ¡°I want everyone to know who I am, even those who don¡¯t care about the towers. I want to be at a point where not even other heroes can challenge me. I want to truly be the best.¡±


    Althowin only just noticed the seaweed growing between the stones beneath her feet. It wasn¡¯t there when she had arrived. Before her eyes, seaweed grew underneath Sloswen, teeming with life just from his presence.


    ¡°You cannot wish to be the best to achieve your goals. It would make you the best at the time of the wish, but you already are. What alchemist could stand in your way?¡±


    He was right about that. No other alchemist was capable of doing the things she had done. There was a reason most alchemists didn¡¯t go for shards. Most didn¡¯t even travel alone if they were entering any of the towers.


    ¡°Do you have a recommendation, Lord Sloswen?¡±


    ¡°If you want to be the best, to challenge even combat heroes, you will need to hone your craft beyond even the skills of Klatine, Eldtannatar, or Cassimarcia. You will need to rise above the gods, who have had eternity to practice. You will need¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eternal life,¡± Althowin whispered.


    ¡°Fame, talent, and fortune come from effort. You earn them. Wishing for any would be useless for one such as you, Althowin Alegarra. You who have tamed the infamous kitsune, who have eliminated five bosses without true combat. You have not cheated, though you have made us feel inadequate, to an extent. You have already reached a level unlike anyone else currently on Verdantallis. Do not waste your seventh shard wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sloswen nodded. The water around him shivered.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The god looked back down.


    ¡°How many¡ª¡±


    ¡°You will learn more than you can imagine upon ascending to the seventh shard.¡± In an instant, Sloswen was gone. Only the seaweed that grew beneath his feet remained.


    Chaudius, the final boss of the Ocean Dungeon, still stood on the other side of the room. It was a beautiful dome. Undoubtedly one of the best arenas Althowin had seen. Luckily, they were protected by the gods. She didn¡¯t have to worry about ruining the art.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    Chaudius bowed their head.


    The Boss Buster detonated, immediately turning all the water into steam before everything in sight was engulfed in hellfire.


    ***


    Present Day


    Katalin looked over Althowin¡¯s shoulder, watching as Ernie suited up with gloves, a mask, and even goggles. Part of her felt bad. A very small, almost nonexistent part.


    ¡°If you miss even one speck, I will . . .¡± Althowin crossed her legs. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not feeling all that angry. If I do get all riled up, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°I know how to clean the terrarium,¡± Ernie said. He fit the goggles on and adjusted the strap normally sized for Katalin.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see.¡± Althowin continued shifting oddly, unable to find comfort, until Ernie was out of the room. She immediately leaned forward.


    Katalin almost sat back because of Althowin¡¯s intensity. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Things are worse than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Things?¡± Katalin poured a glass of water from a nearby pitcher and handed it to Althowin. ¡°What things?¡±


    Althowin took the glass and immediately set it down. ¡°I thought only the militaries were getting antsy about the goblin, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°But the hero companies are also watching Owin closely.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you had a Boss Buster?¡±


    Althowin made a face. Specifically, the face she made when she knew she did something that would upset Katalin. Ernie, she was okay upsetting.


    ¡°Vephthru and Egnatia.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Olena, Isaak, and Nastya were here yesterday,¡± Althowin said quickly.


    ¡°That¡¯s all the big three! I thought you didn¡¯t talk to the Three Heads!¡± Katalin tried thinking of smaller hero company leaders, but couldn¡¯t make it past Chorsay. She couldn¡¯t even remember the Golden Bull¡¯s leader, and she had recently hired one of their heroes.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill him.¡±


    Katalin leaned back. The little room they were in was surrounded by labs and studios that Althowin hopped between on any normal day. Ernie, now inside the toad study room, looked out. He knew her well enough to read her body language. She needed to stay calm until Althowin finished what she was saying.


    ¡°The Three Heads?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°No. Maybe. The companies, Kat. All of them. Look.¡± She scooted forward and grabbed Katalin¡¯s hand. ¡°Owin isn¡¯t just another hero. If everything you said is true, he has no limit. No levels to stop him or a class to follow. He can do anything, and that scares the world¡¯s strongest.¡±


    ¡°Except for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve detonated city level bombs in my own face. It¡¯s difficult to scare me.¡±


    Katalin squeezed her hand. ¡°Then why are you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you two caught in the middle of this war.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re the strongest.¡±


    ¡°I was.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 1

    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 416


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 270


    Intelligence: 275


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    The sixth floor of the Ocean Dungeon was brighter than the fifth, but it wasn¡¯t sunlight illuminating the colorless coral. Little crystals were spread all about the floor, pulsing with blue, green, and purple light.


    A dirty, forgotten tile path led into the coral reef. Owin stepped off the stairs and onto the path. It had been a long time since he had been on an isolated floor. The last time, he had killed two cultists the moment he appeared on the floor.


    So far, this was calmer.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade formed from gray dust and immediately dropped Nikoletta¡¯s mace onto the tile path. He turned on Owin and poked him in the forehead with a skeletal finger. ¡°Never use me like that again!¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! You were practically torturing those heroes!¡±


    ¡°They killed my friend. I was only making them leave the dungeon.¡±


    Shade crouched until his eye sockets were level with Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°We both know there was more than that, whether you want to admit it or not. You hurt them worse than you needed to.¡±


    Owin clenched his jaw. What did Shade know about any of it? He had been locked away for so long that he didn¡¯t know what the real world was like or what heroes were like anymore. He didn¡¯t know who Siora and Nikoletta actually were. He only saw them trying to help Avani.


    ¡°You¡¯re my summon,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And I will happily insult Sloswen until he destroys me and forces me into my box if you are going to use me to torture heroes.¡± Shade poked Owin in the forehead again. ¡°You need to be better than that.¡±


    ¡°I am. They¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°Who is looking more evil right now?¡±


    Owin scowled.


    ¡°And what am I supposed to do with this?¡± Shade picked up Nikoletta¡¯s mace again and almost lost his balance. ¡°Do you expect me to swing this?¡±


    ¡°No. You can leave it here.¡±


    Shade immediately dropped the mace. ¡°Good. It was too heavy, and I¡¯ll be honest, the room in that box is already cramped. I can¡¯t store items in there. And I shouldn¡¯t have to! You shouldn¡¯t be stealing weapons from others. I thought I taught you better than that!¡±


    ¡°What have you taught me? You just talk until you blow up!¡±


    Shade¡¯s brow dropped, somehow making him look angry. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve done? Me? Really? Perhaps now I¡¯ll start spewing secrets until Sloswen smites me. You clearly don¡¯t need me. I can just say¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Owin grabbed the skeleton¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want you on this floor with me.¡±


    Shade crouched until his eye sockets were even with Owin¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have had a lot of life that I haven¡¯t seen, and stories never truly do the truth any justice, but one thing I do know is that a good person doesn¡¯t use their strength to make someone else feel small.¡± Shade held his hand out and measured Owin¡¯s height. ¡°My word choice could have been better, but I assume you know the direction I am going.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I gave them the option to leave. I said they could walk out.¡±


    Shade popped back to his feet. He looked around and poked some coral just off the path. ¡°I had forgotten what this floor looked like. It¡¯s . . . almost pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    Shade placed his hand on the top of Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°Angry? Yes. Disappointed? Also yes. We only hurt heroes when we have to. Deal?¡±


    ¡°But why do you care?¡±


    ¡°Why? Well, I was a hero.¡± The water surrounding Shade shook. He looked up at the dark water above. ¡°Yes, yes. I know.¡±


    ¡°Sloswen?¡±


    Shade nodded slowly. ¡°I can''t reveal the few secrets that I can actually remember or I end up in the box for my punishment and all that. Part of being a Cursed.¡±


    Owin just stared at the skeleton while Shade continued poking nearby things. The skeleton had been a hero. Did that mean the Sovereign One was also a hero before it was a lich? What did that mean for Artivan?


    Shade walked over and poked the boundary wall. ¡°There is just water on the other side of this, you know. What else would be on the other side of the Ocean boundary?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°Shame I cannot answer them. Blame the gods.¡± Shade flinched. ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    As far as Owin could see, everything was coral reef, just like the first floor, but with a lot less color. The sixth floor was so deep below the surface that there was barely any light from above. Without the crystals all over the ground, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see a thing.


    ¡°Do we just follow the path?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I would do. I assume you will miss the secret and the chest if you do that, but we can always wander if you¡¯d like. We¡¯re isolated, so we don¡¯t need to worry about some angry, spurned lover entering the floor after us with a vendetta.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s follow the path,¡± Shade said.


    Shade rounded the corner, disappearing behind a huge chunk of coral, then immediately reappeared, walking a bit faster than before. ¡°Have you ever seen a starfish?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Shade nodded quickly and positioned himself directly behind Owin. ¡°Well, then I have good news for you.¡±


    A horrible creature appeared from behind the coral. It was dozens of feet across and looked like it was walking on a million tiny legs underneath its ten different arms.


    Ocean Mob


    Sea Star


    Level 42


    ¡°That says sea star,¡± Owin said, already drawing his lich bone knife.


    ¡°Sea star. Starfish. Does it look like I really care about getting the names correct? I would prefer not to be eaten by this thing, even if it wouldn¡¯t actually hurt. You know, it still isn¡¯t pleasant¡ª¡±


    Instead of listening to Shade, Owin watched the creature move close before leaping over. He aimed for the center where all the arms met and missed by a few inches. He tore into the sea star with the blade, and scrambled as it shivered and tried to shake him off. A few more quick stabs killed the creature.


    ¡°That was easy.¡± Owin jumped off instead of walking between its many legs.


    ¡°And that was one of the normal mobs on this floor.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin fixed his bag and adjusted the wands in his belt. ¡°What are the bosses?¡±


    ¡°I have no memory. I am sure we will know when we see them.¡±


    They had to crawl back over the sea star¡¯s corpse to follow the path. The coral was high on both sides and formed around tall rocks, making it feel like they were in a valley. Owin jumped up a piece of coral onto a rock, and quickly found a ceiling boundary. He didn¡¯t even get to the top of the tall rock, which meant his view of the deep sea coral reef wasn¡¯t any better than it was below.


    He climbed back down and stared down the path. Shade quickly followed while poking everything he passed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Me? Oh, nothing.¡±


    Owin sighed and kept an eye on the path ahead. There were some spots that looked like he could maybe slip through, but only because he was small. There was nothing that looked like an obvious alternate route for other heroes on the floor. If he was going to find the chest and its guardian, it would need to be somewhere accessible. The chests weren¡¯t specifically hidden, only protected.


    The secret could be anywhere, so he would need to figure out how to search for that.


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Shade said.


    Before he could keep talking, a sea star crawled over the top of the rocks and coral, passed the boundary wall, and fell on top. Everything was so dark that the sea star didn¡¯t create a shadow or give any warning to its arrival. Immense weight shoved Owin straight onto the path. Little legs and feelers moved all around him. The legs and claws on his armor were still busy regenerating, so there was nothing to push the sea star off his back.


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want this to happen!¡± Shade shouted.


    Owin could hardly move. The sea star¡¯s legs were wider than his whole body. The best he could manage was to let go of the knife and grab anything squishy nearby. With his face pushed directly into the ground, he had no view of what was happening around him.


    Discharge.


    He flinched as some of the electricity arced back at him. With so much of the sea star surrounding him, it was less of a problem than the last two times he had used it. His mana hadn¡¯t had much time to recharge, so the spell was done quickly, but not before roasting part of the sea star¡¯s arm.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Owin snatched the lich bone and rolled over, swinging the knife in a wide arc. He severed the end of the arm, then leapt and tore the knife across the center. The mob died quickly again.


    ¡°Some help please?¡± Shade asked, his voice muffled.


    Owin stood on the sea star¡¯s corpse, looking down each arm. The skeleton¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t been very clear, and there were a lot of arms. After a second, Shade¡¯s arm popped out from underneath the corpse and waved wildly.


    ¡°I see you.¡± Owin lifted the arm with some effort. Once Shade was free, Owin let the arm fall heavily back to the tile path. ¡°I could¡¯ve just unsummoned you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Well, here we are. Two sea stars down and probably a million more to go. You know what they say. Where there¡¯s one sea star, there¡¯s often more than one.¡± Shade fixed his scarf and kicked the mob¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°I made it up.¡± Shade awkwardly crawled over the sea star and fell off the other side.


    Owin cleared the corpse in a single hop, landing just in front of the skeleton. ¡°Do sea stars travel together?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    They continued down the path, stopping occasionally as Owin found something odd or Shade tried to stick his arm into the coral and got stuck. Four different times.


    ¡°What if something is back there?¡± He started to reach into a coral again but was pulled back by Owin.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    The path continued for hours, interrupted by four more sea stars. Each one was a difficult fight, though they didn¡¯t feel particularly dangerous. They were big and heavy, but even when Owin didn¡¯t react fast enough, little more happened than getting shoved or having one land on top of him. Even without armor, the damage would¡¯ve been minimal. As far as dangerous mobs went, the sea stars were far down his list. Even the eels on the first floor had felt more dangerous.


    Shade tried lifting a sea star arm, grunting with the effort. He let go and caused himself to tumble backward. ¡°How many Shades do you think that weighs?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard. We don¡¯t want to trouble that little noggin of yours.¡±


    Owin pulled Shade off the path. The coral and rocks surrounding them made the floor feel so cramped, but as Shade had said, it was beautiful. The glowing crystals caused bits of the coral to shine, even though the coral itself was mostly gray and tan. It felt like it was a moonless night, though Owin knew the floors got darker the deeper he went.


    ¡°Why are these mobs so easy?¡± He asked as he shook part of the sea star. A single dungeon coin popped out.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re still a higher level than the sixth floor mobs. I assume the bosses on this floor will start to challenge you, and the next floors are where the real challenge will probably start, though if we find some potions to pour down that throat of yours, we will probably have less of a challenge than we otherwise might.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is just like the math conversation I had with Avani.¡± Shade ran over, snatched the piece of gold, and flicked it at Owin¡¯s face. ¡°More potions equal tougher goblin, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°And therefore¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can we keep moving?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine. I never get to use the word therefore in a full sentence. It¡¯s a tragedy.¡±


    Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and guided him down the path. The skeleton was too weak to actually push him forward, but Owin still let the skeleton try.


    They followed the path through the reef until the rocks opened into a little dirt path. It had been hidden until rounding a turn, and would have been the perfect place for an ambush. Instead, Owin found a girhuma on the ground with a splinted leg and a broken cart. A wheel with broken spokes laid on the ground beside the tilted cart, which the water elf leaned against.


    A glowing dark red orb hung above his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a mandatory quest. You haven¡¯t seen one before?¡± Shade had apparently missed the part where Owin had been quiet.


    The girhuma turned at the skeleton¡¯s voice. Her face was bruised and she kept both webbed hands on her injured leg. ¡°A traveler! Please¡ª¡±


    ¡°If she finishes her sentence, you will automatically get the quest,¡± Shade said.


    The girhuma scowled at the interruption.


    ¡°The key is to keep talking and not let the mobs talk over you. Now, if I was to say that I had a special skill set, even without my skin, or my . . .¡± He pointed to his hips. ¡°You know. I, uh . . . What was I saying?¡±


    ¡°Talking.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I am extraordinarily skilled at such an endeavor, though I suppose if the quest is required to continue onto the seventh floor, it would likely be in our best interest if I was to stop talking for even a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shade pointed at Owin, then used both hands to force his jaw up. He tried to open his mouth and seemingly struggled to hold it closed with his skeletal arms.


    ¡°Please help us,¡± the girhuma continued. ¡°I was on my way to collect the stolen batteries, but I fell and broke my leg.¡±


    ¡°Oh, likely story. How did the whole wheel of a cart break if you tripped?¡± Shade asked. A look from Owin made the skeleton slam his own jaw shut again.


    ¡°How can I help?¡±


    New Quest


    Unstable Gateway


    Reward: Passage to the 7th floor


    Note: Check the Journal for more information


    Owin opened his journal and read through the short bit of information given. ¡°It says the girhuma village was destroyed by an unstable gateway.¡±


    ¡°Well, I got that from the name of the quest.¡±


    Owin gave Shade the same look that made the skeleton force his own jaw shut.


    10 Hours


    ¡°Why does it say 10 hours?¡± Owin moved his eyes around, but the time remained in the top left of his vision.


    9:59


    ¡°That is counting down,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Please, find the batteries. Close the gateway.¡± The girhuma pointed down the path. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    ***


    Vondaire had, admittedly, fallen asleep. A good touch of alcohol was just the right hand he needed in finally getting some rest. Unfortunately, that rest had let him be surprised by the two most unpleasant women he had ever had the fortune of meeting.


    ¡°Egnatia Lucan,¡± the heavily-armored one said. Her sneer was twisted even farther by the horrible scar across half her face.


    ¡°Am I expected to know who you are?¡± Vondaire sat upright in his chair. Of course he knew who she was. He wasn¡¯t some kind of moron.


    Egnatia glared with enough intensity to tear a hole through Vondaire¡¯s head, which he was sure she would happily do.


    ¡°Stop acting like a moron,¡± the other said.


    ¡°Ah, Vephthru Veriss. The world wishes to know if the face you hide behind that mask is one of beauty or sorrow.¡±


    She had her infamous wand pointed at his throat with such speed that he didn¡¯t see her move. ¡°Want to try that again?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, ladies. How can this homely man be of service to you?¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± Egnatia said. She eyed the exit. ¡°Why are you waiting here?¡±


    ¡°I have some friends within who I promised to wait for, despite knowing it would be a few days. You see, I am just that kind of kind hearted person.¡±


    Veph pulled out a chair and sat heavily. Her spy lingered a few feet away and only hesitantly approached as Veph waved her closer. Potilia hadn¡¯t seemed keen on hurting this one, so Vondaire would leave her be.


    ¡°The goblin and the Maimed Magus,¡± Veph said.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°What of my heroes?¡± Veph leaned her elbows on the table. ¡°I know you are familiar.¡±


    ¡°They exited after the fifth floor. You must have missed them on their way back to Atrevaar.¡± Vondaire¡¯s stash was running low, but it seemed as good a time as any for another drink. He produced a bottle of wine and the same four glasses. One could only tell they had been previously used if they looked too close. He had swirled them in the ocean water, but that was just as likely to taint the glass as it was to clean it.


    Sylmare sat down and stared right at Vondaire with a confidence he hadn¡¯t seen during their last encounter. Her leader inspired her, unlike any leaders Vondaire had ever followed. Chorsay was a nice man, but . . . not inspirational.


    ¡°They left early?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It appears the fifth floor was too much of a challenge for the three of them.¡±


    Veph raised one eyebrow. ¡°The fifth floor is far from a challenge.¡±


    ¡°For inexperienced heroes,¡± Egnatia said. ¡°I never let my trainees go past the fourth.¡± She stood near the edge of the sandbar, watching the water lap against her boots. ¡°People don¡¯t leave the fifth floor. They die on the fifth.¡±


    ¡°Not in this case. Maybe Void Nexus is just better than Magna Regum.¡± Vondaire poured a glass and smiled at the two company leaders who cast glares at him. ¡°How could I really say? I¡¯m a Nimble Hog, after all.¡±


    ¡°A joke,¡± Egnatia said. ¡°An old man that took you in out of pity.¡±


    ¡°I was having a nice time until the three of you arrived. You don¡¯t seem keen on having a drink, so how can I help you move along?¡±


    Egnatia vanished and reappeared behind Vondaire with a knife pressed to his throat. ¡°You insult my kin.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Vondaire said. He stifled a yawn and stretched as he walked across the sand behind Sylmare. All three women looked over, then back where Egnatia held a knife to nothing. ¡°I insult everyone. Magna Regum or not, everyone is inferior. If you take it personally, well, that is a personal choice.¡±


    Vondaire prepared more spectral clones, ready to fan them out if Egnatia moved against him again. She would never know where he actually stood. A talented soldier was dangerous, especially when they had three more shards than him, but a soldier was only dangerous if they could land a hit.


    Realistically, Veph was the bigger threat to Vondaire even with less shards than Egnatia. Dodging a swing of a weapon was easy. Dodging a fireball was significantly more difficult.


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Veph said. ¡°Sit down, umbra.¡±


    Vondaire crossed his arms and smiled. ¡°Ooh. No. Let¡¯s try that again.¡±


    ¡°Once you have your second shard, I¡¯ll say your name. Sit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to stand.¡±


    Egnatia sheathed her knife and leaned on the back of Vondaire¡¯s chair. ¡°You think you¡¯re stronger than us.¡±


    ¡°I will be.¡±


    ¡°That type of confidence is unfounded with the little Hogs. You¡¯re a unique one. You threatened Caspius, which in turn threatened me. And you were stupid enough to do it within my city. Do you expect that I¡¯ll let you just sit on this sandbar and wait for your little friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She grabbed his glass of wine from the table and took a long drink. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I left Caspius alive and allowed your two little spies to finish their jobs before sending the Hog away. Everyone was successful. All three lived.¡± Vondaire placed a hand on the back of Sylmare¡¯s chair. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Sylmare said.


    ¡°What will you do when they leave the dungeon?¡± Veph asked.


    ¡°I am waiting to escort them to Atrevaar. Nothing else. As soon as they are safe, I will be off to acquire my second shard.¡±


    ¡°So soon? You will overwork yourself,¡± Egnatia said.


    ¡°Says the one who has underworked herself. How long have you been at four? And you¡¯re not even fused.¡± Vondaire held up four fingers and pointed to his thumb. ¡°What is it that¡¯s so scary about that fifth?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± Egnatia said to Veph.


    Veph nodded slowly. ¡°Why the Nimble Hogs?¡±


    ¡°I saw an opportunity to gather valuable information from Chorsay Eoghet. Information I didn¡¯t expect Void Nexus, Magna Regum, or the Three Heads to provide to a new member, especially a member that is set on getting all seven shards.¡± Vondaire finally sat again with his back to the Ocean exit.


    Egnatia sat in Vondaire¡¯s original chair and continued to drink his wine. ¡°What use would we have for a Shard Hero like you? No reasonable client is going to hire someone with shards. What are the Hogs going to do with you or the two in there now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for Chorsay to know. I don¡¯t know what goes on in the old man¡¯s head. All I know is that he sees me getting the shards as a favor to him, in some odd way. Now, you two, have much bigger and more important operations to oversee than anything the Nimble Hogs are doing. You are not my enemies. In fact, I have five enemies, all within Izylia.¡± Vondaire held up a single finger. ¡°Let me rephrase that. I have five people who I absolutely despise and intend to subtly murder in the future, but they are all personal vendettas that do not involve your companies or even your countries.¡±


    ¡°From the Unity Force?¡± Sylmare asked.


    ¡°I feel saying more could put me in some deep water, and . . .¡± He gestured to the nearby ocean. ¡°I¡¯d rather not get my feet wet again.¡±


    ¡°You just admitted to an intent to murder,¡± Egnatia said.


    ¡°And you put a knife to my neck while I was unarmed and not provoking you in any reasonable way. We all have some crimes we commit. I keep my secrets, you keep yours, and we all continue on our little happy ways all the better. I have no intention of making enemies out of either of you or your companies, but it also doesn¡¯t mean that I will wail under the boot like some injured puppy. Before long, you will be hearing about me everywhere you go, and I¡¯d prefer to tell the press that I had the pleasure of meeting leaders from two of the big three right after getting my first shard.¡±


    ¡°Confidence,¡± Egnatia said.


    ¡°Arrogance.¡± Veph was fiddling with her wand. Vondaire watched the little piece of wood flip around her fingers so carelessly. It was such an odd habit, whether conscious or not. It was like trying to scratch an itch with the point of a knife. One little mistake could kill, but in her case, it would kill everyone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± Egnatia said. She picked up the bottle of wine as she stood. ¡°Straight to the portals once you return on the ferry. If you return to Minolitana Prima in the future, it will be on your own as a peaceful visitor. No goblin. No Hogs.¡±


    Vondaire nodded. ¡°As a tourist enjoying the delightful wine and seaside cafes.¡±


    Egnatia gave him a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Veph. I have something to show you.¡±


    Veph slipped the wand up her sleeve. ¡°Fine.¡± She stood and tapped Sylmare with her metal hand. ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    The spy nodded to Vondaire. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Vondaire leaned back and kicked his feet up on the table. The three women walked back to the ferry, which had remained at the sandbar the entire time. Apparently Egnatia was also in control of that.


    Sylmare and Veph boarded and immediately took seats and talked, while Egnatia looked back at Veph with the same smile that caused her scarred, purple cheek to wrinkle.


    The ferry lurched into motion with Egnatia still staring at Vondaire.


    He pretended not to notice. Nothing made him uncomfortable. He glanced over and caught her gaze.


    Alright, he was uncomfortable.

 Book 4 - Chapter 2

    Owin, admittedly, did not hurry. Ten hours was a long time, and it only took another half hour of walking through coral reef before he found the girhuma village. The last stretch had fewer rocks and coral, and had dirt paths that split from the tile path, leading off through the rocks and coral.


    At the end of the tile path was a huge gate of natural, pointed stone. On each side were curved, sharp stones, blackened from fire. Beyond the opening was wreckage in a tile plaza. Owin stood just outside of the circular opening.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the gateway, right?¡±


    ¡°No, this is just an ominous portal looking gateway with things that look eerily like demon horns on each side.¡± Shade touched the stone. ¡°It feels like a rock.¡±


    ¡°Is that good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be more concerned if it felt like something else.¡±


    Owin stepped through the gate and kicked some broken pieces of wood aside. The water in the plaza was different from outside. It hummed with energy. The whole massive tiled area was surrounded by stones even bigger than those around the reef path.


    A massive crystal dominated the center of the plaza, reaching higher than any of the stones. It glowed with a calm violet light, contrasting it harshly from the swirling chaotic gateway on the opposite end.


    ¡°I found the gateway,¡± Shade said.


    Straight across from Owin was a cave entrance with a similar opening to the one he had just passed through. He looked from the cave to the obviously unstable gateway on the opposite end.


    ¡°We should look at the gate first, right?¡±


    Shade took a big step toward the unstable gateway, then ran. Nobody was present in the plaza. The only things other than the crystal, the gateway, and the rubble were four standing stones with circular openings near the top.


    Owin stopped far enough away from the gateway to ensure he didn¡¯t somehow get caught in its chaotic energy. It was a stone ring mounted atop a stack of circular platforms. Owin assumed the stone ring was empty.


    Currently, a dark cloud hung in the middle. That alone was eerie enough on its own, but the more obvious issue was the constant incomprehensible whispering and the dozen white hands sticking out from the portal, trying to claw their way out.


    The arms waved, trying to find anything. The ones nearest the bottom clawed at the stone platform, but found no leverage.


    9:22


    ¡°It looks like cathkabel,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Does it?¡± Shade leaned a bit closer and cupped a hand over where his ear would have been. ¡°That sounds more abyssal to me.¡±


    ¡°But the skin is like a cathkabel.¡± It was white and nearly translucent, allowing him to see the veins, sinew, and even magic flowing in lines beneath the skin. Black nails of varying sizes and shapes scratched at the air.


    ¡°I thought I heard voices!¡± A girhuma stood at the cave entrance and waved them over. ¡°Please, come inside to safety.¡±


    Shade had inched dangerously close to the grasping hands. ¡°Do you think they want something? Like a coin? Or perhaps just a firm handshake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to find out. Let¡¯s go inside. I want to ask about the quest.¡± Owin grabbed Shade and dragged the skeleton away before he found a way to get himself killed.


    The girhuma remained at the door and waved them on. As soon as they got close, he ducked back inside the cave. The interior was furnished and well lit, with clumps of glowing crystals along the cave walls. On the left, some girhuma sat at a table while some children played on a rug. Others were lying in beds placed in a line.


    Bags, boxes, and barrels were stacked near the crystals, holding things from coins to pots and pans. Everything the girhuma could take from outside was stuffed into the cave.


    Owin followed the water elf through the living quarters and into the opposite end of the cave where a few others had gathered. Something in a huge jar moved wildly on a table in the center of the collected girhuma.


    Ocean Mob


    Gustana


    Girhuma Elder


    Level 45


    ¡°Are you here to help stop the interloper from reaching us?¡± Gustana asked.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shade stepped right in front of Owin. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. Stopping interlopers and all that.¡± Shade walked up to the huge jar on the table and tapped it, causing all the girhuma to flinch.


    ¡°Please leave that creature alone,¡± Gustana said.


    Whatever was inside the jar had countless tentacles and eyes. Owin looked at it for a second, but as soon as it looked back, he shifted his attention to the old water elf.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been living here for ages. The gateway was always present. There was no way to destroy it. We¡¯ve tried. The standing stones always held mana batteries that we never dared touch. Suddenly, the gateway activated. The magic coming out destroyed every home in our village. We retreated inside and only then noticed the batteries were missing. Someone must have stolen them. If we don¡¯t get those back in place soon, the interloper will make it out of the Abyss!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Shade nudged Owin. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°Do you know who the interloper is?¡±


    ¡°A demon, I presume.¡±


    That much was obvious. What else was going to come from the Abyss? ¡°Okay. Shade, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Owin turned and left without another question. It was obvious. Either find the batteries and shut off the gate or let the demon emerge and fight the boss. Since the quest was required and there was already a countdown started, both options had to be possible. How else would he get out of the floor?


    Owin walked back to the gateway and watched the hands. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s from one demon or a lot of demons?¡±


    ¡°They all look like right hands,¡± Shade said. He turned and stuck his own right hand out and waved it back and forth. ¡°So . . . maybe one?¡±


    ¡°I wonder what demon it is. Do you think I know them?¡±


    ¡°How many demons do you know?¡±


    ¡°Uh . . . four.¡± Owin immediately walked away, toward the original stone gate that brought them into the plaza. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer. I know it won¡¯t be one of Myrsvai¡¯s summons.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to call you a moron, so I was thinking of synonyms,¡± Shade said as he ran to catch up. ¡°Are we collecting the batteries?¡±


    Outside the girhuma village, there were three paths to take. Straight ahead led back into the coral reef, where it didn¡¯t seem like a battery would be hidden. There weren¡¯t other paths inside other than the one he had followed. To the left and right were the dirt paths that passed the reef and stones, and disappeared around turns.


    ¡°I want to let the demon out, but I don¡¯t want to sit around and wait. I thought we could go get the batteries but not use them.¡±


    9:01


    ¡°I told myself I wouldn¡¯t let people be scared, but the girhuma didn¡¯t seem that scared. If I just kill the demon, it would solve their problems, right?¡±


    Shade started off to the right side and only stopped after a few steps. ¡°I just realized you were asking me if you were right and not suggesting a direction for us to go.¡±


    ¡°We can go this way. I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get to choose? This is thrilling.¡± Shade walked backward with dramatic arm swings. ¡°You know, mobs aren¡¯t real people. I don¡¯t particularly love killing them either because it does sometimes feel far too real, but when you consider the situation, they are just mindless creatures created by Sloswen. Well, unless we¡¯re in another tower. You get the idea.¡±


    ¡°I know. When I was in the Great Forest there was a mob that helped me. The first friend I ever had. She cried when she knew she was going to die. I can¡¯t let people feel like that, even if they aren¡¯t real.¡±


    ¡°Anyone but Siora and Nikoletta.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    Shade tripped over a rock and fell helplessly to the ground. He flailed a couple of times before Owin pulled him back to his feet. After a few more minutes, the boundary wall appeared before them. When he looked back, he could see the natural stones that formed the wall around the girhuma village.


    ¡°It appears our options are now left or right. Or back or forward, depending on which direction you are facing. It could also be right or left if you turn even more.¡± Shade pointed in the two opposing directions.


    ¡°How many batteries are there?¡±


    ¡°Four.¡± Shade turned and adjusted his arms to continue pointing in both directions. ¡°It would seem like there are two on this side and two on that side. Rather simple floor design¡ª¡±


    Some water shifted directly beside the skeleton, causing bubbles to burst from a single point.


    ¡°A beautiful floor, as I was saying.¡± Shade glanced above. ¡°Only a genius could design something so flawless.¡±


    ¡°Is Sloswen always watching us?¡± Owin asked, looking above. It was only dark ocean with the slightest hint of the sun on the surface somewhere far, far above.


    ¡°You would hope the god of a whole dungeon would have something better to do, but I also think it would be better not to comment too much on the matter as it would be best not to find out if he is listening or not. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Or left?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin looked back and forth. Both directions looked the same. ¡°Left.¡±


    He followed the boundary wall, walking beside glowing crystals and small boulders with the coral reef to the left.


    ¡°What do you think Myrsvai will do with the gateway?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Well, how does he feel about demons?¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Shade shrugged.


    ***


    Myrsvai sat with his back against one of the outer rocks that formed a wall around the plaza. He yawned and laid his staff across his lap.


    ¡°Nap?¡± Suta asked.


    ¡°Soon, yes. What do you think? A neural demon?¡±


    Suta nodded. ¡°Lots of arms.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Though I cannot think of a type of neural demon I have seen with such white skin.¡±


    ¡°Please help us,¡± Gustana pleaded. The girhuma had braved an adventure out of the cave, flinching every time any energy left the unstable gateway. ¡°Without the batteries, the interloper will kill us all!¡±


    ¡°Maybe friend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Suta. Maybe. We will need to wait and see. We have just over eight hours. That is more than enough time to feel fully rested. Do you need a rest as well?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Myrsvai tilted his staff from his lap, tapping the end of it on the tile beneath him. Abyssal flames appeared, causing Suta to vanish.


    ¡°Ah, a demon!¡± Gustana pivoted and ran back into the cave.


    ¡°I wonder if Owin is going to eat whoever this interloper is.¡± Myrsvai leaned his head back against the stone. He smiled as he closed his eyes and quickly drifted to sleep.

 Book 4 - Chapter 3

    8:46


    It didn¡¯t take long for Owin to find the first battery. The glowing blue orb looked just like the one from the fourth floor secret that powered the golem. It sat in an open chest like it would be really easy to grab and simply walk away.


    The only issue was the massive turtle between him and that chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a position where I felt the need to call a turtle ugly,¡± Shade said. ¡°But that turtle is not what I would call attractive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The turtle was the single biggest mob Owin had ever seen. Barnacles as big as buildings clung to its shell. Its head alone was the size of Malacoe, the lobster boss from the previous floor.


    ¡°Do I even fight it?¡± Surely something so big wasn¡¯t going to move fast enough to keep up with Owin. He could simply sprint past, grab the battery, and run it back to the girhuma village.


    ¡°You are planning to fight the demon that breaks through the gateway, yes?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Or are you planning on eating it?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uh, both, I guess. Don¡¯t I have to fight it before I eat it?¡±


    Shade grabbed his chin and tapped his bony finger against his teeth as he made a humming noise. He crouched beside Owin. ¡°From what you have told me, I am certain you said you ate others while they were still alive.¡±


    Owin nodded slowly.


    ¡°Is that really fighting or is it just an open buffet?¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, apparently. Why would we spend any time stealing a battery without fighting the boss? What good would that do us? What would be the point?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get experience either, so why would we fight the boss?¡±


    ¡°Now that is the real question. Why indeed?¡± Shade looked around and pressed his hand to the boundary wall. ¡°We have eight hours to wait for the gateway. We might as well do something with that time. There may be loot, you know.¡±


    ¡°I already have an armor set.¡±


    ¡°What if it gives you a turtle knife?¡±


    Owin pulled his lich bone knife from his belt. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s that easy to convince you? That is a little concerning. Are you so easily swayed?¡±


    ¡°I want to see if I can beat a big mob. Do all turtles look like this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a turtle before?¡± Shade drew the Incandescent Blade from Owin¡¯s back and held it in front of his face. ¡°Your knife will hardly even penetrate its skin. If you want to do any damage, you¡¯ll need something longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good idea.¡± Owin slipped the knife into his belt and took the sword. ¡°On fire?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still underwater. Does lighting something on fire while in this forsaken puddle seem like the right choice?¡±


    Owin stared at Shade.


    ¡°I thought you were smarter now.¡±


    ¡°Smarter than what?¡±


    Shade sighed. ¡°Go fight the big turtle before our demonic friend gets summoned.¡± He shoved Owin with his foot. ¡°See if he drops one of my bones.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering about that,¡± Owin said over his shoulder as he approached the mob. ¡°You have all of your bones. How can I be collecting them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot better to not spend much time thinking about it. After all, look at this scarf.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help it make any more sense,¡± Owin whispered to himself. ¡°What is the best way to fight big mobs? I usually just jump on them.¡±


    Shade ran up and walked beside him. ¡°Are we surprised about that? What else would you do? Use your brain?¡± Shade tapped his hand on Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Wait here a moment. When I used to fight big mobs, I¡ª¡±


    The water seemed to shiver around Shade. ¡°Well, maybe I won¡¯t continue that sentence. Climb, crawl, jump. Do as you please. I am certain you are more than capable of figuring it out. Right? Maybe?¡± He held a hand out, stopping Owin. ¡°I am curious about this thing. After all, is it one or the other?¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Dragon Turtle


    Level 50


    The mob hadn¡¯t moved, though it had obviously seen them. It watched them with its huge eyes, tracking each little movement. It was still a hundred feet away, but if it moved like other mobs Owin had seen, it could close that gap quickly.


    ¡°I just thought it was a turtle.¡±


    ¡°You wait here. Let me investigate.¡± Shade ran forward, flailing his arms all around.


    The dragon turtle opened its mouth, letting out a burst of what looked like harmless bubbles. As they hit the skeleton, Shade¡¯s bones immediately blackened before he burst into a cloud of dust.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t breathe fire,¡± Shade said as soon as he appeared. ¡°But I do have to assume those bubbles are just as hot. If I had skin I . . . Well, I wouldn¡¯t have it anymore, but I would have been able to properly evaluate just how hot that bubble breath was.¡±


    The dragon turtle shifted its head, keeping its body still.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it can move a lot.¡±


    Shade took a big step to the left. The turtle¡¯s eye followed. ¡°It will be easy if I just run and get murdered again. Are you okay with letting me be murdered?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t getting murdered. You can¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°I can be temporarily rekilled. Is that a word? Killed again? Killed also? Killed too? Killed¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll be the sacrifice that you so willingly made so that you may stab a harmless old turtle in the head.¡±


    ¡°You just complained about it killing you. How is that harmless?¡±


    Shade walked away, waving at the turtle again. ¡°I am done speaking to you.¡±


    ¡°Forever?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Who else am I going to talk to? Sloswen? He¡¯d rather sew my mouth shut, but can you sew through bone? Can you, Sloswen?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    There was no response, which was probably good. The last thing Owin needed was the skeleton pissing off the Ocean god again.


    ¡°You know, I would be more threatening if I had a weapon.¡± Shade kept flailing about as he walked toward the coral reef, holding the dragon turtle¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You had one, but you left it at the stairs.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my weapon. You stole that from someone who, admittedly, isn¡¯t very kind. Yet, it is not mine. Also, not my style. My weapons are more like . . .¡± Shade shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can tell you, so just use your imagination.¡±


    The best Owin could imagine was Shade swinging a body around like Suta did when he was trying to find loot. Any sized body, really, but the skeleton really wasn¡¯t strong enough to hit anyone all that hard.


    The dragon turtle opened its mouth and let loose another stream of bubbles. Shade was just out of reach, but as the bubbles popped, Owin felt a wave of heat even from far away. Would jumping on such a giant creature really be the best way to kill it? He had enough trouble getting through the overgrown crab¡¯s shell his first time through the dungeon back with Ernie and Katalin. It seemed like it would be a repeat of that fight, but at least back then, Owin had been able to crack and pry open the crab¡¯s shell. The barnacles alone on the turtle¡¯s shell were so big that he had no hope of breaking through.


    ¡°Where do I attack?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Brain or heart,¡± Shade said, poking himself in the head then the chest. ¡°Those are always the weak spots.¡± He looked down at his own chest. ¡°Unless they don¡¯t have a brain or heart like me. But hey, the turtle definitely does. So.¡± He mimicked stabbing.


    ¡°Okay.¡± That wasn¡¯t helpful.


    Another stream of bubbles shot toward Shade, but the skeleton stepped back, ensuring the bubbles popped before they reached him. Even at his distance, the heat charred his gray bones.


    ¡°Ready when you are, captain,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shade¡¯s confidence should have been helpful, but the dragon turtle was so huge, Owin wasn¡¯t even sure what to do with it. If he hadn¡¯t seen the face, he would have assumed the whole creature was simply a mountain in the corner of the floor. There was nothing that would have made him assume it was a living creature.


    But of course he could do it. He was planning on eating a demon in a few hours, and that was a lot more terrifying than a mostly stationary giant turtle.


    ¡°Why is it a boss if it can hardly move?¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°To scare you. It seems like it¡¯s working. Try not thinking so much.¡± Shade stuck his fingers through his eye sockets. ¡°No brain, remember?¡±


    Owin laughed. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Me? Hurt? Watch this.¡± He took a step forward and was instantly burned to death by a stream of bubbles.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that something?¡± Shade said as he reappeared.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t impressive.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, what can you do?¡± Shade slapped the back of Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°Get in there and show me why you¡¯re a hero. I¡¯ll go wobble around until I¡¯m turned to ash for the thirtieth time.¡±


    ¡°Are you actually counting?¡±


    ¡°How can I count without a brain, Owin?¡± Shade walked over and waved his hand through the gray cloud that had been him only a few seconds ago. ¡°Here we go.¡± He immediately sprinted at an angle toward the coral reef. The dragon turtle moved slowly as it turned its head, tracking Shade¡¯s movement.


    Owin sprinted along the boundary wall with the Incandescent Blade in his hands. The longsword felt weird to hold after using knives for so long. Using the Thunderstrike Maul would feel even more weird once he was out of the Ocean and could finally use his hammer again.


    Shade was decimated by another bubble-based attack from the turtle, but it gave Owin more than enough time to leap onto the barnacle-covered shell. He smashed the sword against it a few times before deciding it wasn¡¯t worth the time. The turtle turned its head as far as possible, looking at Owin but unable to attack with its mouth.


    Bubbles erupted from all the barnacles on its back. A few small ones hit his boots, sending intense heat into the soles of his feet. If he hadn¡¯t been wearing the chitin boots, his feet would have been burnt just like Shade.


    In his brief panic, Owin lost his balance, tripped over a small barnacle, and fell right onto the rocky ground. The dragon turtle didn¡¯t bother to turn to look again. It just started to stomp with its huge foot. A quick roll helped dodge, and a jump brought Owin onto its neck where he clung to a ridge of rough skin.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shade had appeared right on the edge of the neck and immediately tumbled off. He smashed into the ground, looking up at the surface. ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    The dragon turtle continued stomping and shooting bubbles from its back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do against big mobs. I know I¡¯m smarter now, but . . .¡± Owin jabbed the sword into the skin beneath his feet. The blade tip bounced right off the rough skin.


    ¡°To get all seven shards, you¡¯re going to have to learn.¡± Shade sat up. ¡°Each mob is different. Jumping at everyone isn¡¯t going to work. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already learned that.¡±


    Owin nodded. The turtle thrashed a little harder, but in their current spot, there was really no threat.


    ¡°This one is slow because its defenses are so high. How do you get around that?¡±


    ¡°I could just¡ª¡± He tried using more of his strength, but the sword still bounced off. If it wasn¡¯t a unique weapon, he would probably have shattered it against the turtle¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Weak spots.¡± Shade stuck his fingers back in his eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t get through the skin to get a weak spot, you find something squishy. You did the right thing with the elemental. You broke it to find the squishy, succulent interior.¡±


    ¡°It was lava.¡±


    ¡°Succulent lava.¡±


    What was squishy on a giant dragon turtle? Back in the Great Forest, Artivan had told Owin to go for the eyes of the ogre because their skin was like stone. This turtle¡¯s skin was even harder than that, so he could go for the . . . ¡°The eyes?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I keep sticking my hands in my face for fun?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I thought you were just telling me to stab its brain.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Stab from the eyes and into the brain.¡± He shoved a finger back into his eye socket. ¡°If a creature has a brain, stab it. Simple as that. Look at me, I could be a teacher. Or a coach. Something like that? Right? I don¡¯t know. Stop yelling at me.¡±


    Owin had been ignoring the skeleton anyway and carefully walked up the turtle¡¯s neck and over the spikes and ridges on its head. ¡°Why do I have such a long sword if I¡¯m stabbing it in the eye?¡±


    ¡°Are you planning on crawling into the skull to tickle the brain?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡±


    ¡°Then you need some reach to actually get to the succulent meaty center.¡±


    Owin firmly grabbed onto a spike and leaned to the side of the turtle¡¯s head. It looked right up at him from its massive eye. ¡°Why do you keep using that word?¡±


    ¡°Meaty?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh, succulent.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Owin drove the sword straight through the eye up to the hilt. The turtle let out a deep roar. New bubbles erupted from its back with more force than before.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t kill it,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°I noticed.¡±


    The dragon turtle tilted its head, nearly knocking him off. A quick maneuver along the spikes and ridges brought Owin back to the neck, where he clung to the lip of the shell.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Did you leave the sword in its eye?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°Time to figure it out on your own, I guess.¡±


    As annoying as Shade was at the moment, he was right. Owin couldn¡¯t rely on somebody telling him what to do every battle. He had figured out the fire elemental on his own, and he had helped the other heroes with all the grenadiers, even after he had struggled with them on his own.


    Show the world how strong you are. How capable you are. How incredible.


    He was capable. Artivan¡¯s death wouldn¡¯t be meaningless.


    Owin hopped off the turtle and landed in a small puff of dust beside Shade. The dust quickly washed away with the water. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Sure. What do I have to lose?¡±


    They walked up beside the turtle¡¯s head as it slowly trashed back and forth. Without its eye, there was no way for it to notice them just beside its face.


    ¡°Watch this.¡± Owin was going to rely on his dexterity, which was still a new thing. Fully relying on that felt wrong in many ways. Was it really the best option? There was only one way to find out.


    ¡°I am so curious.¡±


    Owin waited for the turtle to bring its head back toward them. Bubbles continued erupting from its back, and it opened its mouth to release a stream at nothing. As the head swung back toward them, Owin sprinted and jumped.


    That was the easy part. After doing it a million times, he could manage that without difficulty. The hard part was aiming for his target.


    The hilt of the Incandescent Blade stuck out from the turtle¡¯s eye, hidden within a cloud of blood that had leaked into the Ocean water. The pommel barely managed to reflect a little bit of light from the crystals all along the floor, giving Owin just enough of a sign of where to strike.


    His chitin-covered fist smashed against the pommel, throwing his full strength into the blade, sending it straight through the turtle¡¯s eye.


    0 Experience


    A stream of bubbles escaped its mouth as the whole beast collapsed in a slow, drawn out fall. It crushed the crystals beneath it, snuffing out their light as it settled on the ocean floor.


    ¡°I would say that was nicely done, but  do have an important question to ask you.¡± Shade walked right up to the turtle¡¯s face and pointed to its eye. ¡°How are you going to get your sword which is now fully inside the turtle¡¯s skull?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin walked up beside Shade. Blood poured out of the eye, turning to a dark cloud in the water. ¡°I have to crawl in.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    ¡°You could do it too. I could just unsummon you once you grab it and you could bring it out.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen. While you are correct and I am more than talented enough to handle that endeavor, I have no interest in crawling into the skull of a dragon turtle, or really, any type of turtle. I will leave that to you, since you enjoy it so much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Well, neither do I. Do you see the problem with it? Who do you think enjoys it less? Certainly not me. I don¡¯t crawl inside monsters. Well, I try not to, but sometimes you¡¯re put in quite an odd situation.¡±


    ¡°If I go grab it, will you stop talking?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Probably not, but yes. I will.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 4

    Crawling into the dragon turtle¡¯s head was worse than Owin had expected. It reminded him of the ocular guard he had ended up inside back in the Great Forest, only with significantly more blood. The ocean water had rushed inside, stirring the viscera into a cloudy mixture. He felt around until he felt something metal and yanked it out, only causing more blood to somehow flow into the small cavern.


    By the time he was back out, chunks of brain clung to his skin, even as the ocean water washed away the blood. Shade moved away as Owin jumped back to the ground, and after a moment of waving away some of the cloudy water, Shade cautiously picked some brain chunks from Owin¡¯s helmet, flicking them toward the boundary wall.


    ¡°Truly disgusting. Do you see why I didn¡¯t want to crawl inside? What would I look like now if I had done that? Can you imagine? Oh, the filth.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve unsummoned you.¡±


    ¡°What if the mess ended up in my box? What then, Owin? What would I do with such a mess in my box? There is very little room, you know. A chunk of brain could take up half my space!¡±


    Owin shook his head, which worked some chunks out of his ears. ¡°I already got the sword. Can you just put it away?¡± He held it out and shook it until Shade took the weapon.


    ¡°If you had longer arms¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    8:20


    ¡°We still have a long time to go before the portal opens.¡± Owin wiped another chunk of brain from the end of his nose. ¡°Can we get moving?¡±


    ¡°You seem annoyed.¡± Shade crouched beside him. ¡°Are you annoyed?¡±


    ¡°Of you.¡±


    The skeleton put his arm around Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You know, this reminds of a time when you used to unsummon me, putting me back in my box, just because I talked too much.¡±


    ¡°Shade, that was like two floors ago.¡±


    ¡°I believe it was three, actually, but still to my point. I¡ª¡± The Incandescent Blade fell to the ocean floor.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The gray cloud of dust beside Owin slowly spread into the water, mixing with the blood. It was silent, and for a moment, that peace was welcomed.


    But only a moment.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade squatted beside Owin, grabbed the blade, and slid it into the sheath. ¡°Want to go murder another boss?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± They walked the opposite direction, heading toward the next boss, before Owin stopped. ¡°Should we grab the battery?¡±


    ¡°Uh . . .¡± Shade looked back at the dragon turtle corpse. ¡°Maybe? What would you use it for? Bringing something the quest needs when you don¡¯t intend to use it is asking for the quest to go wrong. Right? Why would you bring it right to them if they need it and you don¡¯t want them to use it?¡±


    Owin shrugged. ¡°I saw a demon fix Myrsvai¡¯s leg with some mana batteries before.¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t disappear after this floor, they could definitely be helpful. I don¡¯t know if they would stick around or not, but the way to find out would be to shove them into your bag and hope.¡± Shade peeled back one side of the bag at Owin¡¯s side. ¡°Imagine how much less room you would have if I hadn¡¯t used all those health potions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not happy about that.¡± Owin grabbed the skeleton¡¯s arm and dragged him toward the boss¡¯s corpse. ¡°Go grab the battery while I check for loot.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that?¡±


    Owin shrugged again. He hadn¡¯t figured it out. Lifting the massive corpse wasn¡¯t an option at his current strength. Maybe picking up a small part of it would be enough for something to fall out.


    Shade slowly inched around the face of the turtle, poking it a few times and flinching back each time, before finally running toward the chest.


    Lifting even one arm of the turtle proved to be nearly impossible. With both hands, Owin managed to get it off the ground, but not high enough to look beneath it. He tried again on the edge of the shell, but it was too tall and he couldn¡¯t get higher, even if he was strong enough.


    Shade ran back over with the mana battery shoved into his ribcage.


    ¡°This won¡¯t explode, will it?¡±


    ¡°Explode?¡± Shade looked at his ribs. ¡°Oh, like before when I almost killed everyone.¡± He knocked his knuckles against his ribs. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I would, maybe, recommend keeping your distance.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Shade took a step back. ¡°Does it involve me exploding?¡±


    ¡°What if you left that in your box and I immediately summoned you back?


    Shade squinted, causing his eye sockets to unnaturally narrow. ¡°Using it as a storage? Hm.¡± He shook until it dropped from his ribs and into his hands. ¡°It¡¯s possible, I believe. In the past, I spent a lot of time in there even when there was a master of my bones.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on keeping you in there at all.¡±


    ¡°We can try it.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade appeared with his hands still outstretched, but they were empty. He looked around and shoved his fingers into his ribs. ¡°No sign of a mana ball. A ball of mana. I left my ball in the box.¡± He took a big step toward Owin. ¡°You know, if we put too much in there and I die, I¡¯ll be really squished.¡±


    ¡°What would happen if the box was full when you appeared?¡±


    ¡°Discomfort, I assume. A new way to prove I am the most flexible being in existence, perhaps? A reshaping of my bones? A¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡±


    Shade looked at Owin¡¯s hands and checked inside his bag again. ¡°Did you find any loot? A big turtle has to have something.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s too heavy.¡±


    Shade strode over to the turtle and gestured at its mouth.


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°Every mob has a way to loot it. Even Sloswen isn¡¯t mean enough to stop you from looting a boss.¡± Shade flinched, looked at the surface, and shrugged. ¡°Apparently he agrees.¡±


    Opening the turtle¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t an easy feat either, but with some ¡°help¡± from Shade, Owin managed to crack it open wide enough to crawl inside. The skeleton stuck his own head inside to stop the jaw from snapping shut. It crunched and caused cracks to slither over his skull.


    The turtle¡¯s tongue squished under Owin¡¯s boots. Surprisingly, Shade was right. There was something near the back of the turtle¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I would say this is about one of the worst things a mortal could do, but . . . prepare yourself for a surprise. I¡¯m immortal!¡± The jaw snapped shut, crushing Shade¡¯s skull and sending a puff of gray dust into the water before all light disappeared.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Well.¡± Shade flailed in the dark, smacking Owin in the face. ¡°Oh, there you are.¡±


    ¡°Do you need light to see? You don¡¯t even have eyes.¡±


    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re right.¡±


    Shade¡¯s footsteps audibly squished on the tongue as he walked farther in. ¡°I can grab this. You just focus on getting out.¡±


    Using his strength to open the mouth again was easy enough, but he would have to stand still to keep it open, which would make escaping difficult. What would Myrsvai do? He would just blast it open with some spell.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin took a step and punched. The turtle¡¯s lower lip gave a little from the strike. Another punch caused something to crack. Owin let a flurry of blows strike the lip until it shattered, letting light pour in.


    Shade appeared directly beside him. He yelped and jumped to the side.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°I was standing there the whole time. Here.¡± Shade held a dull red gem.


    Empty Minor Charge Gem


    Collect magic of one type to power an item or entity.


    Note: Collecting more than one type of magic will cause the gem to explode


    Note: Charge gems will shine when fully powered


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a charge gem before.¡± Owin slipped it into his bag. ¡°Do you know about them?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely. Alchemists can fit them inside items to let the thing recharge itself. It¡¯s a whole confusing process I never really learned.¡± He shrugged. ¡°They probably have other uses too.¡±


    ¡°How much do you remember of your old life?¡±


    Shade ducked down and waddled out of the turtle¡¯s mouth. He looked back up to the surface. ¡°More than I did when you first summoned me. That¡¯s all I can say.¡± He offered a hand and basically dragged Owin out of the turtle¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯d keep the charge gem away for now. Neither of us have the brains to use it safely.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°That we should go find the next boss. Maybe it¡¯s something delicious. I haven¡¯t seen you eat anything in a while. Might want to get that appetite started before the big fight against whatever demon falls out of that portal.¡±


    Owin did start walking, but he eyed Shade. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re trying to say something.¡±


    ¡°Think about all the other people that might be better off with that gem. Myrsvai, for instance.¡± Shade put his hand on Owin¡¯s helmet and turned him slightly to walk completely opposite the turtle.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only other person you know that we trust.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t prove that. Maybe I trust . . . What was the girhuma¡¯s name? The one who wanted help?¡±


    Owin shrugged.


    ¡°What if I wanted to give the gem to the girhuma? What if I trusted my life to that mob?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    Shade slightly adjusted the angle again. ¡°Keep walking.¡±


    Glowing crystals illuminated their path over the rocky ground. A big sea star crawled over rocks in the distance, quickly disappearing into some other part of the floor. He didn¡¯t mind not fighting all the small mobs. The sea stars weren¡¯t that scary. They were just big and a little slower to kill than some mobs he had fought in the past.


    What he really needed to do was find some buffs. For the first time since taking all the potions Ernie had sent him, the mobs were actually about as strong as he was, and now on an isolated floor, he had to do all the fighting himself.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shade flinched and swung at a bubble that had popped up from beneath a rock. The skeleton somehow missed.


    ¡°If I find all of your bones, will you be better at fighting?¡±


    Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders, halting his movement. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what class I am right now. I wouldn¡¯t go ahead assuming anything about myself. What I do know is I can see the top of something¡¯s head just over there.¡±


    Owin tried to stand on his toes to see, but Shade kept pushing him down and to the side.


    ¡°Do you see it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°If only you were taller, huh? What a world we live in.¡±


    Owin shrugged Shade¡¯s hands off his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re not even actually alive.¡± The rock right in front of him was easy enough to climb, and unlike the coral reef earlier, he was able to get to the top without hitting a boundary wall.


    A few hundred feet ahead was a little arena built out of stones with a design in the center that looked almost familiar. Owin stayed low as he looked at the creature standing within, hoping to avoid being spotted early. If something that big had a ranged attack, there wasn¡¯t a lot he could do to stop it.


    The creature was about the size of an ogre with mottled white skin. If not for the mottling, Owin would have said it looked like a cathkabel, or something close to cathkabel. All of the creatures he had seen from Elysium were ugly, but the one before him was even worse. Its arms were so long that its hands rested at its feet. It was hunched and walked about the arena, dragging its hands.


    ¡°A cathkabel war beast?¡± Shade asked. He walked along the outside of the rock and leaned against, just below Owin. ¡°An odd choice from Sloswen. And a new addition. Well, new enough. New is relative, okay?¡±


    Countless questions begged to be asked, but Owin already knew Shade would ignore them, or he would be dumb enough to try to answer before being sent away by Sloswen again. Those questions had to wait until after the tenth floor. ¡°What¡¯s a cathkabel war beast?¡±


    Shade simply pointed.


    ¡°I know that. Is it a cathkabel? It looks different.¡±


    ¡°It is, ironically, considered a lesser creature. Below the deacons, priests, and all that. Just like how the demons have their colossuses. Colossi? More than one of a colossus, you know? I think it¡¯s colossi.¡± Shade looked up at Owin. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still confused. Is it the grammar or the coloss . . . i?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Shade tried to crawl on top of the rock, but his bony fingers just scraped on the side of the stone without giving him any leverage. He leaned against it instead and tried to act casual. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering whether that beast over there is cathkabel or not, you would be pleasantly surprised to find that the answer is yes, it is both. War beasts are some mutated, hybrid cathkabel creatures made only for fighting. I don¡¯t know if Elysium made a war beast or the Abyss made a colossus first, but they were answers to one another.¡±


    Owin slid off the rock, landing right beside Shade. ¡°The cathkabel fortress we were in on the first floor didn¡¯t have anything like this.¡±


    ¡°First floor. Does this look like first floor material to you?¡±


    ¡°It was a secret.¡±


    ¡°Does this look like first floor secret material to you?¡±


    Owin waited a moment, but noticed that Shade was just staring at him. ¡°Do I have to say no?¡±


    The skeleton nodded.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    A rumble came from the war beast as its oversized silver eyes locked right onto Owin.


    ¡°Shade, stop yelling.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. That one might be my fault.¡± He grabbed Owin, shoved him forward, and crouched behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t let it eat me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to eat you. It doesn¡¯t even know who we are.¡±


    ¡°Goblin demon,¡± the war beast said in a deep, ethereal voice.


    ¡°I am impressed. To have the ire of Elysium so early in your career. Really truly a feat unmatched even by myself!¡± Shade pushed Owin forward a little more. ¡°Go show the beast what you think of its masters.¡±


    ¡°Goblin demon must die.¡±


    ¡°What kind of attacks does it have?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Shade said. Owin immediately realized the skeleton¡¯s hands weren¡¯t on his shoulders anymore. He turned around and spotted the skeleton as he hid behind the rock. ¡°Knowing a war beast and fighting a war beast are very different things. I don¡¯t know what that will do, but I am thrilled to have an opportunity to see.¡±


    ¡°What if it kills me?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t die. It¡¯s better for both of us if you live.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°Thanks, Shade. Great advice. Can you at least help me get the sword? I can¡¯t use the lich bone on a cathkabel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Shade sprinted over, pulled the Incandescent Blade from its sheath, handed it off, and immediately ran back. ¡°Now, I am thrilled to watch.¡±


    Owin threw the lich bone knife back, smacking Shade in the face. ¡°Hold onto that so I don¡¯t accidentally break it.¡±


    ¡°Impressive aim.¡±


    Owin actually smiled.

 Book 4 - Chapter 5

    8:00


    Ocean Mob


    War Beast


    Level 55


    At some point, Owin had started to realize his first instincts were, maybe, not always the best. The war beast didn¡¯t move past the edge of the arena, but it stood there menacingly, watching with its massive silver eyes.


    Upon thinking about the upcoming battle, Owin thought about how the fight had ended with the dragon turtle. Ending up inside the enemy¡¯s skull normally wasn¡¯t a great plan, but if he was inside a cathkabel¡¯s skull, he could raise his intelligence rapidly.


    A normal size cathkabel made that difficult because they weren¡¯t that much bigger than a normal human, so he had instead ripped the meat from their bones. But now, this war beast was standing in front of him, asking him to crawl into its oversized eye.


    Shade remained hidden behind the rock, ushering Owin forward anytime he glanced back.


    Were his instincts bad or was it actually a good idea?


    ¡°Goblin demon,¡± the war beast said again.


    How did it know who he was? Was it Graliel? Was it Temikiel? Was it . . . Did he know any other cathkabel? It really didn¡¯t matter.


    The war beast growled and used its whole body to swing its long arms up. They still looked limp as they swung above the beast¡¯s head. As soon as they reached the top of its bald, white head, the long, webbed hands froze in place. A silver and gold ball of energy immediately formed in the space between its hands.


    ¡°You might want to run from that one!¡±


    Owin looked over his shoulder. Shade was waving dramatically.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    By the time Owin turned back to the war beast, the ball had grown to fill the entire space between its hands. Half silver, half gold energy spiraled. The gold looked like luminous magic, but Owin had no guess to what the silver half was.


    The war beast swung its arms forward, launching the ball straight at Owin. Shade didn¡¯t often recommend running, so Owin immediately sprinted to the side. Water boiled around the attack as it moved through the water. Luminous light flashed the moment it struck. A new current slammed Owin into the rocks he had seen the sea star disappear over earlier.


    A crater had formed in the spot Owin had been standing, causing the rock Shade hid behind to tumble down. The skeleton squealed and fell after the rock into the crater.


    The war beast made some deep noises as its arms fell back to the ground. It was clearly an effort to move, which meant it should be easy with Owin¡¯s speed to get around it. Its silver eyes watched him closely.


    ¡°Does it have other attacks?¡±


    ¡°Probably!¡± Shade¡¯s head flew from the crater, landing near Owin. ¡°Anything is possible.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°Put me in your bag.¡±


    Owin picked up the skull and dropped it inside his bag. The head moved a little until the top of his head, including his eyes, poked out the top.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re scared, why would you give me your head?¡±


    The skeleton¡¯s body climbed out of the crater, wobbling like it had just taken a heavy hit. ¡°Distraction!¡± Shade yelled.


    ¡°I thought you were scared.¡±


    The war beast growled and started the process of swinging its arms above its head again.


    ¡°What¡¯s luminous damage going to do against me? Also, yes, I am. But I do enjoy watching you do your absolutely nonsensical fighting.¡±


    Owin stayed beside the rocks, jogging toward the arena. By the time it was ready to attack, he would be able to dash in between its legs to avoid the attack. That was the plan, at least. He probably had worse plans in the past.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you always do this for distractions?¡±


    The skeleton¡¯s body tripped and fell onto the rocky ground. It flailed, sending bubbles and dust all over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much control when I¡¯m not attached. It¡¯s like watching a distant, drunk version of myself, and I have to say, it isn¡¯t pleasant.¡± The body stood up and immediately tripped again. ¡°I know I¡¯m clumsy, but this is just embarrassing.¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t keep his attention on the useless skeleton at the moment. The war beast had started to form the luminous attack once again with its attention fully trained on Owin. If Shade was actually trying to be a distraction, he was doing an especially bad job.


    The strategy made sense, even if it was a little simple. Myrsvai had looked shocked when Owin started eating cathkabel back on the first floor. Most people would probably look at him like he was a mindless mob if they saw him ripping chunks of meat from cathkabel bones.


    That would have bothered him before. Knowing people still thought of him as a mob or a monster after everything he had been through was a little heartbreaking, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    The only thing that mattered was power. Power to protect those who needed it. Power to stop people like the hero company that hunted Myrsvai. Power to kill.


    Owin shot across the surface, moving faster than he did during his last dodge. He slashed with the Incandescent Blade as he ran between the war beast¡¯s legs, but the unique weapon bounced off the thick white skin.


    The war beast stepped backward, slamming its wide, webbed foot on the stone surface directly beside Owin as the light flashed from the luminous death ball.


    A weapon always seemed like a better idea than going in unarmed, but the Incandescent Blade¡¯s main utility was its fire, which was useless for now. Owin let the sword drop from his hand. It would survive, even if it was stepped on by the giant. He could grab it after he ate the beast¡¯s brain.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A quick hop brought him on the rocks at the back of the arena just as the war beast turned. Its limp arms swung around like flail, forcing Owin to leap again before the massive white hand caught him.


    He led with his shoulder, crashing the chitin pauldron into the war beast¡¯s chest. The giant didn¡¯t move at all. Owin grasped for a hold, trying to drive his sharp nails into the cathkabel¡¯s skin, but it was too hard. It felt like trying to grab onto a metal wall.


    Luminous energy flashed off the cathkabel, sending Owin flying through the water. He crashed into the boundary wall, feeling the back of his breastplate crack. It took a few points of health, but the armor had managed to lessen the blow. He dropped back to the rocks.


    ¡°Are you alive?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Is that a joke question or a real question?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going in.¡±


    ¡°In?¡±


    The war beast twisted its body to swing its arm back at Owin, but the creature¡¯s movements were easy to predict. Two steps over the rocks was all Owin needed to get a full jump, one that would bring him high enough. By the time the war beast swung its arm, Owin was already in the air. The war beast had so little control of its own body that it couldn¡¯t stop its arm as it passed over the rocks.


    Despite the new confidence, Owin¡¯s jump didn¡¯t carry him exactly where he had planned. His eyes widened as he sailed straight at the war beast¡¯s flat nose. Owin lowered his head just in time to smash the top of his helmet into the creature¡¯s face.


    He brought his hands up, trying to scramble to find a hold. His nails slid right over its cheeks as he started to drop. Crab legs shot over Owin¡¯s shoulders, stabbing into the cathkabel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The armor dragged him toward the right eye as the war beast released a deafening scream. Silver blood was already leaking into the water as Owin reached the giant silver eye. The crab legs were stuck around the eye, partially embedded into the eyeball, but the cathkabel could still see.


    Luminous energy flashed from its body once again. The magic battered Owin, taking a chunk of health, but the crab legs pulled him close to the eye and held tight.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Shade asked, slightly panicked.


    If he had a non magical knife, he could tear into the eye, but with only wands on him at the moment, his hands were the best option. Luckily, he also had whatever his armor was doing. Crab claws reached over his shoulders and snapped at the eye at the same time as Owin scratched the eyeball. His nails ripped into it.


    He grinned and started digging.


    ***


    Cixilo had been busy.


    Even with all of her training, she still stood no chance against Potilia. An umbra losing to a berserker was reasonable in most settings. Umbras weren¡¯t meant to take on opponents in a traditional manner.


    Hopefully, after the adventure she had had around the Fortress Dungeon, she would be ready to assist the Nimble Hogs a little better. With all the new attention from the goblin, she needed to be ready for just about anything. Anything other than fighting Shard Heroes, obviously. That was beyond anything she could do.


    Nagyati was a beautiful city on the water with a lot of buildings that ended in points. Each of the big government buildings had towers that ended with points. If there was any significance behind it, she was sure Chorsay or Potilia would know. To her, it just looked like a lot of work for something that didn¡¯t have much use other than to act as a landmark.


    She had only been to Nagyati a few times, and without using the capitol as a landmark, she would wander until she found the river, which led past the Golden Bulls to the portal circle.


    Atrevaar wasn¡¯t a perfect city, but it was a lot less confusing. She had found herself missing the Nimble Hog¡¯s headquarters. When Chorsay first recruited her, she had turned her nose up at the idea. It was, and still is, a shitty little company.


    Somehow, that¡¯s the charm. The smallest hero company holds some of the most odd, unique people she had ever met, and after her past, she loved the anonymity.


    Cixilo walked along the river, running her hand over the ornate metal railing keeping normal citizens from tumbling over the ledge and into the dark, rushing river. Most heroes, hopefully, would be coordinated enough not to do something so foolish, but normal people were almost always clumsy.


    Heavy footsteps followed her. The person had been following her for a few minutes. She had tried to get a glance, but somehow failed. Whoever it was had some type of protection in place. That could mean an assassin, umbra, wizard, magus, or hunter. There were a lot of ways to conceal your presence. Whoever it was had the heaviest footsteps she had ever heard, and that even included Chorsay, who couldn¡¯t walk quietly if he wanted.


    ¡°Hog,¡± the person said.


    She could just teleport and vanish, but curiosity was a strong thing. To follow her from the Fortress side of the city, someone had to have been watching for her, likely someone who knew who she was.


    She drew both daggers, concealing them in her hand before turning. ¡°Oh.¡±


    A monster of a man stood a dozen feet away. He wasn¡¯t nearly as huge as Chorsay, but he was still well over six feet tall and built like a boulder. Literally.


    ¡°Andres Orben. Leader of the Golden Bulls,¡± Cixilo said.


    Orben was a Shard Hero, but Cixilo had no idea how many he had at this point. Enough to be fused, at least. His exposed arms were entirely made of dark rocks. Sharp rocks protruded from his back as well, making Cixilo wonder how he got his golden breastplate on and off. Or did he just keep it on forever after his fusion?


    Just like the rest of the Bulls, he wore ornate golden armor that made it impossible to not recognize him as a member of the company. His emerald bow and all the rocks are what really made it obvious it was the famous Andres Orben.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± Cixilo asked.


    ¡°No.¡± His index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°You gained multiple levels in a few short weeks. I am impressed. My scouts reported your departure to the Fortress, and they informed me of your arrival. I was curious to meet you after hearing about the goblin in your company.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know him well. I¡¯ve been away.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Andres walked closer. His bow was slung over a shoulder and his sword was sheathed at his hip. There was little a hunter could do without a weapon, so why did Cixilo feel so on edge?


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°An alliance, in a sense. I had heard the legendary Chorsay Eoghet had formed a company years ago, but I had forgotten. These Hogs have done nothing of note. It is difficult to remember something so insignificant.¡±


    Cixilo clenched her jaw.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to insult. Apologies. I would like to travel back to Atrevaar with you to meet with Chorsay. I haven¡¯t seen him in maybe twenty years.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You can introduce me.¡±


    Why would the fourth biggest hero company¡¯s leader need an introduction? His armor alone screamed ¡®Golden Bull.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    Andres smiled. His facial hair hardly moved, as if it was also made from rocks. ¡°If I intended harm to you or the Hogs, I wouldn¡¯t have let you go train. I could have stopped you at any time in Nagyati. I recently met with some significant figures, and all they spoke about was your company and the mob. I wish to meet with Chorsay before anything happens.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see why you need me involved.¡±


    Andres gestured over her shoulder, in the direction she had been walking. ¡°We will travel together. Get to know one another. Before I meet with Chorsay, I wish to know more about your organization. I will tell you things in turn. Information for information. Then, you can introduce me. Allies, see?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t anything about the situation that felt normal, but information on the Golden Bulls and what was going on in Vekuborg would be invaluable. They were lacking information on the Bulls and the Three Heads, and Cixilo was certain Andres would know about the Strobrukhan hero company too.


    ¡°You will share two for every one of mine,¡± Cixilo said. She slid her concealed weapons into sheaths. Andres didn¡¯t flinch at the movement. When she extended her hand, she was surprised how quickly the hunter moved, shaking her hand in a firm, rocky grip.


    ¡°I am glad we can be friends,¡± Andres said, gesturing for her to continue along the river.


    What other choice did she have? Four umbras were waiting right up the road, five hunters were on rooftops with arrows drawn, and an assassin had reached her back before she even could detect them.


    As soon as their hands shook, the assassin stepped aside, becoming fully visible. Andres nodded to the hero clad in golden armor as if it was perfectly normal to threaten people while forming an alliance.


    Chorsay would know what to do. She just had to survive.

 Book 4 - Chapter 6

    7:21


    The idea of needing a bath while underwater was odd, but it was all he could think about as he crawled out of the beast¡¯s head. The war beast had collapsed in the small arena while Owin feasted. Shortly after, he had resummoned Shade as a full body outside after the skeleton repeatedly protested to being inside the cathkabel corpse.


    As soon as Owin emerged, silver blood slid off his armor joining the dark cloud that hung in the water in front of the war beast¡¯s face.


    ¡°Absolutely disgusting,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Nothing else to say?¡±


    ¡°Not this time.¡±


    It was only a small hop back to the ground. Owin dropped and shook out his arms. Bits of brain still clung underneath his nails.


    Shade stood a few feet away from the war beast¡¯s head. Some silver blood leaked from his eye sockets. The skeleton stared at Owin, not saying anything else.


    That alone was concerning. When did Shade ever stop talking?


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I certainly don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Shade took a step closer, causing blood to burst from his eyes into the water.


    ¡°Why are your eye sockets bleeding?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡±


    ¡°Shade.¡± Owin shook his head, helping the brains and blood leave his ears. It took him a few steps to pass the cloud to see Shade clearly. Owin motioned for Shade to crouch, which the skeleton readily did.


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets opened even wider than normal.


    ¡°Shade.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Owin sighed. The entire inside of the skeleton¡¯s head was full. ¡°Did you shove brains into your head?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Shade.¡±


    ¡°Let me have this,¡± he whispered.


    Owin sighed again and walked away from the skeleton, back toward the crater. ¡°Where did you drop my knife earlier?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere over there.¡±


    Owin had already figured that out. He looked inside the crater first, and after failing to see anything that looked like a bone, he checked behind where the rock had previously been. Shade had left it sitting on the rocky ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trusting you with my weapons anymore,¡± Owin called.


    Shade wobbled a bit as he walked. ¡°That is probably a good idea. I don¡¯t like weapons. I think I¡¯ve made that clear enough. And what kind of joke is it to give a skeleton a bone?¡±


    Owin chuckled softly. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡±


    Shade tripped over a rock and fell on his face, spilling brains out his eyes. He yelped and tried to scoop them back in, but only made a bigger mess as he smeared silver blood over his face.


    ¡°Was I smarter?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Fine.¡± The skeleton sat back and waved his hand through the new cloud of blood. ¡°What about you? After that feast you had, I hope you¡¯re smarter. How do you not have a belly? After too many pastries, I was usually bloated. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a food that normally bloats people, but you know, it was a different time. Literally. How long ago was it? Pastries were different back then. Did you know that?¡±


    ¡°No, Shade. I didn¡¯t know that. Why would I know that?¡±


    Shade¡¯s index appeared in front of his face. ¡°My goodness, Owin. What are you?¡±


    Owin grinned. Mana wasn¡¯t going to be a problem with his Power 1 spells anymore.


    Before fighting the warbeast, his intelligence was 275.


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 416


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 270


    Intelligence: 467


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    ¡°I¡¯m a wizard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be that skeleton, but you are still and always will be deficient.¡±


    Owin waved Shade closer, and as soon as the skeleton was close enough, Owin pushed him into the crater. Shade flailed as he fell and stayed lying on his back once he landed.


    ¡°I probably deserved that.¡± Shade spread out at the bottom of the crater. ¡°Do I look like a sea star?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Stay there. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Owin slipped the bone knife into his belt as he walked away from the crater, past the war beast corpse, to the chest holding the mana battery. He picked up the orb, holding it in both hands. It was warm, which was welcome in the cold water. Even if he had mostly gotten used to the feeling of constantly being surrounded by the ocean, it would never be comfortable.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    When Owin returned to the crater, Shade was still lying in the same position, staring at the surface far above. Some silver blood continued leaking from his eye sockets.


    ¡°Can you put this in the box?¡± Owin asked, holding out the battery.


    ¡°Pass it down.¡± Shade held his arms straight into the air.


    Owin tossed the orb into the crater, hitting Shade directly in the face. The skeleton rolled over, grabbed it, and curled into a ball.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared beside Owin, yawning and stretching. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for the third boss?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else we could do?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. We could sit and tell jokes back and forth. Or, a better idea, we could find some paint and make portraits of one another.¡±


    Owin took a step away. ¡°Let¡¯s go find the boss.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll save that portrait idea for another time.¡±


    6:58


    They had accidentally ended up back in the girhuma settlement while searching for the third boss. They had already been against the boundary wall while fighting the turtle and the cathkabel, which meant there was nothing else that could be on that side of the floor. With the coral reef on one side and the girhuma settlement and cave each backing up to a boundary wall, that left only one side of the square floor to check.


    It took another twenty minutes to get to the other side of the floor. Two sea stars tried to attack on the way, but now that Owin knew how to handle them, it was easy enough to kill the creatures.


    The third boss was in the corner of the map by the back of the cave, opposite from the cathkabel war beast. Owin spotted it first, almost walking directly into the creature. Shade screamed, grabbing the boss¡¯s full attention, and yanked Owin backward in a helpless gesture.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest idea!¡± Shade turned and sprinted away.


    Owin grabbed the lich bone and crouched, ready to pounce. The third boss was a mound of foliage and meat with three legs. Owin fully expected it to be labeled as one of the Horrors.


    Ocean Mob


    Refuse Golem


    Level 54


    ¡°It¡¯s called a refuse golem,¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°A trash golem?¡± Shade audibly tripped and fell just behind Owin. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t have a weakness if it¡¯s a big pile of garbage.¡±


    Each of its three legs were different sizes, all ending in a rounded foot. There was no discernible face or eyes, but Owin knew creatures didn¡¯t need eyes to see. Shade had proved that. The golem moved with surprising speed, shuffling at Owin so quickly that he only had time to bring his arms up to block a kick from its wide, meaty leg.


    He flipped backward, landed on his feet, and prepared for another attack. The golem lingered where Owin had just been standing, sliding one of its legs over the ground.


    ¡°Have you seen one of these before?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can remember.¡± Shade was still on the ground where he had tripped. ¡°All golems need power. Did you see the chest?¡±


    Owin nodded. The chest and mana battery had been right beside the golem before it spotted them.


    ¡°Then we might be able to get a second battery out of this.¡± Shade jumped to his feet. ¡°How can we kill this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying ¡®we¡¯ a lot even though you ran away at the start.¡±


    The golem had yet to advance. It moved a lot, and moved quickly, but it didn¡¯t get any closer. It was as if it was fidgeting in place.


    ¡°The cathkabel war beast kept throwing spells, but didn¡¯t leave the arena, and the dragon turtle didn¡¯t really move at all,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°While I do appreciate observations, I don¡¯t think it is the right time to talk about past battles when a three legged pile of garbage is trying to murder you. And me. Or me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Owin lowered the knife. ¡°It can¡¯t move past that line.¡± He took a step closer, causing the golem to shudder.


    ¡°Look at that. Good catch.¡± Shade pressed his hand down on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°How do we take advantage of that? Use our words? Apologies for intruding? Stab it?¡±


    ¡°See how close you can get before it hits you.¡±


    Shade took a big step forward and waited. He was still a few feet from the golem. When he looked back, Owin waved him on. Shade took another step forward and took a full golem leg to the skull.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°That close,¡± Shade said. He put his hands on his spine. ¡°Those batteries do force me into some odd positions.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to stop letting you die until we can get rid of those.¡±


    ¡°How kind.¡±


    The refuse golem was stationary, other than the fidgeting. That would make it an easy target for someone like Myrsvai with a whole arsenal of ranged spells. For Owin, he only had his wands, and those had limited uses, especially underwater.


    Luckily, there was one spell that could be helpful. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to use it in a while. He pulled out his wand, pointed it just under the golem, and cast Magma Mine.


    The rune appeared directly under the golem and . . . nothing happened.


    ¡°Spells like that are only activated when something touches it,¡± Shade said loudly right into Owin¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡± There were plenty of rocks on the ground. He picked one up and tossed it easily under the golem. As soon as the rock touched the red rune, magma erupted, blasting a hole straight through the center of the golem. The molten rock quickly froze, hardening into a column of obsidian that stood as a tower for a moment before falling to the side where it crashed against the rock. The corpse of the refuse golem remained around the column with the three legs moving gently in the disturbed water.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I could consider one of our fights efficient.¡± Shade approached the golem and jabbed a bony finger into it a few times. ¡°This was a good use of your wand. Eating that brain helped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used that spell before.¡±


    ¡°Well, I feel like you are now smarter than you previously were, so I want you to also feel like you are smarter than you were before diving head first into that cathkabel¡¯s skull. With that bumped intelligence, I sure hope you are now smart enough not to eat other creature¡¯s brains. Some things are lucky to have them, you know. This golem, for instance, definitely did not have a brain. And, you know, some other people you know don¡¯t have them either. Like Suta.¡±


    Owin walked up to the golem remains and shook the closest leg. ¡°Suta has a brain, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well I don¡¯t and I¡¯m a little sensitive about it.¡± He grabbed another leg and shook it until a handful of gold fell out. ¡°This is disappointing.¡± He scooped it up and dropped it into Owin¡¯s bag.


    ¡°Would the battery have been in the center?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but your spell wouldn¡¯t have destroyed it.¡± Shade narrowed his eye sockets and looked up. ¡°Oh.¡± He pointed. ¡°It¡¯s like a star.¡±


    A blue orb shone high above. From their angle, Owin couldn¡¯t tell if it was still going up or if it was on its way down. The spell had launched it right out of the golem, which was a lot better than destroying the battery.


    ¡°Keep watching it. I¡¯ll grab the one from the chest.¡± Owin ran around the corpse, grabbed the battery in both his hands, and turned, almost running right into Shade. ¡°I thought you were watching the other one.¡±


    Shade pointed up, trailing the battery with his finger until it landed a foot away. ¡°Perfect timing. I am good at this.¡± He grabbed the one off the ground and awkwardly took the other from Owin¡¯s hands. ¡°Send me to the void!¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°There is almost no room left in there. Really cramped.¡± He pointed to the opposite corner of the floor. ¡°Fourth boss? We can take all these out and still have time to sit around and be bored for hours and hours.¡±


    ¡°Why did Sloswen give us so much time?¡±


    Shade started walking. He avoided a few big, glowing crystals, but still stumbled as if the crystals had just appeared. They were the only real source of light, so it was hard to miss them.


    ¡°Most people need to eat and sleep. Especially sleep. By the time one gets to the sixth floor, it is time for a nap, at least. You could also just use all the batteries to contain the portal and use the stairs earlier. We don¡¯t have to eat a demon.¡±


    While Shade was right, Owin had no intention of going down early. He was coming across fewer buff potions, which left eating mobs as the only way to get stronger. The huge raise in intelligence from the cathkabel war beast was too important. Getting a boost even half as big in strength would help through the rest of the floors.


    ¡°We¡¯re fighting the demon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I know. I figured that out already.¡± Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and turned him in the opposite direction. ¡°The last battery should be somewhere in that direction. Onward!¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 7

    6:32


    Owin slowed as soon as he saw the final chest. It was just as wide open as the other three, revealing the glowing battery to the world. The problem was the lack of a boss. Nothing stood between him and the glowing orb.


    ¡°This floor is isolated, right?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes. Always has been.¡± Shade looked around quickly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone else, and you would think we would have if it was a common floor.¡±


    ¡°Then where is the boss?¡± Owin took a few more steps closer, but his instincts screamed not to sprint forward.


    Shade smacked his hand on top of Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°Be ready with that summon spell. I wasn¡¯t joking when I said it is cramped in the box. Really cramped. I know it¡¯s hard to imagine what a box in the void looks like, but it is a box and it is in the void, and wow is there not a lot of room in there once you start filling it with mana batteries.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade walked forward with an exaggerated arm swing. ¡°Sacrificial Bait is my real name, after all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your real name started with a D?¡±


    Shade walked backward, shaking his head slowly at Owin. ¡°I thought eating a whole brain would boost yours. I¡ª¡±


    The water moved around Shade, launching him straight up so fast it took Owin a moment to realize the skeleton had disappeared. Far above, Shade hit the boundary wall and exploded into gray dust.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and pulled him back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of cruel joke this is from Sloswen, but we are going to go occupy ourselves in some other way back at the portal for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°What happened? It looked like you disappeared!¡±


    ¡°Disappearing would be a mercy right now,¡± Shade said as he continued dragging Owin backward. ¡°There is a water elemental guarding that chest, and being that we¡¯re in this swampy ass dungeon, I don¡¯t believe there is a good way for us to approach this fight. Unless you have some sort of ridiculously powerful spell hidden in those giant ears of yours, I think it¡¯s best we run.¡±


    Owin pulled himself free of Shade¡¯s grip. ¡°I could use Discharge.¡±


    ¡°And fry yourself? What good would that do?¡±


    The mana battery sat in the chest, glowing like a beacon. He had already collected four by taking the one out of the golem, but having another wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. Potirantoma the demon was able to build powerful prosthetics with a single small mana crystal. Owin could hardly imagine what an alchemist could build with full battery orbs.


    ¡°What if I just run in and grab it? Or you grab it and I unsummon you?¡±


    Shade flailed his arms in front of them. ¡°Do you see it? Could you confidently point to it and say ¡®Hey, there¡¯s the giant water elemental that¡¯s about to rip me to shreds?¡¯¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The water had moved right before Shade was hit, but there wasn¡¯t any sign of a mob before that. If Owin could only react to the elemental immediately before an attack, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. He was fast, but not that fast.


    ¡°Sometimes retreating is the better idea. Greed is a dangerous enemy in the dungeons. You know the gods set it up that way. Why else would people risk their lives so willingly? That wish hangs heavily over our heads, you know. They play into that greed.¡± Shade sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just saying things.¡± He squatted and waddled over to stand right in front of Owin. A bit of silver blood still clung to his eye sockets. ¡°I know you want to grab that battery, but this is a fight that I think could actually kill you.¡±


    Owin leaned to the side, looking past the skeleton. The empty space around the chest was only occupied by some glowing crystals, providing light to the area. He watched for a moment, trying to spot any sign of the elemental. There was nothing. Not a single bubble or rock movement. Nothing that revealed the elemental¡¯s size or location.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°How would other heroes fight this?¡±


    Shade stood back to his full height. ¡°Myrsvai could send in abyssal spells until they hit. A magus has all sorts of spells to fill an area. You, assassins, soldiers, or berserkers are simply out of luck. Even a hunter could find some way to fight this boss. Some puzzles don¡¯t have solutions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    Shade nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡± He crouched again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you about this.¡±


    Owin opened his index to his map and started following the path back to the girhuma settlement. ¡°What are we going to do for six hours?¡±


    ¡°You can entertain me. Tell me stories. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things from before you met my beautiful self that you could tell me.¡±


    Owin groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I¡¯ve already told you.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! Start at the beginning. I probably don¡¯t remember any of it either because I really wasn¡¯t listening to anything you said when you first summoned me.¡±


    ***


    Miya hadn¡¯t had all that much to work with lately, but that didn¡¯t stop her from accidentally causing half the basement to explode. Luckily, she was resistant to explosions, so all it did was cause her to do a few backflips until she smashed against the wall. Unluckily, the explosion caused a massive fire to rage through her lab.


    Footsteps pounded on the floor above and quickly descended the stairs. Chorsay and Potilia were there in seconds. The old man picked Miya up and brushed the soot from her goggles. He set her on her feet in the gentlest of ways.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No more than usual.¡± Miya ran her hand through her hair, brushing more soot out.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Potilia walked into the alchemy lab, which was fully on fire. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°It was an accident!¡±


    Chorsay strode right into the lab, directly into the raging flames. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would intentionally destroy your own lab, Miya.¡± Within seconds, the soldier had the fire under control. With a mix of abilities and just his impressive depth of knowledge, Chorsay stopped the fire from spreading further.


    Miya finished collecting herself then ran in and stopped the rest, pulling everything explosive away from anything that could cause them to combust again.


    After a few minutes of cleaning, Chorsay sat heavily on a table. It creaked under his weight. Potilia leaned on what was left of the counter, which was little more than charcoal.


    ¡°I had a thought about remodeling the headquarters,¡± Chorsay said. He cleared his throat. ¡°Just now.¡±


    Potilia snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Miya said for probably the thirtieth time. If this was the first mistake she had made, it would be different. She really couldn¡¯t stop making mistakes. What was it that Althowin¡¯s apprentices did differently? What did they have that she didn¡¯t?


    A new fire sprung to life on the counter beside Potilia. She immediately smacked her hand onto it, causing the entire counter to explode.


    ¡°Po!¡± Miya flinched back.


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    Chorsay chuckled. The table beneath him cracked in half, causing him to fall flat onto the stone floor. Miya gasped, but as soon as he hit the ground, Chorsay¡¯s chuckle burst into a full, deep belly laugh.


    Potilia started laughing and tripped over what was left of the counter. She spread out on the ground despite all the debris and soot and continued laughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Miya asked.


    Chorsay sat up and pushed half the table away. ¡°This isn¡¯t how I expected to spend my evening.¡± He grunted and stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go find a drink and some food. No reason to spend the evening here.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we fix this? Shouldn¡¯t I fix this?¡± Miya looked around at the devastation she had just caused. She had lit fires before, and she had broken her fair share of furniture, but this was the first time she had almost destroyed the whole building.


    ¡°Why?¡± Chorsay asked. He walked toward the stairs. ¡°There¡¯s always tomorrow. No rush to these things. We¡¯re all safe.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it worries me how much you don¡¯t worry,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t save all that money to let it sit in a bank,¡± Chorsay said as he started up the stairs. ¡°We will get you a new lab. Maybe one with less wood next time.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be good,¡± Miya said.


    ¡°What about using the same material as the arena?¡± Potilia was still lying on the ground.


    ¡°That could work,¡± Chorsay said, his voice becoming distant as his heavy footsteps pounded on the floor above.


    Miya stood beside Potilia. ¡°Why are you still on the ground?¡±


    Potilia shrugged.


    It was nice when she wasn¡¯t panicking. She seemed so confident when she was calm. Miya offered a hand, which Potilia took. As soon as she was on her feet, soot started to fall off. Miya brushed as much as she could from Potilia¡¯s back, but she had just been lying in it. There was too much clinging to her clothes.


    ¡°Are we getting food? There¡¯s a new restaurant on the other side of the portals,¡± Chorsay shouted down the stairs.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Potilia grabbed Miya¡¯s arm and dragged her across the basement and quickly up the stairs.


    ¡°We¡¯re all covered in soot,¡± Miya said as she stumbled into the lobby.


    Chorsay shrugged. He was already half out the door. ¡°It¡¯s late. Nobody will care.¡±


    Miya wondered, just like every other day, how she ended up in the Nimble Hog Hero Company. It really was an odd group.

 Book 4 - Chapter 8

    00:10


    Owin couldn¡¯t be more bored. There was only so much that they could do for six hours. After telling stories, they went and tried to hunt for some loot. The few sea stars they found dropped some coins and nothing more. Shade kept picking up rocks, hoping they were special, and every single one of them ended up being just a normal rock. It didn¡¯t stop him from doing it forty times.


    Finally, the timer was almost done. The girhuma were scared and hiding in the cave, but Owin had assured them he wouldn¡¯t let the demon get into the cave. He was confident in that promise. Fighting a water elemental underwater was an impossible task for him, but fighting a demon was something he had experience with, and something he enjoyed doing.


    Shade paced nervously around the giant crystal in the middle of the plaza while Owin had stood, waiting, for the last hour right in front of the mass of grasping hands. The white skin of those hands still reminded him of cathkabel more than it did a demon, but there were plenty on both sides he had yet to see.


    Most of his attention was on the timer counting down at the top of his vision. It felt as if it had slowed down for the last half hour, but that was probably just because he had stood waiting. The lich bone knife hung loosely in his hand, ready to stab whatever left the portal, unless it ended up being a cathkabel.


    The area darkened as the timer counted down the last minute. Owin didn¡¯t think it could get much darker before, but now the only light came from the portal itself. Even with the dark cloud, it gave off a light, making it easy to see the countless white hands grasping.


    00:00


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this!¡± Shade yelled.


    Every white hand grabbed the portal frame at the same time. The white hands gripped with enough strength to crack the stone as a figure emerged from the shadows. A cackle echoed all around the plaza as the white demon appeared.


    It was hunched with about twelve arms coming from its right shoulder and one single, much more muscular arm on its left. Its legs were splayed to the sides as it squatted low to the ground.


    ¡°The goblin,¡± it said before breaking into another fit of cackling.


    A Lord of the Abyss has risen


    The Vile Fiend - 50% Manifested


    Level 50


    The demon was a lower level than the battery guardians. If the consequence for not getting the batteries was fighting the demon, Owin expected it to be stronger.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± The Vile Fiend¡¯s right hands all spread across the stone as it walked forward. Giant white horns sprouted from the side of the demon¡¯s head, just above its pointed ears. It had a wide face with beady white eyes. Everything about it looked entirely different from the demons he had seen before.


    Owin crouched, ready to pounce.


    The Vile Fiend held up its left hand. ¡°Calm down, goblin. I was hoping you would allow me to emerge.¡± It held all its arms out to the side. ¡°Feast on me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade repeated the question.


    ¡°Feast and become powerful. I have heard tales of you in the Abyss. I know the effect demon blood has on you, and what better blood than that of a Lord? No need to kill me first. I will not move from this position.¡± The demon closed its eyes.


    Everything around Owin shuddered. He tried to take a step forward, but he found himself unable to even move his muscles.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Shade said quickly.


    It looked like a dart flew down from above, but an abnormally tall man stood at the point of impact, beside the Vile Fiend. He had black hair with white stripes and weird blue tattoos on his face. They didn¡¯t look like anything Owin had seen before with the way they glowed. His eyes were mostly light blue and a tattoo of a snake moved around his arm as if it was alive.


    Owin immediately tried to use Examine, but nothing appeared.


    The Vile Fiend grunted and lowered its arms. ¡°I knew you would ruin my fun.¡±


    Owin continued to try to move, but couldn¡¯t even wiggle a finger. Meanwhile, Shade calmly walked right past Owin and up to the Lord of the Abyss and the unknown person.


    ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d visit,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve earned the ability to speak,¡± the person said.


    Shade nodded and took a step back.


    ¡°This is not an acceptable way to end this floor,¡± the person said with authority.


    The demon didn¡¯t flinch at all. ¡°You knew what was going to happen as soon as you forced me here. You have no authority in the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°I have authority over all!¡± The man pointed a single finger at the demon. The water shuddered and forced the demon to his knees.


    Shade took another step back.


    ¡°I will never bend to your will.¡± The Vile Fiend forced all thirteen arms against the floor. The water seemed to shake even more as it grew unbearably cold.


    A Lord of the Abyss has risen


    The Vile Fiend - 75% Manifested


    Level 75


    The demon continued to force its way through the pressure, but another flick of the man¡¯s finger brought the demon back to the ground. Another cackle came from the demon as a smile spread across its wide face.


    A pulse rippled through the water, causing the portal ring to crack. If Owin hadn¡¯t been stuck in place, he would have been sent flying, maybe as far as the boundary wall. The demon shifted, releasing another pulse of energy that was even stronger than the last. It felt like Owin was about to vanish, smashed into oblivion by the overwhelming energy. His bones shook and his muscles twitched, trying to force him into some type of motion, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn¡¯t move.


    The tall man narrowed his eyes and finally lifted his other hand. ¡°You are limited here.  You waste your¡ª¡±


    The Vile Fiend - ???% Manifested


    Level ???


    Abyssal flames erupted all over the demon¡¯s skin as it stood to its full height. ¡°Someone lost control of their domain.¡±


    The man took a step back. ¡°You¡ª How?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The demon cracked its neck and rolled its shoulders even as the water continued pushing down on it. ¡°Did you think the Lords of the Abyss truly let the gods enslave us? You are a fool, Sloswen. Keep your powers toward Elysium. You waste them on the Abyss.¡± The Vile Fiend shivered, throwing more quick pulses of energy through the water. ¡°I will make a deal with you. Allow the goblin to feast and I will return to your servitude as a mob of your domain. Or I will return to the Abyss with a path back whenever I please.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a deal,¡± the man said quickly.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re in agreement?¡± The demon extended all twelve right hands.


    The man looked at Owin with his unusual blue eyes. There was no pupil as he looked over Owin. ¡°Hm.¡± The pressure suddenly stopped, causing Owin to fall to his knees.


    ¡°This is cheating.¡± The man cast his blue eyes at Shade. ¡°You know what happens to those who cheat the towers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an anomaly. If this is cheating, so is his existence.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± The man stroked his jaw. The snake tattoo moved through his hand, into his face, and down his neck, disappearing beneath his tunic. ¡°No information. He has to earn that himself.¡± He turned back to the demon. ¡°If you choose to defy me again, Diphinadra and Ruvaine will be finding your replacement.¡±


    The Vile Fiend nodded. ¡°We¡¯re in agreement.¡± The demon quickly waved and shooed the man away.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Shade said. ¡°Before you go¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Cursed have no right to speak.¡± The god took a step toward Owin. ¡°I will see you on the tenth floor.¡± He vanished in another burst of water.


    ¡°Was that . . .¡± Owin stared toward the surface.


    ¡°Old Sloswen can be a real cranky god,¡± Shade said. He flinched, but nothing happened.


    ¡°Freedom feels . . . odd.¡± The Vile Fiend walked toward Owin, using its hands as extra feet. ¡°Your friend passed to the seventh floor.¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai?¡±


    ¡°And his demon.¡± The Vile Fiend leaned on its twelve arms, dipping its head to look at Owin. ¡°The Malignant Spirit spoke of you.¡±


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°It commended your viciousness. I will do you the same honor of allowing you to feed. The Lords all know of you, and each will extend this gift.¡±


    ¡°The Malignant Spirit didn¡¯t let me feed. I won that battle.¡±


    ¡°Believe what you must, goblin.¡±


    Owin took a step back. The grotesque form of the Vile Fiend quivered as the demon moved its twelve right arms. The demon¡¯s wide, bat-like nose sucked in water as it sniffed itself.


    ¡°Are Myrsvai and Suta safe?¡±


    The demon raised its white brow. ¡°You are so worried of others? Being powerful means worrying about oneself.¡± He relaxed and let his arms hang down. They were long enough for his claws to brush the stone floor. ¡°I passed a boon to the familiar. They are a powerful duo. I suspect they will pass through the tenth floor.¡±


    Owin nodded. They were powerful. If they just passed onto the seventh floor, Owin could catch up with them. It was the last common floor of the Ocean Dungeon, so he could at least stay with them for a bit.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? I thought we would fight.¡±


    The Vile Fiend looked at the surface. ¡°Lords do not go against their word. You will have to learn yourself. If you conquer the Ocean, Sloswen will owe you an answer to a single question. Ask what you wish at that time.¡± The demon extended its arms. ¡°Leave nothing but bone and take that bone. An alchemist can only dream of such material.¡±


    Owin looked at Shade, who shrugged and gestured back toward the demon.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°An odd question, goblin. I have not made a mistake. Eat me.¡±


    Owin hesitantly approached the demon, expecting some sort of movement or some quick attack. When he used Examine, it said the Vile Fiend had returned to 50% manifested, making it level 50.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    The Vile Fiend opened one eye and extended its single arm to Owin¡¯s height. ¡°Bite.¡±


    Owin wanted to ask so many other questions, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to get an answer. He needed to hurry if he was going to catch up to Myrsvai. Even with the need to rush, it felt beyond weird. Every other time he had eaten someone, it had been pieces during a fight. With the cathkabel in the fortress, he had eaten pieces after the battles when they were dead, not while they stood in front of him asking to be devoured.


    This was uncomfortable, but . . . he needed the strength. If the Vile Fiend was truly going to let Owin raise his strength that high, he couldn¡¯t let the opportunity pass. There wouldn¡¯t be any boss or mob that would stop him from getting the shards.


    He took a bite and felt the demon blood rush into his mouth. The Vile Fiend didn¡¯t flinch or make a single noise.


    +1 Strength


    The numbers continued ticking in as he swallowed the first piece of demon flesh. He stopped, took a step back, and met the Vile Fiend¡¯s white eyes.


    Somehow, that made it even worse. He was about to say something in protest, fighting the urge to ask if it was fine, when the demon grabbed Owin around the neck with his single left hand, effortlessly lifting him off his feet. The hand held tight, immediately choking him.


    ¡°Eat or die.¡±


    The Vile Fiend dropped him back to the stone floor. Owin gasped and spat out some demon blood that had lingered in his mouth. Shade was at his side, picking him up. Owin fully expected the skeleton to say something, but instead he just pushed Owin forward and awkwardly gestured at the demon lord. Blood leaked from the bite mark on his arm.


    There was no reason to wait. Owin used his teeth to tear a chunk out of the demon¡¯s arm while simultaneously tearing with his nails. Blood quickly poured into the water, clouding the ocean.


    Without the ability to even get full, Owin found that he was able to actually eat surprisingly fast. He devoured the Vile Fiend in a bestial, monstrous flurry until there was nothing but a skeleton standing.


    Shade had spent the ordeal by the giant crystal in the center of the plaza, humming or talking to himself. Owin had been aware of the absolutely awful noises he had made while eating, but at least only Shade would remember it.


    ¡°Cursed,¡± the Vile Fiend said. It sounded the exact same, even though only bones remained. It took a few steps and cocked its head. ¡°The Withered Shade.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Shade ran, tripped, jumped back to his feet, and ran a little more until he stopped beside Owin. He put his hand on his shoulder before noticing the blood covering Owin¡¯s face.


    There was some flesh or something still sticking to his nose and cheeks, and Owin wasn¡¯t sure when it would be a good time to clean that off. Would the Vile Fiend criticize him for wasting flesh? Would it draw more attention then if he just left it for the water to slowly wash off?


    Shade picked a piece of flesh off and flicked it into the water. ¡°Disgusting.¡±


    ¡°I remember you,¡± the Fiend said.


    Shade quickly turned his head. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The troubadour. Saboator. You were once famous in the Abyss, but even demons can forget. You have truly been lost to time.¡± The Vile Fiend put all thirteen of its arms on Shade¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We will have our revenge.¡±


    ¡°Our?¡±


    The Vile Fiend¡¯s skeleton collapsed, leaving all thirteen hands wrapped around Shade¡¯s shoulders and arm.


    Quest Complete


    Stairs to the Seventh Floor have opened


    They both stood for a moment, then Owin poked the demon¡¯s skeleton with his boot. Shade did the same, then picked up its skull. ¡°Do you think¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change heads, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Fine.¡± He squatted and shoveled as many bones into his arms as he could. ¡°Want to hide these in the box?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Won¡¯t that take up the rest of the room?¡±


    ¡°Send me to the closet, commander!¡±


    Owin laughed and cast the spell.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    He took the opportunity to quickly wipe his face and the front of his helmet, letting more of the demon blood wash into the water.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared with his head bent all the way to the side. ¡°We are out of room!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    His head snapped back into position. ¡°Funny, wasn¡¯t it? Oh, a comedian, I am. Incredible how I come up with ways to entertain you every single day. What would you do without me?¡± The demon¡¯s hands were still connected to his arm and shoulders.


    Owin looked around the plaza. The portal was empty now, leaving only a circle of stone, covered in cracks from when the Vile Fiend emerged. ¡°Where do we go?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t even going to acknowledge my comedy? What are you? Some kind of humorless hero sent to ruin my eternal life?¡±


    ¡°Where are the stairs?¡± Owin spotted them in the corner and pointed. ¡°Stairs.¡±


    ¡°Eternity spent developing ways to entertain my new master, and you won¡¯t even listen to my jokes.¡±


    Owin stopped at the top of the stairs. The black doorway to the seventh floor looked inviting. Myrsvai and Suta wouldn¡¯t get far. He was quicker than them, after all.


    Shade squatted at his side. ¡°Did eating all that demon blood change your brain?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked without looking at Shade. He didn¡¯t need the skeleton acting casual.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Saboator. What¡¯s it mean?¡±


    Shade leaned on Owin¡¯s pauldron. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe part of my name. Maybe a demon who doesn¡¯t know the word saboteur. Maybe something else entirely. Plenty to learn for us both, I suppose. Do you want to catch up to Myrsvai?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    He nudged Owin with enough energy to almost knock him over. ¡°Then we better hurry.¡±


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 700


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 270


    Intelligence: 467


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    Who was going to stop him now?

 Book 4 - Chapter 9

    Potilia never wanted company, but at times, it was good. Miya was too scared to work in Myrsvai¡¯s room, which Potilia understood. Who wouldn¡¯t be scared of the demon-infested place? Myrsvai didn¡¯t even bathe most days when he was all rabid and raving about his projects. Not only did everyone want to avoid his wrath, they also wanted to avoid whatever smells might linger. She wasn¡¯t sure how Suta dealt with it, but she was also unsure if Suta actually had a nose.


    He did, didn¡¯t he?


    She looked up from her book to see Miya hunched over her own, muttering something to herself as she poured a powder into a vial, causing the mixture to spark briefly. The alchemist flinched, and looked up, catching Potilia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I swear this one won¡¯t explode.¡±


    ¡°Does Suta have a nose?¡±


    Miya lifted her goggles. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember if Suta has a nose.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Miya squinted. ¡°Uh.¡±


    Sanem threw the front door open, yawning as she stepped inside. She was in casual clothes, but still had her spear in a holder on her back. She lazily gestured behind her, where a fairly bruised man appeared.


    ¡°Raif!¡± Potilia fell off her stool.


    The man was quickly at her side, gently helping her up. He was dressed in a red jacket that would have looked lovely if it wasn¡¯t the same color as the scars on his hands and across the back of his shaved head.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too, Po.¡± He leaned on the counter as Potilia climbed back onto her stool. ¡°What are you doing up here, Miya?¡±


    ¡°I, uh.¡± Miya put her goggles back on and hunched over the vial.


    ¡°She blew up the basement,¡± Potilia said quickly.


    ¡°You did what?¡± Sanem was suddenly very alert. She sprinted up the stairs and burst right into Chorsay¡¯s office. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Potilia heard him say calmly.


    ¡°What are you reading today?¡± Raif lifted the cover of the book. ¡°A History of Witches in Sakaebia. Really?¡±


    ¡°Well, they thought witches were escaped mobs born in the dungeon, so . . .¡± Potilia slammed the book shut and covered the title with her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me about it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Do you know if Chorsay has any jobs ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Already? It feels like you just got back. And with Myrsvai, Owin, Cixilo, and Lera out, it¡¯s quiet and lonely here.¡± Potilia leaned more heavily on her book. ¡°The old man could use more company.¡±


    ¡°We, uh . . .¡± Raif looked up to the next floor. ¡°We could use the money.¡±


    Potilia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you in financial distress?¡±


    Miya took off her goggles. ¡°Raif?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°No. Nothing like that.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant?¡± Chorsay¡¯s voice boomed, making it sound like he was directly beside Potilia. She almost fell off her stool again.


    Raif looked back and forth awkwardly. Potilia squealed and jumped on him. Luckily, the knight was strong and probably expected something from Potilia.


    ¡°Congrats,¡± Miya said as she immediately resumed work.


    Potilia patted Raif on the head as he set her back on the stool. ¡°You are going to be such a good father.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now, I¡ª¡±


    The railing above cracked loudly as Chorsay leaned on it and looked down. ¡°No jobs. I¡¯m not letting either of you in a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay,¡± Raif said.


    ¡°Not going to happen. You tell me what you need and I will get it.¡±


    ¡°Chorsay,¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t accept that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking,¡± Chorsay said. He disappeared back over the railing. Sanem followed after, scolding the old man as they walked toward the back of the building.


    ¡°You had to expect that,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°I thought he would just find vanity escorts,¡± Raif said as he shrugged. ¡°Something easy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not going to happen, I¡ª¡±


    Purple smoke appeared beside them. Potilia had already picked up her kanabo and Raif clenched his hands into fists. Miya hadn¡¯t reacted at all.


    Cixilo stood, sweating, right in front of the counter. ¡°Where¡¯s Chorsay?¡±


    ¡°Cix, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Blood ran from her nose and dripped from her chin, staining her purple cloak. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    A firm knock pounded on the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him.¡± Raif bolted up the stairs.


    ¡°He can hear us,¡± Potilia said. ¡°Who¡¯s at the door?¡± She lifted her weapon above the counter.


    ¡°Hide it,¡± Cixilo said quickly. She turned, accidentally throwing some blood onto the counter. ¡°Miya, get out. Now.¡±


    The alchemist dropped everything and stood. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°To the back. The arena.¡±


    Miya touched Cixilo¡¯s shoulder gently but walked right by without another word.


    Potilia lowered the kanabo. There was no way she was going to drop the weapon all the way. ¡°Who¡¯s at the door, Cix?¡±


    ¡°The Bull. He¡¯s going to kill us.¡±


    Chorsay¡¯s heavy footsteps pounded on the floor above just as the front door opened.


    Just as Cixilo had said, the Golden Bull stood in the doorway. He wore his flawless golden armor with his helmet lowered. His dark rock arms looked so unnatural even as he moved. If it had only been the golden armor, Potilia would mistake him for any other Golden Bull, but the earth elemental and his emerald bow were impossible to mistake.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the old man?¡± Andres asked.


    ¡°Here.¡± The air hummed as both of Chorsay¡¯s shards lifted. Potilia knew that sound well. That ominous, horrible sound. Wood cracked above her. Just the emergence of his shards were enough to nearly destroy the walls around him.


    Cixilo was wrong. It wasn¡¯t just Miya. They all needed to run.


    Andres chuckled.


    ¡°You lay a finger on my family?¡± Chorsay¡¯s voice was a growl.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°She tried to flee. I only reminded her of her place. What heroes do the Hogs employ that can¡¯t take a slap?¡± Andres took a step into the lobby.


    The balcony railing exploded as Chorsay walked by. Each stair cracked and nearly collapsed as the giant took each calm step. He was composed other than his right hand clenched into a fist, causing the veins on his arm to rise.


    ¡°Quite the introduction,¡± Andres said. ¡°I learned much about you on the way here. We met once, when you were Void Nexus.¡±


    Chorsay stopped right in front of Andres Orben. The giant had to look almost straight down to even see the Golden Bull¡¯s leader. With Chorsay wearing a simple cloth tunic and old, worn pants, he looked like a commoner beside a king, if one ignored the size difference.


    The two silver shards hung over Chorsay¡¯s right shoulder, still humming their ominous song.


    ¡°Do you know what the other leaders say about you?¡± Andres asked.


    Chorsay clenched his other hand into a fist.


    ¡°They call you a coward. The hero company leader who abandoned danger and power only to lead the worst hero company in Verdantallis.¡±


    ¡°If you had come by to talk, I would have entertained you over a whiskey.¡± Chorsay¡¯s voice had somehow gotten deeper. His words alone felt like they would shatter the walls.


    Cixilo nearly collapsed, but caught herself on the counter. Potilia scrambled over and took the umbra¡¯s arm. Only then did she notice the broken bones on the Cixilo¡¯s face. Her hood had been hiding the full extent of her injuries.


    Chorsay was watching and nodded to Potilia.


    ¡°We talked about remodeling,¡± she said quickly.


    Chorsay¡¯s face went from pure anger to stone stoicism. ¡°We could have talked, but you hurt my family.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Andres brought his stone fingers to his bowstring. ¡°A 2 Shard Hero threatens me! What a day! I came to give you a warning out of respect, Chorsay. I thought I¡¯d test your heroes. Give them a little shock. See if they were strong enough to handle real obstacles. I hoped something would spur you back into action, to help you see the danger in that goblin.¡± Andres shook his head. ¡°You are as foolish as they sa¡ª¡±


    Potilia didn¡¯t see Chorsay move. She only felt the impact of the punch, which caused the walls to the sides of Chorsay to explode, flying out into Atrevaar. The shockwave of the punch cracked the entire floor through the lobby and even made her stool collapse.


    Andres was nowhere to be seen.


    Chorsay strode right through the new opening with his shards still raised. That punch would have turned Potilia to dust, but Andres was no normal hero.


    The familiar, horrifying sound of shards clicked three times. Chorsay didn¡¯t flinch at the noise. He only set his feet, cracking the sidewalk outside headquarters. Security Regime members were already on sight, rushing civilians to safety. The portal guards, she realized, had all abandoned posts to guide people away.


    The military was in charge until Shard Heroes were fighting. There was nobody in the military that could stop Chorsay or Andres.


    An arrow flew from the side faster than Potilia could follow. Chorsay slapped it away. When the arrow hit the road, the stone shot into the air as if a volcano had erupted below. A flurry of arrows struck Chorsay, who had raised both forearms like a shield in front of him. They tore into his skin before they were blown away as Chorsay walked straight at Andres. The old soldier suddenly vanished. Potilia leaned to the side, catching the moment Chorsay dodged a bow swing from the Golden Bull. A quick palm strike caused the hunter to drop his bow.


    Chorsay¡¯s use of Disarm was unmatched. He had shown her long ago how easily even the strongest heroes in the world could be disarmed with a nonlethal attack. She wished she had something like that.


    Andres drew the sword from his hip and swung, but stopped short as Chorsay took the blade to the arm without damage and countered with another punch straight to the hunter¡¯s bucket helmet.


    Chorsay calmly grabbed the emerald bow and walked it over to the new, wide opening to headquarters. He had blood flowing freely from his forearms. ¡°Cix.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful,¡± Cixilo said quietly.


    Chorsay moved his head to the side as a dart flew from behind him. It broke straight through the wall behind where Miya had been sitting. ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    The man fighting tells them to be safe. Potilia wanted to roll her eyes, but she was too worried for something so childish.


    Chorsay carelessly tossed the legendary bow into the room. He turned back just as Andres neared. The Golden Bull walked with confidence, like nothing was wrong. He was missing his helmet, which had already been horribly dented after the first punch. After the second, Potilia guessed Andres felt lucky to still have a head.


    The one shard made a difference in the fight. Without it, Andres would have been dead after the first hit. Even a two shard hero wasn¡¯t going to come close in a fight against someone as seasoned as Chorsay.


    The Golden Bull made a horrible mistake underestimating Chorsay.


    No, he had made a horrible mistake underestimating the Nimble Hogs.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hiding a third shard,¡± Andres said as blood leaked onto his lips. He spat a gob onto the street. His index flashed in front of his eyes. ¡°What did you fuse with?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Chorsay clenched his fists, squeezing his own blood between his fingers. ¡°Apologize and vow to never return to Stelsodo, and I will let you go.¡±


    ¡°Vow to never return?¡± Andres chuckled. It was the most fake, most arrogant thing Potilia had ever heard. And she had heard a lot of arrogant laughs. ¡°You don¡¯t own Atrevaar, let alone all of Stelsodo! You¡¯re lucky Veph even lets you rent this dump!¡±


    A third shard multiplied Andres Orben¡¯s attributes by 2.5, meaning his 570 dexterity was actually 1425 at the moment, while Chorsay¡¯s 710 strength with two shards was doubled, making it 1420.


    With most people, a shard would be all the difference in the world.


    For Andres, it was the only thing keeping him on his feet. They were nearly even in their highest stats, and Potilia could guarantee Chorsay had more experience in every aspect, even if he was a ¡°coward¡± for abandoning the dungeons like Andres claimed.


    Andres glanced at his bow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break it if you touch it again,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Fine. I can beat you like this.¡± Andres positioned himself into a haughty stance with his sword at the ready. It was the way Potilia imagined rich snobs held swords. It was fitting.


    Chorsay wasn¡¯t completely unarmed. He had his little knife sheathed at his belt, but Potilia couldn¡¯t imagine a situation in which that came into play. He had kept that away forever, and would likely never use it.


    ¡°Cix, can I take you to the back?¡± Potilia whispered.


    Cixilo, despite her injuries, was just as enthralled. ¡°No.¡±


    Secretly, Potilia had hoped for that answer.


    More of the Security Regime had arrived. All of their Shard Heroes were present, but that was only to minimize damage. None would intervene in a Shard Hero fight. If anything, it would only end up with more destruction or more death. The military had formed a ring around the front of the building, protecting the portals, and likely, giving Chorsay and Andres a sign that they needed to contain the fight.


    ¡°This is your last opportunity to surrender, Hog.¡±


    Chorsay took a deep breath as blood dripped from his fists. The ominous hum of the shards filled the air. The old soldier couldn¡¯t be goaded into anger, into reacting without thought. He didn¡¯t even shift into a fighting stance. He was calm. He was ready.


    He was at his most dangerous.


    ***


    Ocean Dungeon


    Seventh Floor


    Owin stepped out of the void nexus and immediately felt a blow to the side of his helmet. He flailed and tumbled down the stairs, flipping over the creature. He could have slammed it into the ground, but instead he turned himself, letting the chitin breastplate take the slight impact.


    Suta¡¯s glowing yellow eyes were an inch from Owin¡¯s. ¡°Twin.¡±


    ¡°Suta.¡± Owin wrapped his arms around him and effortlessly stood with the demon.


    ¡°He insisted we wait,¡± Myrsvai said. The magus bumped Shade with his staff. ¡°Good to see you are both safe.¡±


    ¡°I thought we said we weren¡¯t going to wait,¡± Owin said. He let the familiar go, but Suta stayed close.


    ¡°With the timer, I thought we would end up close together. It took you longer than I expected.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s index appeared.


    ¡°We had a delay,¡± Shade said. Owin was glad the skeleton didn¡¯t expand on that. There was no reason Myrsvai needed to know about the Void Nexus heroes.


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    ¡°The Vile Fiend insisted I eat him.¡± Owin couldn¡¯t stop the grin from spreading across his face.


    ¡°Insisted?¡±


    Shade leaned his elbow on Myrsvai. ¡°It was the single most horrible thing I have ever seen. And you would not believe the things I have seen. I wouldn¡¯t even believe it, really. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°What about your intelligence? That¡¯s not from a demon.¡±


    ¡°A cathkabel war beast was one of the battery guardians.¡±


    Myrsvai gave Suta a look. ¡°You were right. We should have explored.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even explore?¡±


    ¡°Eight hours of sleep in a dungeon is a difficult thing to pass by. I feel truly refreshed. Did you find anything useful?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared and immediately leaned on Myrsvai again. ¡°All there!¡±


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°All of it?¡±


    Shade nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Every drop!¡±


    ¡°Not drops, Shade.¡± Owin sighed. ¡°We kept the big mana batteries they were guarding and kept them in Shade¡¯s . . . box.¡±


    ¡°You can call it a prison if you prefer,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Nobody prefers that.¡± Owin waved everyone forward, away from the stairs. The floor was darker than the last, with the surface so incredibly far above. The same type of glowing crystals dotted the floor, though their glow was either weaker or the darkness was simply stronger.


    ¡°That is incredibly valuable. Well done, Owin.¡± Myrsvai looked out at the seventh floor with a smile. ¡°What do you say? Into the unknown together?¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin put his arm around Suta¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Together.¡±


    Shade put his skull against Myrsvai¡¯s head. ¡°What a happy family.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re too close.¡± The magus pushed Shade away with his staff.


    ¡°Ah, a divorce so early? But our children,¡± Shade said, gesturing to Owin and Suta.


    ¡°Punch fish,¡± Suta said, dragging Owin forward. ¡°New strength.¡±


    ¡°I also want to see how strong I am. First fish is mine,¡± Owin said.

 Book 4 - Chapter 10

    Potilia pulled Cixilo into Myrsvai¡¯s study, which was still miraculously standing. The front wall was gone, but the pillars reinforced against abyssal flames were also more durable than the rest of the building.


    Each clash between Andres and Chorsay sent waves that smashed anything nearby. A few Security Regime soldiers had been carried away after an impact from one of the waves crushed their armor.


    Two storms fighting in the center of the city.


    Andres¡¯s skills with the sword were impressive. Hunters had abilities for all weapons, but their primary ones were always focused around range. Andres had, obviously, trained extensively to wield the sword in such an incredible manner.


    Chorsay moved slowly compared to Andres. The dexterity difference was massive. The Golden Bull slashed and blocked, over and over, easily reading Chorsay¡¯s movements. After the first surprise attacks, Andres hadn¡¯t let up.


    But Chorsay seemed almost lethargic. He wasn¡¯t concerned or panicked. His eyes bore into Andres and he took each slash on his arms. Blood covered his forearms and stuck between his fingers, splashing with each punch. Andres was able to take the incredible strength of each hit on his stone arms.


    Andres placed a trap behind in the middle of a swing in a deft movement that Potilia wouldn¡¯t have noticed if she was the one in the fight. It was only her external perspective that let her catch it. Before she had the chance to shout anything, Andres lunged, stabbing for Chorsay¡¯s heart. The old giant took a step back, allowing him to catch the blade between his hands. The trap snared around Chorsay¡¯s calf, ripping through his pants.


    Andres ran to his bow, sliding as he stopped, turned, and pulled the string back. A glowing arrow formed magically on the bowstring. As soon as it was fully formed, it flashed green, just like the emerald bow. ¡°It was fun.¡±


    Chorsay flipped Andres¡¯s sword and caught it in his right hand. He turned to face the hunter, even as he was unable to move his leg.


    Andres let the arrow fly, sending a shockwave out that threw Potilia and Cixilo into the next ruined building. Even the roof of the Nimble Hog headquarters shattered.


    Potilia wasn¡¯t fast enough to follow half of what happened. After the green arrow, all she saw was a burst of blood from Chorsay and a shower of rubble from a collapsing building on the other side of the portal circle.


    ¡°Chorsay!¡± Potilia screamed as she climbed back to her feet.


    He lifted his foot, shattering the trap Andres had placed. There was a hole straight through his shoulder, making his left arm hang limp at his side. Andres¡¯s sword was still in his right hand, held loosely as Chorsay walked toward the hunter.


    Andres immediately pulled an arrow from his quiver, drew it, and sent it flying. Chorsay smacked it out of the way with the sword, accidentally sending it into a Security Regime soldier, who was pinned to the stone road.


    ¡°You gave me a sword,¡± Chorsay said.


    Andres moved swiftly and shot another arrow. Chorsay was too close to fully dodge or deflect. He managed to lean to the side, letting the arrow pierce right into his unmoving left arm.


    ¡°How are you still standing?¡± Andres asked. He was still kneeling from when he had grabbed the bow, making Chorsay truly tower over him.


    ¡°Drop the bow.¡±


    Andres made a subtle movement that caused another trap to form right behind Chorsay. Potilia was about to shout something when Chorsay¡¯s arm became a blur. Andres lifted his stone arm just high enough to stop his head from being cut in half. The hunter flipped and broke through the floor, crashing into the ruined basement. Chorsay watched from above without pursuing. Blood pooled around his feet.


    Potilia glanced back, ensuring Cixilo was alive. The umbra had found a wooden column to rest against. She nodded when she caught Potilia¡¯s eyes.


    The stairs to the second floor were destroyed, but Chorsay¡¯s office was still together. She took three steps and jumped, easily landing on the second level. The floor was cracked and entire boards were missing. Each step caused the floor to groan ominously, but she managed to make it into his office. Books were strewn about with only a few still on any of the shelves. It was difficult to look at, but she had no time to mourn.


    The Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth was propped against a chest in the back, still in its sheath. She pulled it from the sheath and felt her stomach turn looking at Artivan¡¯s weapon.


    Chorsay didn¡¯t have a lot of extra weight at the moment, but that wouldn¡¯t stop the sword from using its ability. She ran out of the room and stopped on the balcony, catching Chorsay¡¯s eyes. They had known each other a long time. No words were needed. He dropped Andres¡¯s sword and effortlessly caught the Winged Sword when Potilia tossed it down.


    A wild flurry of arrows flew from below. Some were close enough to cut Chorsay¡¯s skin and shirt, but they weren¡¯t expertly aimed like the rest of Andres¡¯s attacks.


    Potilia leapt onto the main floor just as Chorsay took a step into the hole. She clambered to the edge to see Chorsay advance on the Golden Bull. Andres, to his credit, was fast. He had put three more arrows in Chorsay, but the old soldier didn¡¯t flinch. The sword flashed as he swung.


    Andres, with his incredible speed, blocked with his stone arm, which the Winged Sword of the Swift Behemoth cut through like paper. Chorsay chopped the Three Shard Hero¡¯s head in half.


    He stood still, letting the Golden Bull¡¯s blood drip from the tip of the sword. His own blood continued flowing freely, pooling at his feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Potilia said loudly, gesturing to the Security Regime. They had menders ready. There would be a whole investigation, but Chorsay was acting in self defense. Nobody was going to do anything against him. Not now. Especially not after he killed a Three Shard Hero.


    Chorsay looked up at Potilia. Tears washed the blood and dirt from his cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s war, Po.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said quietly.


    ***


    Katalin held onto one pissed off toad. Jenny croaked loudly, and Katalin wasn¡¯t sure how to get her to calm down. Althowin had just applied a single drop of some concoction to Jenny¡¯s back, then froze with her index flashing in front of her eyes.


    It was unlike her. Distractions weren¡¯t a thing to Althowin.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Ernie asked. He was holding a small hammer that he had made with elemental cores. The advanced creation of items was a lot different than Katalin had expected, and using mob parts to create tools to create other tools was confusing. Bombs were easy.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°She just froze.¡± Katalin slowly pulled Jenny back, cradling the toad in both gloved hands. Jenny croaked again.


    Althowin¡¯s index vanished. ¡°Someone just killed the leader of the Golden Bull Hero Company.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Put Jenny . . .¡± Althowin looked around the room like she was just realizing they weren¡¯t in the terrarium. ¡°Bring her with. Ernie, come on.¡± Althowin shed her gloves, grabbed her pink lab coat, and pulled it over her shoulders as she walked briskly into the hall.


    Katalin ran after her, making sure to keep Jenny protected between her hands. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Althowin didn¡¯t answer, leading them through the maze-like compound. They passed through a walkway, passing over the street below, and into the main lobby.


    Indulf sat at the front desk reading a book. Reception had to be an odd job at Althowin¡¯s compound, since she rarely let anybody inside. If someone was allowed in, Althowin was always present to greet them. So what, exactly, did Indulf do? He collected payments, and that was the only thing Katalin was aware of him ever doing.


    ¡°Any alerts?¡± Althowin asked.


    Indulf quickly put the book down and grabbed a screen. He tapped through a couple of things before his eyes widened. ¡°There¡¯s a warning from the Stelsodo Security Regime. Central Atrevaar was the sight of a fight between Shard Heroes. There is a travel ban in place for the next hour. There are buildings collapsing in the city center.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Take Jenny. We¡¯re going.¡± Althowin casually gestured to Indulf and walked right out the front door.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Katalin tried to adjust Jenny to take off her rubber gloves, but it proved to be more than just difficult. Ernie helped pull a glove off, which he passed right to Indulf. The whole process was awkward and embarrassing, but after a minute, Indulf cradled Jenny in his hands.


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Bring her back to the terrarium.¡± Katalin smiled. ¡°Sorry.¡± She ran out the front door, flanked by Ernie, who promptly closed and locked the door. As always, there was a crowd outside waiting for Althowin to let anybody in. People didn¡¯t charge when the door opened because trespassing would result in a swift death, which had been well documented. It also helped that Althowin confidently walked straight to the portals and did nothing to disguise herself. Some people chased after her, shouting things to the famous hero.


    Althowin didn¡¯t acknowledge them at all.


    Freedom Corps soldiers were all over the portal circle. More than usual. There was a line blocking the portal to Atrevaar and more soldiers passing the message and warning from the Security Regime.


    Althowin dropped a handful of coins in a portal guard¡¯s hand without looking or listening as the soldier repeated the warning. As soon as the soldier registered who she was, he stopped talking.


    The line in front of the Atrevaar portal warned her about approaching once, then a soldier pointed to her ears and the entire line split.


    Althowin didn¡¯t say a word, but she did point at Katalin and Ernie, which seemed to relay enough information for the soldiers to not stop them. Katalin stayed close to Ernie, who still held his elemental hammer. The thing was small and would be ineffective as a weapon.


    Althowin strode right into the portal. Katalin hurried, dragging Ernie behind her past the soldiers.


    What was happening in Atrevaar? Did it involve Owin?


    ***


    While Owin had been excited to punch the first fish he saw . . . there had to be a fish to punch. Small towers of stone covered everything he could see, spewing white smoke into the water.


    Everyone was a little hesitant to move forward, including Owin. He was stronger and smarter, but it was still a new, unknown floor. Every new floor of the Ocean was so different from the last that he couldn¡¯t predict what was going to present itself as the new challenge.


    ¡°Shade,¡± Myrsvai said as they all slowly walked down the hill from the stairs. ¡°Do you realize you have hands attached to you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shade lifted his arms. All thirteen of the Vile Fiend¡¯s skeletal hands were still attached. ¡°Oh. A parting gift from our little demonic friend.¡±


    ¡°Little?¡± Owin asked.


    Some white tubes stuck out from the bottom of the nearest stone tower. The water had been colder than previous floors when he first emerged from the stairs, but now, nearing the tower, it was getting warm like the baths they had found on the fifth floor.


    Ocean Mob


    Giant Tubeworm


    Level 60


    ¡°A tubeworm?¡± They were still about fifty feet away, and Owin wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to rush in. The creature or creatures looked like they almost sprouted from the bottom of the rock tower as white tubes with red things on the end.


    ¡°It looks like a flower bud,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin didn¡¯t know what that looked like, so he just nodded. ¡°It says it¡¯s a mob.¡±


    Myrsvai pointed his staff. Abyssal flames swirled around the end, then launched in a barrage. The tubeworms let out a horrifying squeal as the abyssal fire grew to cover the entire cluster. They thrashed as the red buds opened and released a sudden burst of lava into the water. Owin tackled Myrsvai out of the way, letting Shade take the entirety of the lava attack.


    ¡°This is going to be unpleasant,¡± the skeleton said as he collapsed and poofed into smoke.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Suta dove forward and punched a tubeworm directly in the white tube. It knocked one of the tubes aside, while the others turned and opened their buds. Myrsvai threw Owin off and pointed his staff at Suta.


    ¡°Abyssal Armor!¡±


    The red armor formed around Suta just as lava covered the familiar.


    Punching wasn¡¯t enough, and even after the Abyssal Barrage, the mobs were still thrashing. Owin pulled the lich bone knife from his pocket and sprinted. He leapt over Suta, who was peeling frozen lava from his skin.


    Before the tubeworms could release another blast of lava, Owin hit the ground and slashed. The blade tore through the worms, but the cluster was dense enough that it took two more quick swings to finish off the tubeworms.


    They all stood in silence for a moment. Suta was bloodied and his gi was ruined on his shoulder, but none of that stopped him as he walked past Owin, grabbed a tubeworm, and shook it back and forth, causing the red bud to smash against the stone column over and over.


    A single coin fell out.


    Myrsvai and Shade approached and looked at the single coin lying on the black stone ground. It reflected a little of the nearby light from the crystals.


    ¡°That was the first mob,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Well, I think I know a better way to handle those . . . things,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Myrsvai turned his attention to the skeleton.


    Owin fought the urge to sigh. There was no way Shade had an actual plan that didn¡¯t involve him sprinting in and screaming.


    ¡°The first step is avoiding the lava.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the second step?¡± Owin could hear the annoyance in Myrsvai¡¯s voice, but for whatever the reason, the magus did love to entertain Shade¡¯s conversations.


    ¡°Killing the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I hadn¡¯t thought of a plan so simple. Suta, can we try that next time?¡± Myrsvai turned and crouched, letting Suta pull a healing potion from his bag. The familiar drank it and carefully placed the bottle back inside the bag.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Shade,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°If Suta says no, then it is a no. I agree. We should base all of our decisions on the little bug that doesn¡¯t use full sentences. What do we have to lose? Other than our lives, of course.¡±


    Owin sighed. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°Immortal. I know. You remind me often. But did you know that immortality is not the same as immorality? There is a very slight difference in the spelling and it really changes the meaning a lot. Which one am I? Immoral or immortal?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps both.¡± Myrsvai bumped Shade with his staff. ¡°This is leaning into the philosophical territory, which I would love to explore if you are actually interested in such a conversation and not simply attempting to make a joke.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Shade put his arm over Mrysvai. All the demon hands were still attached with wrist bones sticking out. ¡°I will entertain this. Philosophy has certainly changed since I was alive. Maybe morality has as well?¡±


    ¡°Punch stuff?¡± Suta asked Owin quietly.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds more fun. Let¡¯s go find stuff to punch.¡± Owin kicked a tubeworm body. ¡°But not one of these.¡±


    ¡°No worms.¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°No worms.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 11

    Seeing into the distance on the seventh floor was difficult even with the magical crystals illuminating the ground. Even when Owin was able to see further than a few feet in front of him, his vision was blocked by a tower with smoke coming out of the top. Every tower had a cluster of tubeworms at the bottom.


    Myrsvai took the time to kill one cluster with a series of spells, but quickly decided it wasn¡¯t worth the effort. The amount of experience gained was too low for the amount of mana expended.


    The magus and Shade continued their conversation, which Owin barely followed even when he was actively listening. Myrsvai listed off names and ideas that Shade either knew or acted like he knew. Owin had never heard of any of them.


    ¡°Do you think there are cetanthro or girhuma on this floor?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta shrugged.


    Owin expected that kind of answer. He didn¡¯t know either. They walked along the boundary wall, seeing if there was a place to cross deeper into the floor without having to pass so many tubeworms.


    There didn¡¯t appear to be any safe passages. It was all dark, all stacks of rocks with smoke, and all tubeworms the whole way across. They would have to pick a route and stick to it to avoid fighting too many clusters of worms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go past the first one we found and just keep going that way,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Through the middle?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Owin shrugged.


    ¡°We will follow you.¡±


    ¡°The middle makes it sound like we did something brave and unique when really Owin just wants to go past the only mob we have really killed on this floor,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m part of this team whether you like it or not. I did sit and watch you eat a cathkabel and a Lord of the Abyss on the last floor. I¡¯ve seen enough. I¡¯m implicated. If you go down, I go down.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade pointed toward the middle. ¡°That way, commander!¡±


    Owin rolled his eyes. It was impossible not to. He led the way through the dark floor, trying to stay as far away from the stone smoke stacks as possible. All of them had tubeworms clustered at the base, and while he could handle the mob, there wasn¡¯t any clear benefit to fighting them.


    Suta lifted his hands at each cluster, but the familiar didn¡¯t dive in, which Owin was thankful for. Suta had been so jumpy when Owin had first met him on the way to get Chorsay from the Unity Force.


    ¡°Hydrothermal vents,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What?¡± Owin barely looked back at the magus who was still walking beside Shade. The skeleton had picked up one of the glowing crystals at some point and jabbed his bony finger against it.


    ¡°I am realizing these are hydrothermal vents, though an extreme version. These exist in the ocean outside the dungeon. Some heroes have been to the real ocean floor with their high attributes and some specific potions and skills to explore. It¡¯s said to be nearly impossible to see and so cold that one¡¯s skin can freeze. Most would die long before they reached the bottom, even if they could breathe in the water.¡± Myrsvai smiled and gestured to a hydrothermal vent with his staff. ¡°Unlike other gods, Sloswen has used many real features from the ocean.¡±


    ¡°What about these?¡± Shade held the green crystal out. ¡°Any shiny things in the bottom of the real ocean?¡±


    ¡°Not that I have ever read about. Maybe in a few years when I am stronger, I¡¯ll be able to make my own journey below.¡±


    Suta stopped and grabbed Owin¡¯s arm. The familiar lifted a fist and chittered. Ahead, the path split with hydrothermal vents acting as barriers, all too close to avoid any fight. They could go more left, more right, or even further right, but at that point it was basically heading toward the right boundary wall.


    They had to pass between two different stacks in any of the three directions. Giant tubeworms clustered together dense enough to almost form a wall between each of the stacks.


    ¡°Left,¡± Owin said. He took a step, but Suta pulled him back.


    ¡°I fight.¡±


    A slew of protests flew through Owin¡¯s mind. He was stronger than Suta, which was the easiest answer, but the bigger issue was Suta¡¯s style of fighting. Punching the tubeworms didn¡¯t seem effective, and going against so many would put the little familiar into a dangerous situation.


    ¡°Suta, stay back,¡± Myrsvai said as abyssal fire gathered at the end of his staff.


    ¡°No.¡± The familiar stalked forward, hands raised.


    Owin could have jumped over Suta or ran ahead and grabbed him before he entered danger, but Suta was so confident that Owin wanted to see what he could do. Myrsvai protested and hurried up, already covering Suta with armor and another buff.


    The tubeworms reacted immediately upon Suta¡¯s arrival, turning to spit molten rock. Suta moved fast enough to dodge. He ran part way up the stalk, leapt off, and executed a perfect punch on the red plume of a tubeworm. The strike knocked it aside, but did no visible damage. The whole wall-like cluster let out a wall of lava at once.


    Suta vanished in a flash of abyssal flames.


    Myrsvai let out a sigh. ¡°He¡¯s frustrated.¡± The magus waited a moment, then pointed his staff and let out a barrage, killing a handful of the tubeworms. ¡°And so am I.¡±


    Shade put his arm around Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough to finish this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Shade.¡±


    The skeleton dropped the green crystal and reached over, tapping his finger on Myrsvai¡¯s head. ¡°He knows. That big brain of his is currently thinking of ways he can finish the isolated floors without the true hero and his goblin sidekick.¡±


    Myrsvai narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you the ¡®true hero¡¯ instead of Owin?¡±


    Shade nodded slowly. ¡°I knew you would all catch on at some point. It took a while, I admit. Longer than I had hoped. For as goblin-brained as you are, you caught on faster than I anticipated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m goblin-brained?¡± Myrsvai asked.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The two went back and forth for a minute with all sorts of meaningless insults that caused Myrsvai to smile. He seemed to be surprisingly calm despite what Shade had just said. Owin just watched the exchange with his hands on his hips until they both noticed him.


    ¡°Goblin-brained?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Shade pushed Myrsvai away. ¡°So insensitive, Myrsvai. I can¡¯t believe you would use Owin¡¯s goblin . . . ness? Why not? I can¡¯t believe you would use Owin¡¯s goblinness against him to make such a rude insult.¡±


    Owin turned his back to Shade, who drew the Incandescent Blade. With the longsword in hand, Owin walked up to the wall of tubeworms and gave it three quick slashes, cutting the mobs down before they could gather more lava to spit.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°In my current state, yes.¡± Myrsvai crouched beside the mob corpses, leaned his staff on the stone, and pulled a few dungeon coins and a gem out. He held them out, offering, but Owin didn¡¯t move. After a second, Myrsvai dropped it all into his own bag. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as strong or weak. Many of my spells are focused on buffing and sustaining my summons. Even when I funnel my spells into Suta, his refusal to cast his own offensive magic makes him considerably weaker than he otherwise would be. I¡¯ll bring Thalgodin back soon. He should be recovered, and with my increased level, he should be able to manifest in his full power.¡± The magus stood up, stretched his back, and grabbed his staff.


    ¡°If Suta uses magic, can you get the shard?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ahead, the smoke rising from the hydrothermal vents was black, making the rest of the floor look significantly darker. It was like a heavy cloud sat over the ocean floor, muting even the bright colors of the crystals.


    It remained a maze of sorts with hydrothermal vent stacks blocking paths and spreading haphazardly out in front of them. Based on what Owin could see in his map from the first part of the floor, it didn¡¯t seem like there was a right or wrong way to go. He just needed to continue forward. It was far more narrow than other floors with the boundary walls visible as soon as he walked too far to either side. They just had to choose to be more left or right focused, as the center was frequently blocked by the biggest vents.


    ¡°We can spread out. There is a wandering boss, a chest guardian, and a secret out there somewhere. I already missed the last couple secrets, and if I want to get Shade stronger or more clothes, I guess, I need to find more of his bones.¡± Owin pointed to the right. ¡°When you summon Suta, I¡¯ll take him this way. You and Shade go to the left. If something dangerous happens, we can each unsummon the other and it can be like a warning that the other person needs help.¡±


    Myrsvai pressed his lips together as he examined the floor, looking as far to the left path as he could. It only went on for a bit before the black smoke obscured most of the area. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Suta will go for this plan.¡±


    ¡°If you tell him it¡¯s safe, he will. If you¡¯re at all unsure, he won¡¯t do it.¡± Owin handed the sword back to Shade, who slid it into the sheath on Owin¡¯s back. ¡°Sorry, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Myrsvai raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t need him making any jokes.¡± Owin wished he could be a bit taller to speak face to face with Myrsvai, though that wasn¡¯t going to happen. There was no way for him to suddenly grow. ¡°I can get Suta to use magic, but you have to believe it¡¯s possible. You share thoughts. Every time you¡¯re unsure or worried, so is he. Suta only cares about you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s true anymore. He was more worried about you than me on the last floor.¡±


    Owin ignored Myrsvai¡¯s words. There was a lot he could say and a lot he had thought about, but being blunt was going to be the most helpful.


    If the Nimble Hogs were different, Owin was willing to give them a chance.


    If they couldn¡¯t accept him, nobody would.


    The thought from way back in the Great Forest, back when he had first met Artivan never fully left his mind. And now, after so long, he could confidently say the Nimble Hogs were different. They accepted him, and he was going to always make sure to represent Artivan the best he could.


    ¡°You act like you don¡¯t think about the past, about what turned you into the Maimed Magus, but all of your fears and worries go right into Suta. Every thought you have becomes one of his thoughts. He thinks about crushing your arm every time he uses magic, or if he even thinks about using it. He doesn¡¯t want to hurt you, but not using it will get you both hurt. Be confident. Stop holding yourself back. Stop holding him back.¡±


    Myrsvai stared blankly.


    Owin stared back. His heart thumped in his chest.


    Myrsvai sat down and rested his staff across his lap. He motioned for Owin to sit, which he did right away. Was it going to be a lecture? Was Myrsvai going to smack him with the staff?


    ¡°When I was part of Magna Regum, I thought I would be the next Althowin. The next Zezog. I thought I would be a world famous 7 Shard Hero and everyone would be in awe of my talent. Suta was especially quiet back then. He only talked to me. At first, I thought he just grew quieter as we got older, but I started catching his thoughts about how much he disliked everyone around me. He would never say it to me.¡± Myrsvai smiled. ¡°He won¡¯t lie to me, but it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll tell me things.¡±


    ¡°What did you think about the heroes?¡±


    ¡°I was amazed by just about everything Egnatia did. She taught me a lot and really treated me like her right hand for a time. I obviously realized that was just for her own gain, and that Suta was right all along. She didn¡¯t care about me or my success. She cared about the attention I had already garnered on my own and tried to take advantage of it. As soon as I was crippled, she was gone. I would say I was left completely alone, but Suta was there.


    ¡°Familiars can¡¯t truly die until their master is dead. They are either alone after their master dies, or they aren¡¯t summoned at the time of death and die with their master. I am fully aware that Suta dying isn¡¯t possible, but I can¡¯t stop myself from trying to keep him safe. We¡¯re going to go with your idea. I trust you, Owin. I trust you to keep him safe and to help him find his confidence again. I will find mine as well.¡± Myrsvai¡¯s eyes glowed with abyssal energy. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without a shard.¡±


    Owin nodded. ¡°See if you can get some history out of Shade. The Vile Fiend called him some words I haven¡¯t heard before.¡±


    ¡°I believe there are many words you haven¡¯t heard. What are they?¡± Myrsvai stood and readied his staff with abyssal fire.


    ¡°Troubadour and Saboator.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about a history of heroes,¡± Myrsvai said as soon as the skeleton appeared beside him.


    ¡°I believe it all began with a man named Genry, or something like that.¡±


    Myrsvai tapped his staff on the ground, summoning Suta in a circle of abyssal flames. ¡°Genry?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound real, does it? If I¡¯m going to lie, I should really try harder. Give me a moment to think about it and I will give you a riveting tale.¡± Shade brushed some white dust from himself. ¡°Oh, I crushed some of those demon bones. If alchemists like bone powder, they¡¯re in for a treat.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s what we get for filling the box,¡± Owin said.


    Shade pointed to one of the hands still attached to his arm. ¡°Do you think we should do anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Crouch down.¡± Owin grabbed one of the hands and pulled. Suta did the same on the other side. Nothing moved. Owin even tried peeling up the fingers, but they were firmly locked in place.


    ¡°It appears to be a new accessory for now,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Genry will love it.¡±


    Myrsvai crouched in front of Suta. ¡°We¡¯re splitting up until we find the floor boss. I¡¯ll be with Shade and you¡¯re going with Owin.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I need one more level to summon Thalgodin at full power. If we split, we can get more experience.¡±


    Suta pointed at Shade. ¡°Not safe.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Shade put his gloved hand on his sternum and gasped. ¡°Not safe?¡±


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°He¡¯s a good distraction and he knows a lot. If I¡¯m in danger, I¡¯ll bring you back to me as fast as possible.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We split up or I keep you away.¡±


    Suta chittered and very gently punched Shade¡¯s leg. ¡°Protect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I will.¡± Shade put his arm over Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re the best of friends, after all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret this,¡± Myrsvai whispered.


    Owin waved and set off toward the right side, currently avoiding diving into the black smoke. It moved slowly through the water, and the chill when away from the vents was enough that Owin felt stiff. He needed to move more or get closer to the vents. It was too cold to continue sitting around and talking.


    ¡°Twin,¡± Suta said, running after Owin.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to get you two leveled up.¡±


    Suta nodded and punched his fists together. ¡°Murder.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Kind of.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 12

    Katalin had been to Atrevaar plenty of times to the point where she always expected the same sight. The towering buildings, the hum of portals and commerce, the oddly placed old Nimble Hogs¡¯ building, and usually a streetcar dinging as it left the portal circle were all commonplace when arriving.


    This time, there was almost none of that. Other than the towering building and the hum of portals, it was silent and empty. Empty of its usual activity. Soldiers in black armor were standing guard or working on various things. Many people, likely citizens, were in conversation with the soldiers while other people in uniform cleaned rubble from the destroyed street.


    The entire front of the Nimble Hog headquarters was gone. Even the lobby was mostly destroyed with a huge hole leading to the basement. Myrsvai¡¯s study was mostly together, though the wall to the outside and the building next door were completely obliterated.


    The hulking form of Chorsay sat on a barrel with his hands bound on his lap. He was covered in blood, though it was impossible to tell if it was his or someone else¡¯s.


    Althowin pushed right through a line of guards, who apologized and parted farther upon realizing who she was. They gave Katalin and Ernie some looks, but like usual, nobody said anything. Following Althowin was enough of a sign of power, apparently.


    ¡°Chorsay fought Andres?¡± Ernie whispered.


    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± Katalin whispered back.


    Instead of heading straight to the Nimble Hog, Althowin walked around the main group of Security Regime soldiers to a woman who made Katalin¡¯s stomach turn. She wasn¡¯t wearing her normal golden suit as she leaned against a fence to a small community garden. Instead, she wore casual clothes, looking almost normal. The crystal headband was too iconic to let her fully blend in.


    Veph raised an eyebrow upon seeing Althowin, but didn¡¯t stand upright or move to show any kind of respect. Was it arrogance, confidence, or some mix of both?


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± Althowin asked.


    ¡°No. Unfortunately. I was in Minolitana.¡± Veph sighed. ¡°Apparently the old man can still put up a fight.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t surprised.¡± Althowin folded her arms over her chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Andres underestimated him.¡± Veph shifted, letting Katalin catch a glimpse of her wand, Cassimarcia¡¯s Wrath. One of the strongest items in all of Verdantallis. Of course Veph wouldn¡¯t go anywhere unarmed. Although, a wizard was never really unarmed.


    Katalin did note that Veph looked a lot less intimidating out of her usual attire. Her enhanced golden suit was basically divine quality armor, while she now wore a loose sweatshirt and pants. The lower half of her face was still covered in a mask, but even that looked less fancy than her normal one.


    Veph glanced at Katalin, raising an eyebrow, then turned her attention back to the destruction. ¡°There¡¯s no coming back.¡±


    ¡°You were with Egnatia?¡± Althowin asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s off in Strobrukha with Olena, Isaak, and Nastya to plan what¡¯s next. There¡¯s going to be war over a damn goblin.¡±


    ¡°Any chance she¡¯ll work with me?¡± Althowin scratched her head. ¡°Or at least not try to murder anyone?¡±


    Veph shrugged. ¡°Doubt it. Egnatia does whatever she wants.¡±


    ¡°We all do. That¡¯s part of the problem.¡±


    Veph pulled her right sleeve up, revealing her metal forearm. ¡°She said she¡¯d be back in Minolitana in a day or two. She wants to get to know that Hog umbra better. Kept calling him ¡®interesting.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what she means by that, but it was getting annoying.¡±


    ¡°The one with a shard?¡± Althowin had her index open. ¡°Vondaire?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet with her. No harm in seeing how she thinks.¡± Althowin subtly nodded toward the Nimble Hogs¡¯ and gestured for Veph to walk the other direction. They stepped through the gate into what was left of the garden, though it looked basically destroyed from the battle. Althowin gave Katalin a look.


    Katalin grabbed Ernie¡¯s hand and pulled him toward Chorsay. She hadn¡¯t seen Potilia sitting at the base of the barrel with her hands bound as well. She had blood on her face, though most of it looked like it had come from scratches on her cheeks that had been healed.


    A Security Regime soldier positioned himself right in front of Katalin and held his hand out. ¡°You need to back up.¡±


    ¡°You need to step out of my way.¡± Katalin pointed past Ernie at Althowin, who was turned and staring directly at the soldier.


    ¡°Oh, apologies.¡± The soldier immediately stepped aside. ¡°Miss Alegarra¡¯s apprentices,¡± the soldier announced.


    Chorsay looked up with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Kat, Ernie.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ernie asked. He touched the handcuffs. ¡°You could break these.¡±


    ¡°I agreed to cooperate with an investigation. I try to not make it difficult for the military.¡± Chorsay looked over his shoulder at the soldiers carefully moving about the remains of the building. ¡°They wanted to check for anything illegal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that have to do with the battle?¡± Katalin asked.


    Chorsay shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m cooperating.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Katalin asked Potilia.


    Potilia smiled and nodded. ¡°P-perfectly fine!¡±


    ¡°Why are you handcuffed?¡±


    ¡°I gave Chorsay the weapon he used to finish the fight.¡± Potilia yawned and stretched, accidentally shattering her handcuffs. ¡°Ah, shit.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± a Security Regime soldier asked. ¡°I give up. Just stay sitting.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Potilia shouted far too loud.


    ¡°Po,¡± Chorsay said with a slight chuckle. ¡°Careful.¡±


    Potilia leaned to the side where a book was open, just sitting on the ground. She immediately became enthralled in the reading to the point where Katalin was sure she could kick the woman and she wouldn¡¯t even notice.


    ¡°If you were coming to hire a Hog, I don¡¯t think I have anyone to offer,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°We came because of the fight.¡± Ernie gestured where Althowin and Veph talked in the distance.


    ¡°Althowin? I never expected to meet her.¡± Chorsay stood, clenched his fists, and shattered the handcuffs.


    A Security Regime soldier nearby loudly sighed. ¡°Why do we even cuff him?¡±


    Chorsay calmly walked past the soldiers, nodding to each. They all stared in some mix of fear and awe.


    ¡°I want to hear this,¡± Katalin said, hurrying after the giant.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do some investigating of my own,¡± Ernie said. He smiled and walked right into the wreckage.


    Katalin hesitated, then ran after Chorsay. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°They had menders heal me. Physically, I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Mentally?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried, Kat.¡±


    Althowin had stopped her conversation long before Chorsay arrived. Veph leaned against another part of the fence, watching silently. She nodded to Chorsay.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Chorsay said, bowing his head.


    ¡°I do have to say that I¡¯m impressed,¡± Althowin said. She stood in front of the giant form of Chorsay with her arms crossed and a look of some combination of humor and annoyance on her face. ¡°Andres was a talented hunter.¡±


    Chorsay looked at Veph. ¡°He made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°And what was that?¡± Althowin asked. She looked so tiny in front of Chorsay.


    ¡°He attacked one of mine.¡±


    ¡°The Security Regime assumed you were trying to destroy competition, but Veph spoke on your behalf.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if saying we¡¯re too insignificant to have competition is speaking on my behalf.¡±


    ¡°If you wanted to be the leader of a real hero company, you would have done something competitive by now,¡± Veph said.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I do agree. You could have been the leader of Void Nexus if you had stayed,¡± Althowin said. Katalin caught a quick glance with the slightest smirk. What was Althowin trying to do? Why were they actually here?


    ¡°That was a different life.¡±


    Veph rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going home. Send the lieutenant to Void Nexus if they keep bothering you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Veph,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°You¡¯re walking a dangerous path. I can only do so much to keep you safe.¡± Veph casually flipped her wand over in her hand as she walked away without another word.


    Althowin watched the Void Nexus leader walk away before turning to Chorsay. ¡°The cause of the fight was the goblin.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Even if you had Veph at your side, you¡¯re far from safe.¡± Althowin set off toward the destroyed headquarters, forcing Katalin to jog to keep up. Chorsay¡¯s massive stride allowed him to walk calmly to the side. ¡°You may be fine, but your people won¡¯t be. Two shards is inadequate for what¡¯s going to come.¡± Althowin shooed soldiers away and stopped right in front of Potilia, who didn¡¯t even notice they had arrived.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to go back inside any of the gods¡¯ towers.¡± Chorsay sighed, looking at his destroyed building. ¡°I was trying to build a family.¡±


    Ernie walked out of the wreckage holding Andres¡¯s emerald bow with the Nimble Hogs¡¯ amateur alchemist by his side. He was talking to her as she just stared blankly ahead like she couldn¡¯t even hear what he said.


    ¡°You,¡± Althowin said, gently kicking Potilia.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Potilia accidentally chucked her book straight at Althowin, who calmly caught it in her metal hand.


    ¡°A bit of an overreaction.¡±


    Potilia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Althowin Alegarra? I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Do you feel safe?¡±


    ¡°I, uh . . . Is that a trick question?¡±


    Althowin sighed. ¡°Is this normal?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Po, stand up.¡±


    Potilia scrambled to stand up, knocking over the barrel in the process. ¡°Oh, oops.¡± She tried to pick up the barrel but tripped and fell right over it, hitting her face hard on the stone road. She bounced right back up with a streak of blood running from her nose.


    ¡°A berserker who is reading . . .¡± Althowin closed the book and raised an eyebrow. ¡°A Study of Religion: The Dungeon Gods, The Cathkabel, and The Abyss? Quite the choice for a berserker.¡± Althowin placed the book carefully back into Potilia¡¯s hands. ¡°Andres won¡¯t be the last. There are two groups of people in the world right now. Those who want to kill the goblin before he becomes the strongest hero and those who want to find a way to steal the goblin¡¯s power for themselves.¡±


    Chorsay stared into the wreckage for a moment, then nodded to Ernie and put his massive hand on Ernie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good to see you. You look strong.¡±


    Ernie¡¯s posture improved, and Katalin could swear his chin was literally held a little higher. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°Excuse me for asking, Althowin, but which of the two are you?¡±


    ¡°The third. The same as you. Unfortunately, we¡¯re the only two in Verdantallis.¡±


    Katalin narrowed her eyes. What was Althowin saying? The 7 Shard Hero always did whatever she wanted. Nobody was going to stop her. Nobody asked, or if they did, they quickly apologized and let it go. That also meant she rarely let other people know her plans or even her thoughts. The rare glimpse into her mind was both terrifying and thrilling, but she usually only told stories or said anything of real importance while she was working.


    ¡°And what are we trying to gain from Owin?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°Nothing. We¡¯re the rare ones who only want to protect our families.¡±


    Chorsay immediately relaxed. He nodded. ¡°There are other people like us.¡±


    ¡°None with any power.¡± Althowin didn¡¯t break eye contact with Chorsay, but the old giant looked at everyone else standing around.


    Althowin wasn¡¯t wrong, but it wasn¡¯t like Katalin and Ernie couldn¡¯t do anything. Katalin tried not to scowl too visibly. Ernie caught her eye.


    He loudly cleared his throat. ¡°This is Miya Fururo. An alchemist who figured out a cheaper method of creating health potions so she could supply the Nimble Hogs with more of them.¡±


    Althowin immediately extended her hand. ¡°Althowin Alegarra.¡±


    Miya had goggles on her head and she was wearing an absolutely absurd combination of colors. Was she colorblind, eccentric, or both? Miya took her hand. ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Althowin immediately turned back to Chorsay. ¡°I am extending an invite to any noncombatants to live within my compound until I figure out how to handle this situation. If bombing a city would solve the situation, there would be nothing to figure out, but Katalin keeps reminding me that I can¡¯t simply destroy things to get my way.¡±


    Katalin nodded quickly.


    ¡°In Vraxridge?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°Yes. Everything they could need will be provided. The compound is extensive. I know you haven¡¯t been there before, but it is quite the place.¡±


    Katalin resisted an eyeroll. Of course Chorsay had never been to the compound. Althowin had never extended an invite. She had specifically said heroes need at least three shards to even be interesting.


    Althowin took the emerald bow from Ernie. ¡°Do you have any hunters?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then I can disassemble this.¡± She looked at it with a frown. ¡°What was I thinking when I made this? It is difficult to hold.¡± She shoved it back into Ernie¡¯s arms. ¡°That¡¯s actually your job when we get back.¡±


    Ernie stared at the bow in horror. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I would like an opportunity to speak with my people. Most are with the menders.¡±


    ¡°Take your time. I have some other business in Atrevaar. My assistants will escort your alchemist back to Vraxridge.¡±


    ¡°I thought they were apprentices?¡± Potilia whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they¡¯re called. Ernie, Katalin, go ahead.¡± Althowin immediately started walking away.


    ¡°What do you consider a noncombatant?¡± Chorsay asked.


    That stopped the 7 Shard Hero. She looked over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised. ¡°For the Nimble Hogs? Every single one of you fools. It¡¯s like a barn of feral children over here.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°How can I be a noncombatant?¡±


    Ernie patted Chorsay¡¯s scarred forearm. ¡°She doesn¡¯t always leave the best first impression, but she does care.¡±


    ¡°Do you both believe that?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Katalin said. Ernie nodded.


    ¡°I believe it,¡± Potilia said.


    ¡°What do you know about it, Po?¡±


    ¡°I, uh.¡± She sat down and immediately opened her book again.


    ¡°We better go before Althowin changes her mind,¡± Ernie said, gesturing toward the portal circle.


    ¡°What?¡± Miya asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to join us,¡± Ernie said.


    ¡°As a Nimble Hog?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Chorsay said.


    ***


    Suta kept checking over his shoulder even though Myrsvai and Shade were too far away to see, especially in the dark smoke. Owin had tried to stay out of it for as long as possible, but to move deeper into the floor, they had to venture inside.


    Glowing crystals on the ground helped guide him since he could spot the crystals from about a dozen feet away. They only looked like tiny dots of color through the smoke, but it gave a good sign if he was walking into a cluster of tubeworms since there were no crystals in the immediate area surrounding the hydrothermal vents.


    ¡°Like spell,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°It is like Smoke Cloud.¡± Owin waved his hand through the water. Back during his first visit to the Ocean Dungeon with Ernie and Katalin, he had used the smoke a few times to help confuse enemies. He hadn¡¯t used it nearly as much since. Without being able to safely use Discharge or Bolt, he had been a lot less focused on his spells, though it would be helpful to find ways to work them back into his fighting style.


    Suta walked directly beside Owin, even sometimes grabbing onto his arm as they wandered through the dark smoke. The familiar was clearly uncomfortable, but he also had a boon from the Vile Fiend, and Owin wanted to see what it actually did. Suta hadn¡¯t been effective against the tubeworms, but if he summoned an abyssal weapon, he could defeat them easily.


    ¡°Suta, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin kept walking, then stopped. ¡°Are you saying I can¡¯t ask it or . . .¡± Owin sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask it because I¡¯m confused. It was a Power 6 spell that hurt Myrsvai, right?¡±


    Suta chittered. He stared at Owin for a few seconds, then grabbed his arm and tried pulling him along.


    ¡°No, Suta. We¡¯re talking about it.¡±


    Suta punched Owin in the stomach with a few quick, gentle jabs. His fist tapped on the chitin armor. After he threw a series of punches, he rested the top of his head against Owin¡¯s chest.


    They stayed that way for about a minute before Owin tapped the familiar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Suta?¡±


    ¡°Power 6.¡± He chittered again. ¡°Nightmare Metamorphose.¡±


    Owin grabbed both of Suta¡¯s shoulders and held him out until the familiar looked up. ¡°If it was Power 6 that hurt Myrsvai, why don¡¯t you use any other spells? You can use anything else without hurting him.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Suta held up his wrapped hands. ¡°Martial arts to protect.¡±


    ¡°Your martial arts are strong, but not strong enough to keep Myrsvai safe.¡±


    Suta continued staring at him.


    ¡°Suta?¡± Owin dropped his hands back to his sides.


    The familiar didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you angry. I want the two of you to finish the Ocean Dungeon and get a shard with me. But Myrsvai doesn¡¯t think you can finish it unless you both start using your full potential.¡±


    Suta lifted his hands, shifting into a fighting stance. Owin had seen the familiar do it a million times, including their very first interaction. ¡°Martial arts only.¡±


    ¡°If you can kill a mob on this floor with martial arts, I¡¯ll stop saying things.¡±


    Suta jabbed through the water a few times. His punches were always crisp and lightning fast, but he just wasn¡¯t hitting hard enough to pass on from the seventh floor.


    ¡°Twin punches too.¡±


    ¡°I do, but my strength is a lot higher. I also can¡¯t cast any spells other than Bolt and Discharge, and I can¡¯t even use those underwater. I do what I have to do to win, even if I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Suta punched into the water a few more times. ¡°Challenge?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Want to find something to punch.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Owin took a deep breath and started walking deeper into the seventh floor. Hopefully his plan would work. Otherwise, he had no idea what he would do. He did wonder how Shade was doing. It was their first time being apart without Shade just being in his box.


    ***


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to say that I¡¯m the single greatest genius in history, but according to my limited memory and my inflated ego, I can¡¯t imagine anyone else taking that title. Can you?¡±


    Myrsvai regretted nearly every decision he made.


    Nearly.


    The bits of thought he had picked up from Suta had been a mix of confusion and frustration, but nothing of the sadness and guilt he so often picked up from the demon. Whatever Owin was saying had potential.


    ¡°Can you?¡± Shade repeated, but much closer.


    ¡°I cannot, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton put his arm over Myrsvai¡¯s shoulders. It was obnoxious, but still manageable before. Now, with all the Vile Fiend¡¯s hands attached to Shade, it was that much more horrific. The skeleton was already a bizarre and deeply odd creature.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have the most fun together on this little journey of ours. Can you imagine the fun we¡¯re going to have?¡±


    ¡°I cannot, Shade.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 13

    Regardless of the outcome, Owin was excited to see what Suta would do. The familiar seemed focused. He muttered to himself and chittered regularly while hopping about. Tubeworms weren¡¯t difficult to find on the seventh floor. Just about everywhere he went, he ran into a smoke spewing vent with a cluster of the weird creatures at the base.


    They passed on two different mobs because they were too close together. With the way they spit lava, Owin wanted to give Suta a fair chance at fighting, and getting hit in the back of the head with molten rock didn¡¯t feel fair.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta lifted his fists.


    The tubeworms were barely visible in the dark cloud of smoke. Their red bud-like heads opened and closed, sometimes letting out a belch of lava. The cluster was about ten worms from what Owin could see. Was it ten separate worms or was the whole bunch of them a single worm? He hadn¡¯t figured that out, and he had a feeling Suta also didn¡¯t know the answer.


    Suta jabbed nothing a few times as he hopped between his feet. ¡°Easy.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Owin whispered.


    Suta looked back. ¡°Easy.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    The familiar dove into the fight, immediately drawing the mob¡¯s attention. The worm heads turned, opened, and launched lava at Suta. Luckily, the little demon was smart enough to dodge and use the opening to strike. Suta¡¯s punch had enough power behind it to cause the water around him to ripple, but his fist smashed into the white flesh of the tubeworm with no visible damage.


    Suta leapt over the cluster as more lava spewed from the cluster, landed, and threw a combination of punches that would have absolutely destroyed Owin only a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the seventh floor was on a different power level than anything they had fought before.


    One of the tubeworms smacked into Suta. He flipped over, landed on his feet, and had to immediately leap again to dodge the incoming lava. Suta tried another series of attacks until the mobs forced him to dodge each time. Eventually, he made his way back to Owin, out of range of the worms.


    The familiar didn¡¯t look at Owin while he stood to the side. He stared at the ground and let his arms hang loose at his sides. ¡°Weak.¡±


    ¡°Not weak.¡± Owin stood in front of Suta and opened his own index, letting it shine in front of his eyes. ¡°Open your spells.¡±


    Suta¡¯s index appeared.


    ¡°What spells do you have that are less than Power 6 that could help you with punching?¡±


    The familiar¡¯s eyes flicked up to Owin¡¯s as his index disappeared. ¡°Boon from Vile Fiend.¡±


    ¡°If the boon was enough, you would¡¯ve killed that mob.¡±


    Suta¡¯s index opened again. ¡°Boon boosts spells.¡±


    ¡°Oh. It sounds like the Vile Fiend also wants you to use spells.¡±


    ¡°Summon?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Suta pointed at the ground beside them. ¡°Summon.¡± Abyssal flames formed in a circle, lighting up the dark smoke cloud.


    ¡°You can summon demons?¡± Owin asked. He tried getting close enough to look into the Abyss, but multiple arms appeared before he could see inside.


    Thalgodin, the multi-armed neural demon, climbed out. He was laughing before he even fully manifested. The tall demon took a deep breath, pulling black smoke in through his nose. ¡°Now, this is freedom.¡±


    Master Demon


    Thalgodin - 100% Manifested


    Summon of Suta


    Level 65


    Thalgodin stretched, extending his double sided axe. He left the swords sheathed at his hip and slowly looked at everything surrounding them. When he finally looked at Suta, he squatted in front of the small familiar.


    ¡°Suta. You summoned me,¡±


    The familiar chittered.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Thalgodin looked past Suta at Owin. ¡°This is your doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help him use his spells. We split up from Myrsvai.¡±


    Thalgodin placed a hand on Suta¡¯s head. ¡°This is a step forward, but you are as strong as I am, little one. It will be an honor to fight beside you once again when you fight with your true strength.¡±


    Suta seemed to slump over again even as he lifted his fists.


    ¡°No.¡± Thalgodin gently pushed Suta¡¯s fists back down. ¡°You¡¯re a magus.¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°Myrsvai wants you to use magic. You can keep him safe through such means. Fists are powerful. Your magic is stronger.¡± Thalgodin looked at Owin. ¡°Where is something to fight?¡±


    Owin pointed at the cluster of tubeworms Suta had been fighting.


    Thalgodin turned Suta to face the worms. ¡°Use Abyssal Blast.¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°If Myrsvai stood in front of you when you used that spell, he would be unharmed. When bound, your spells are nearly harmless to one another.¡±


    Suta stared at the worms and grabbed his left arm, which he let hang.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Thalgodin stood to his full height and stretched out his arms and his wings. ¡°Hit me with the spell. Demons are weak to abyssal, but not to our master¡¯s spells.¡±


    Suta looked over his shoulder at Owin, who nodded.


    This was all new information for Owin, but there was no reason Thalgodin would lie. What would the demon gain from being murdered?


    Suta pointed his finger at Thalgodin. Owin tensed. Suta shook his head and let his arm fall back down. ¡°No magic.¡±


    ¡°You used magic to summon me, and that¡¯s something only a powerful familiar can do. Do you want to topple Elysium with me?¡±


    Suta nodded.


    Did he? Owin had never heard Suta or Myrsvai say much of anything about Elysium. Was there a way to topple it? If there was, Owin would try to join. There would be a lot of cathkabel to eat.


    ¡°Either send me back to the Abyss or use your magic.¡± Thalgodin stared straight at Suta and used one of his many arms to point at his chest. ¡°Hit me.¡±


    Suta lifted his arm again, pointing with one clawed finger. Abyssal fire spun at the end of his claw before condensing into a single small violet ball. Suta closed his eyes and released the Abyssal Blast. The spell shot through the water and hit Thalgodin directly in the chest. The demon laughed a deep, echoing laugh as the abyssal fire turned into violet lightning that spread across his torso and shot down his arms. Suta opened his eyes to see the grinning demon.


    ¡°Now, the creature.¡± Thalgodin pointed one of his arms at the tubeworm cluster.


    Suta looked back at Owin again.


    ¡°You can do it.¡± Owin stepped beside Suta and pulled his Arcane Blast wand from his belt. ¡°I¡¯ll do it at the same time.¡±


    Suta formed the spell on the tip of his finger again.


    ¡°Arcane Blast,¡± Owin said. The purple spell swirled into existence at the end of the wand. Suta launched his spell at the same time.


    Arcane Blast was a good spell, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill the tubeworms in one shot. Not on the seventh floor. His wands weren¡¯t going to be more than just a little useful now, other than Magma Mine, which always felt strong.


    Suta¡¯s spell punched a hole straight through, spraying abyssal fire and worm blood into the water behind the cluster.


    ***


    50 Experience


    Myrsvai gently smacked Shade in the head with his staff. ¡°It worked.¡±


    The skeleton grabbed his skull. ¡°My concussion worked? Wait, you need a brain for a concussion. What do I have?¡±


    ¡°I just received experience and he drained some of my mana.¡±


    Shade pulled his head off, shook it, and slammed it back down on his spine. ¡°This is exciting stuff. Does that mean we can go find Owin? Not that you¡¯re not entertaining, but as soon as you started talking about the ethics of the hero lifestyle, I stopped listening.¡±


    ¡°I could tell.¡±


    ¡°And you kept going?¡±


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°It kept you quiet.¡±


    Shade nodded slowly and readjusted his scarf. ¡°I understand. Where¡¯s a worm? If Suta can kill one, I can kill one too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you can, Shade.¡±


    ¡°If Owin would hurry up and find more bones . . .¡± He continued grumbling as he stumbled through the black smoke. They were only a few feet from the boundary wall, using it to guide them deeper into the seventh floor. It didn¡¯t appear any safer than the path they had been following earlier, but without a consistent, easy way to see what was ahead, having the guiding wall was beneficial.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see in the smoke?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything. I don¡¯t have eyes and Owin wouldn¡¯t let me pluck the eyes from anything to see if they fit.¡± Shade stuck his own fingers in his eye sockets. ¡°Imagine some silver cathkabel eyes popping out of here.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Making me more attractive is ¡®doing something,¡¯ but I understand what you¡¯re saying. They wouldn¡¯t help my vision, but it¡¯s not like cathkabel can actually see specters.¡± The skeleton wobbled as he nearly tripped over a rock.


    ¡°Wait, repeat that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be sexy, Myrsvai.¡±


    ¡°Not that, Shade. What about the cathkabel?¡±


    The skeleton spun on one foot to face Myrsvai and cocked his head. ¡°The cathkabel thing? I thought you were the expert. The scholar, the genius, the . . . I was going to say chef, but it didn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    Myrsvai used his staff to guide Shade forward. ¡°I know a lot of things, but you always seem to know something I don¡¯t. Use this opportunity to teach me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a blur. Imagine your eyes, which I don¡¯t have, are really squinted. Almost closed, but not all the way so everything is blurry. It¡¯s like that, I think. It has been a few centuries, at least, since I was last able to squint.¡± The skeleton¡¯s eye sockets narrowed. ¡°This doesn¡¯t do anything except make it look like I need the toilet.¡±


    Myrsvai released an Abyssal Barrage, killing a tubeworm cluster. He guided Shade directly past the mob without drawing any attention. If Shade tried to fight the worms, he would die and Myrsvai would be on his own. He could find Suta with their connection, but it would take some time. And unlike Owin and Shade, Myrsvai couldn¡¯t immediately summon Suta if something happened.


    If they were close and Suta was uninjured, the cooldown was shorter. At this distance, and not knowing Suta¡¯s health, the cooldown would be at least a few minutes, if not an hour or more.


    ¡°Cathkabel can¡¯t properly see specters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said. If they looked at me, they would think ¡®Wow, that is a blurry rectangle.¡¯ They might think other things too, but I have to assume something similar would cross their minds. They always know a specter is there, of course. Nothing else makes a small part of your vision blurry. It does help when they try to stab me.¡±


    ¡°Is it just cathkabel?¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°Suta can see me and the Vile Fiend could see me fine, so I assume demons don¡¯t have any issues. Well, issues with that. They clearly have some other issues, but I¡¯m not one to judge out loud.¡±


    Myrsvai continued guiding the skeleton along the boundary wall. He killed any tubeworms they had to pass, but made no effort to explore. Shade¡¯s information bounced around in his head as he tried to think of ways to use that information. Would armor made from specter remains have the same benefit? Owin had earned the animosity of the cathkabel, and each of his actions only seemed to increase their hatred of the little goblin. They would make more moves to stop his advance anytime he was in a cathkabel area, and if he fought a mender that was able to summon a cathkabel, there could be some serious trouble.


    ¡°You know so much more than you ever let on,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Shade casually pointed up. ¡°Lots going on in this skull. Memories have a way of reforming, even when they have been completely obliterated. If we can get another bone, I might even start to remember my own name. Was it Geoffrey?¡±


    ¡°Where did you get that name?¡±


    ¡°I made it up.¡± Shade walked to Myrsvai¡¯s other side and put his arm over his shoulder, letting his gloved hand hang by Myrsvai¡¯s face. ¡°Look at us. A couple of geniuses out on an adventure to inspire the youth of today.¡±


    ¡°Suta is far from a youth, and Owin is likely older than both of us combined.¡±


    ¡°Inspiring the youth. Who would¡¯ve thought? Not me. I wouldn¡¯t have thought.¡±


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°Maybe we can find the wandering boss or chest guardian before Owin. Keep up.¡±


    Shade forced his wrist into an impossible position and tapped Myrsvai¡¯s cheek with his gloved fingers. ¡°Keep up? I¡¯m attached to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying not to kill you, but you¡¯re making it difficult.¡±


    ¡°Kill, kill, kill. That¡¯s all you heroes think about. Do you know what I think about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Shade. You think out loud. You¡¯re constantly talking.¡±


    The skeleton tapped Myrsvai¡¯s cheek again.


    Something tapped nearby, like a creature skittering away.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Myrsvai said. He turned, looking into the smoke.


    Shade whipped his head around, nearly turning it in a full circle. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Hydrothermal vents rumbled all around them, releasing smoke and heat. The air he breathed in reeked of sulfur.


    Something skittered again.


    ¡°Be ready, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Ready? What am I going to do?¡± Shade continued poking Myrsvai¡¯s cheek even as he rotated his head back and forth.

 Book 4 - Chapter 14

    They continued walking, swerving closer to the boundary wall and back toward the center of the floor. It was partially intentional, but it was also just difficult to navigate in the smoke. Owin could just use his map and have it up most of the time, but then he tripped over glowing crystals, and that made him remember back when his dexterity was really low.


    Suta kept looking at his fingers as if he was surprised they could still form spells. ¡°No more punching?¡±


    ¡°You can still punch. You can do both,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°There is potential,¡± Thalgodin said. The tall demon had apparently decided to take the lead, which Owin had thought was a little odd since he was much stronger now.


    ¡°Potential for what?¡±


    ¡°Combining the martial arts fighting style with spells.¡±


    Suta had both hands raised as he looked over them.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta followed behind Thalgodin, still staring at his own hands. ¡°No.¡±


    Owin put his hand on the familiar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt anybody. Myrsvai wants you to use spells. Just keep thinking about how happy he¡¯ll be.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    They still had yet to see any mobs other than tubeworms through the seventh floor. Stationary enemies weren¡¯t difficult to avoid, even if they did sometimes block the path. With all the grenades, the fifth floor felt more difficult. For others, the sixth might have also been difficult, but it hadn¡¯t really been much of a challenge for Owin. The Vile Fiend probably didn¡¯t willingly let itself get eaten most of the time, but the floor had still been easy. Even if he did skip fighting the water elemental.


    Thalgodin killed most of the tubeworms they came across while trying to goad Suta into using more spells. The familiar still hesitated and checked with Owin before ever acting. If he kept that up, it wouldn¡¯t be any help for Myrsvai. Suta needed to act on his own, using spells to kill enemies before they ever got too close.


    Thalgodin stopped. His wings extended to their full reach as he lifted his axe. ¡°I believe we may need your assistance, Owin.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Owin walked right under the demon¡¯s wing and arms until he stood in the front. Being so much smaller, yet so much stronger brought a smile to Owin¡¯s face. What would Chorsay say when he saw him again?


    It was difficult to see through the smoke, but the glint of gold was obvious. A chest itself wasn¡¯t a sign of a battle, but if it was the chest with a guardian, then the boss was somewhere close.


    Flames appeared as little signals all through the water, then quickly extinguished, leaving only a stream of bubbles. In the brief flash of light, Owin caught just enough of the creature to see its size.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Prepare your Examine.¡± Thalgodin drew his neural swords. ¡°I think it may be a prazene.¡±


    ¡°A horror?¡±


    Flames appeared in little bursts all over part of the creature, providing Owin with enough sight to get the information.


    Ocean Mob


    Ansotorio


    Prazene Guardian


    Level 65


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a horror.¡± Owin grabbed the lich bone knife from his belt. ¡°You want me to fight it?¡±


    ¡°Prazene are resistant to abyssal damage. I can provide some assistance if you need.¡±


    ¡°Fight,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°No. Not this one. I¡¯ll get it,¡± Owin said. He strode forward with the knife inverted in his hand. Between the lich bone and his armor, he could manage a horror. That first fight against Baby Head had been difficult because he didn¡¯t know what to expect. He needed to avoid its blood and any direct hits. That was all easy enough.


    Level 65 had once seemed impossible. If Nikoletta or Siora had been that strong, Owin wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to survive. Artivan would¡¯ve died on the third floor while trying to save Owin. It all would have been over so fast.


    But now, level 65 didn¡¯t scare him at all. And neither would anything else.


    ¡°Thief.¡±


    Owin spun and stabbed with his knife, hitting only water. He glanced around quickly, only able to see the black smoke nearby with Suta and Thalgodin standing together in the distance.


    Fire from the horror illuminated the area directly behind him.


    ¡°Thief.¡± The voice was like a hiss directly in his ear.


    Owin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The word repeated, sounding as if it came from his other side, like something was touching his ear.


    When he had taken damage from Baby Head, Owin had seen Nikoletta and nearly hurt himself or his friends in that confused rage. Horrific damage messed with his mind, so why wouldn¡¯t a stronger horror be able to use spells to confuse him?


    It didn¡¯t matter what he heard. Ansotorio was behind him, unable to hide with its underwater flames.


    Owin turned back around, ignoring the voice still whispering in his ear. The horror had approached. It moved slowly as pulses of light blue energy radiated off of it. As each pulse passed over him, he heard the whisper again. The spell was easy to spot now that he knew what to expect.


    He had no chance of naming the spell or even saying how it worked, but knowing there was a spell at all helped his focus stay on the creature in front of him and not the growing chorus of voices.


    Flames appeared from the ends of six hairy tendrils on the worm¡¯s face. The whole horror looked like a hairy worm. One huge blue eye was positioned right in the middle of its flower-like face, with the fiery tendrils acting like the petals.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Creature.¡±


    Owin lowered his brow and crouched. ¡°The last prazene couldn¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°Mob.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t scare me.¡± The eye was clearly the target on the horror, but diving straight at it could open Owin up to get hit by the flames, which could also inflict horrific damage. He wasn¡¯t sure how it worked and he hoped he wouldn¡¯t learn.


    Ansotorio continued insulting Owin, calling him mindless and a monster while he slowly approached, still crouched. Insults weren¡¯t going to work. He had already heard it all. He had experienced it all. The only thing that worried Owin anymore was the safety of his friends, and what could this horror do?


    ¡°Weak.¡±


    Owin pounced, staying low. The horror flinched like he was aiming for its eye. A membrane closed over the blue eyeball as all the tendrils folded inward, shooting fire and boiling water directly in front of the eye.


    Owin¡¯s speed carried him directly over the ground, straight past the worm. The lich bone tore into the creature¡¯s skin, spilling poisonous blood into the water in a burst behind Owin. He stopped and jumped back as the horror turned to attack. Its pulsing spell continued, but as soon as he had started moving, Owin had stopped listening and hardly even noticed it at all.


    Dark blood joined the smoke, making it difficult to see the horror until the fire illuminated the area again. It was a slow moving mob, and now with its side cut open, it was moving even slower. There was nothing to be scared of. He could kill it before it could react.


    Owin waited for the mob to spot him again, then swapped hands with his knife and immediately dashed again like he was going to cut open its other side. The horror glowed blue as it prepared a spell, but before it could cast, Owin pivoted, jumped, and swiped the lich bone across the horror¡¯s blue eye. Flames erupted as soon as he passed. Heat washed over him without touching his health.


    He hit the ground and skidded on the stone as the horror¡¯s body went limp. Blood spilled from the corpse, forming a cloud in the water.


    ¡°Stay back from the blood,¡± Owin said.


    Suta sprinted up and ran right into Owin. ¡°No fists.¡± He mimicked stabbing. ¡°No magic.¡±


    ¡°Because my spells don¡¯t work down here. Remember?¡±


    Suta chittered.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight the same to be friends, Suta.¡±


    The familiar made some more noises and pointed to the chest. Thalgodin was already on his way. The demon stood beside the chest, leaning on his axe.


    Owin popped the top open and leaned on the lip, looking inside. Suta joined him and Thalgodin leaned over them both to look inside.


    ¡°Bone.¡± Suta pointed at the dark gray bone inside.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be excited.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    ¡°Uh. You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Owin grabbed the Bone of the Withered Shade and stuffed it into his bag. There was also a shield potion inside, which Owin took and put on his belt.


    ¡°Want to go find Myrsvai and Shade?¡± Owin asked.


    Suta nodded and pointed to the left.


    ¡°They¡¯re that way.¡±


    Suta shrugged, but continued pointing. Owin positioned the familiar in front of him and guided Suta forward.


    ¡°If you can sense him, I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Thalgodin followed silently behind with all of his weapons out and ready.


    ***


    Shade glowed in the dark water with magenta abyssal armor surrounding him. The skeleton shrieked and tried to duck as a massive white claw smacked him in the face. His head popped right off and rolled until it bumped into Myrsvai¡¯s metal leg.


    ¡°Dammit, Shade.¡± Myrsvai spun abyssal fire around his staff. This wasn¡¯t the type of fight he was ready for. Suta had already summoned something, so Mrysvai was limited to summoning a weapon, and there was nothing he could do with that.


    If Shade was even the slightest bit competent, Mrysvai would give him a weapon, but that was likely a waste of mana. Mana he couldn¡¯t afford to lose at the moment. The strain of multiple summons was already taking its toll.


    Hellish Torrent was the best option, but it could incapacitate him, and if the boss was still alive . . .


    He needed to do something else.


    ¡°Insight,¡± Myrsvai said as he used the ability. He knew for a short time, Suta would see the same as Myrsvai. They could swap it so Myrsvai saw Suta¡¯s perspective, but now wasn¡¯t the time. He needed Owin or Suta to fight properly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t used to be so weak,¡± Myrsvai muttered.


    ¡°Weak? You look strong from here,¡± Shade said.


    Myrsvai kicked the skeleton¡¯s head aside.


    Ocean Mob


    Straca


    Decapod Mutineer


    Level 65


    The crab boss was white, making it stand out in the black smoke. Yellow hair-like spikes covered every bit of its body. Even when Owin and Suta arrived, Myrsvai wasn¡¯t sure they would have a way to fight the creature. Owin¡¯s strategy usually involved jumping onto things, which wouldn¡¯t work against this.


    ¡°Abyssal Barrage,¡± Myrsvai said, sending the magenta flames from his staff into a powerful spell. It battered the crab, breaking some yellow spikes off, but did nothing to the white shell.


    ¡°You might want to hit it harder,¡± Shade shouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that many spells.¡± Myrsvai lifted his staff and cast Dread Bind. He channeled as much mana into the spell as he could afford, draining his bar by half. Abyssal tendrils appeared from the ground, wrapping around every limb of the crab before smashing it against the ground. Weaker mobs could be crushed to death.


    Mrysvai only hoped to stall for the moment.


    ¡°How did you get this far if you can¡¯t fight?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a summoner, Shade.¡± Myrsvai cut off Abyssal Armor from the skeleton since it wasn¡¯t helping anyway.


    Shade¡¯s body drunkenly walked over, picked up the skull, and fit it back on. ¡°And you still willingly split up? I feel like this was a bad idea. At least Owin can fight without me. Actually, he probably fights a lot better without me! It doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t force my way into the fights because I do love the attention, but I can be distracting. Did you know¡ª¡±


    Straca broke free of the tendrils and smacked Shade with its claw. The skeleton poofed into gray dust. Straca, the decapod mutineer, whatever that meant, advanced slowly, methodically. It was difficult to tell if a boss was intelligent in the ordinary sense or if they were a mindless mob.


    Either way, it no longer had a distraction and walked straight at Myrsvai. Its white, chitin-covered legs tapped against the stone ground.


    Myrsvai sighed. He was going to have to use Hellish Torrent and hope it didn¡¯t get him killed.


    Something exploded far off to his right. It reminded him of an alchemist¡¯s bomb, but there weren¡¯t any alchemists on the floor. He would¡¯ve known if there was one ahead or behind in their long journey through the Ocean.


    Was it one of the hydrothermal vents?


    A sharp pain pricked his brain.


    Worry.


    Anger.


    Desperation.


    Suta was panicking.


    Myrsvai swapped his Insight vision. Shade and Thalgodin stood at Suta¡¯s sides with a crater directly in front of him. Bits of rock fell from above, drifting down in the water. The explosion had been right in front of Suta. An explosion . . .


    Owin appeared like a meteor, moving so fast Myrsvai only registered what he saw as a green and red ball. The Incandescent Blade ignited, boiling the water as Owin spun right before landing on top of the boss.


    His red chitin boots crushed the yellow spikes as he hit Straca. Cracks slithered from the point of impact on the crab¡¯s back. With the momentum, Owin finished the swing of the fiery Incandescent Blade, slashing straight through half of the boss.


    Owin shifted his stance and ripped the sword out, tearing through the rest of Straca. The flame vanished, likely as the rest of his mana ran dry.


    Straca collapsed and some meager experience floated in Myrsvai¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    Myrsvai nodded slowly. Even if he had words to say, he couldn¡¯t even think of how to speak anymore.

 Book 4 - Chapter 15

    Veph had her feet up on the desk while she twirled her wand around her metal fingers. Her chair was balanced precariously on two legs as she stared at the ceiling, completely ignoring the woman before her.


    Sylmare stood silently to the side, trying to pretend she didn¡¯t notice the 7 Shard Hero¡¯s glances. What was she going to do for Althowin? The hero had come specifically to visit Veph, who now was acting like a child.


    Sylmare could say something, but then Veph could just rip her to shreds. They had known each other for twenty years, and Sylmare could confidently say that Veph was never one to shy away from those stronger or bigger than her. She didn¡¯t lose her hand sitting idly by. But the 7 Shard Hero was something else entirely. Althowin was a god, and she was being forced to wait like some commoner.


    ¡°Is this normal?¡± Althowin finally asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Sylmare said quickly.


    An index appeared while Althowin pointedly stared at Sylmare. ¡°A right hand without shards? What good are you?¡± Her face scrunched a little. ¡°Poor wording, but I¡¯m sure you get my point.¡±


    ¡°I do as instructed.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Althowin reached into her jacket and pulled out a tiny glass vial. ¡°Watch this.¡± She pinched it between her fingers and smashed it onto Veph¡¯s desk.


    A sour odor hit Sylmare immediately, and within a second, the entire desk collapsed, causing Veph to nearly fall over. She was deft with a high enough dexterity to recover in an elegant, casual manner.


    ¡°Dammit, Althowin. That was an antique.¡± Veph kicked at part of the desk, which crumbled further as soon as it was touched.


    ¡°Oops. If you carefully glue it together, you could reconstruct the fibers that I just disintegrated. That¡¯s what assistants are for.¡±


    Veph raised an eyebrow before tilting her chair back again. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What are the other hero companies doing? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    Even Sylmare knew that was a stupid question. Veph was being intentionally difficult, which was a new level of arrogance.


    ¡°Veph,¡± Sylmare said quietly.


    Veph grunted. ¡°Egnatia wants to attack him as soon as he leaves the Ocean, but murdering a 1 Shard Hero is in bad taste. Most heroes are too concerned with their public image to do that, even if it is a goblin.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him myself when I get the chance. I¡¯m no criminal.¡±


    ¡°In a dungeon?¡±


    Veph shrugged. ¡°Andres was an idiot, but he understood the danger. You get it too, don¡¯t you? No upper limit. No level cap. When you can double, triple, quadruple unlimited attributes, what do you become?¡±


    ¡°The strongest hero of all time,¡± Althowin said calmly.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not worried?¡±


    ¡°My assistants adore the goblin. I¡¯ll be watching everything he does, ready to lean either way. If I need to crush him, I will. If I need to crush you . . .¡± Althowin let her words hang.


    Veph didn¡¯t flinch. Her eyes stared lazily at Althowin. ¡°Even if I wanted, I can¡¯t stop Engatia or the Three Heads. Some of the independents met with Engatia too. I don¡¯t know how that went.¡±


    ¡°The independents will listen to me. You think Kikuno is going to go on a manhunt for a few pieces of gold?¡± Althowin rolled her eyes. ¡°If someone like Voolyn or Zevvrin are stupid enough to get involved, I¡¯ll cut my support. They¡¯re stalled anyway.¡± Althowin leaned forward. ¡°Are you?¡±


    Veph barely raised a single eyebrow. ¡°Stalled? Me?¡±


    Sylmare was so uncomfortable. It was a question she had asked Veph just a few weeks before, and one Veph didn¡¯t appreciate ever being asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yes, she was. She had the talent and power to get her fourth shard, but that would require her to actually step foot in a dungeon again. It had been years since she nearly lost her jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you anything you want if you get your fourth shard.¡±


    Veph slowly lowered her chair onto all four legs. ¡°I thought I was banned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been banning a lot of people lately, which has given me some openings.¡±


    Veph stopped flipping the wand in her hand and rested it on her knee, casually pointing it at Althowin. Even at 7 Shards, could she survive a Power 7 spell? Sylmare wouldn¡¯t live long enough to find out.


    ¡°You want me to get stronger even though I plan to kill the goblin?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my safety net. If I misjudge Owin, I need you to be able to fix my mistake. And I owe it to your father. If you get a fourth shard, stop by in Vraxridge. Indulf will let you in.¡± Althowin stood from her chair, gently kicked at the mush of what had once been a desk, and walked toward the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to spy for you,¡± Veph said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in Vraxridge before you go. See you soon.¡± Althowin waved over her shoulder. Her fox tail swished from underneath her jacket as she calmly walked out.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Sylmare watched the 7 Shard Hero with awe. With how fast Althowin had moved the last time Sylmare saw her, she was stuck wondering if it took effort to move so slowly and casually. The 7 Shard Hero was at least a hundred years old and was still so calm, casual, and friendly. And also terrifying.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go to the Subterranean Dungeon?¡± Sylmare asked.


    ¡°Apparently.¡± Veph slipped the wand into her sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with her.¡±


    ¡°What if Egnatia or the Three Heads try to assassinate the goblin when he leaves the Ocean?¡±


    Veph stood, walked over to Sylmare, and leaned on the wall beside her. ¡°I think they¡¯re about to get a visit from Althowin. And what about that umbra protecting the goblin?¡±


    ¡°Vondaire? He¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Sylmare shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s almost maxed out his level. He likely will before he even has three shards. Useless umbra spells keep it hidden like he¡¯s afraid of people knowing he¡¯s powerful.¡±


    ¡°But you could beat him.¡±


    Veph grunted. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my things together. You¡¯re coming with.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sylmare¡¯s heart thumped in her chest.


    ¡°You need to start your own shard journey.¡±


    Sylmare nodded quickly. Whatever Veph needed.


    ***


    Myrsvai was acting strangely. As soon as Shade, Suta, and Thalgodin rejoined them, Myrsvai and Suta embraced for a long, quiet moment. Shade tried to do the same to Owin, but Owin kept pushing the skeleton away.


    ¡°Did you see this?¡± Owin asked as he held up the new gray bone.


    ¡°How would I have seen that? I don¡¯t have eyes!¡±


    Owin sighed and handed the bone to Shade. As soon as the skeleton touched it, it poofed into gray dust, and he crumbled right after.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Everyone was silent as Shade reappeared with an emerald green vest. He still had the Vile Fiend¡¯s hands attached to his shoulders and arms, the purple scarf, and the white olm skin glove.


    ¡°You need pants,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Pants?¡± Shade looked down. ¡°Oh, nice vest.¡± His hands immediately started patting his hip bones and his upper legs. ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Owin said quickly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my penis, Owin?¡±


    Owin sighed.


    ¡°It is a nice vest though. Isn¡¯t it?¡± He put his thumbs through the arm holes. ¡°Look at this fancy man. Big fancy skeleton man.¡±


    ¡°Is that all that changed with another bone?¡±


    Shade narrowed his eye sockets. ¡°No. My old master was . . .¡± His eyes widened. ¡°My old master was the hunter Fadia Tranio. She died horribly and Crusader wept before the gods whisked me away back into my box. I . . . I cried too. As much as I could.¡±


    Thalgodin awkwardly patted Shade on the back.


    ¡°Sorry, Shade.¡±


    ¡°For what? You¡¯re not putting me back in that box. We¡¯re going all the way.¡± The skeleton turned to Thalgodin and screamed. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice the big demon when I summoned you at the chest guardian?¡±


    Shade looked up at Thalgodin. The multi-limbed demon stared down at the skeleton. ¡°I, uh, was preoccupied panicking over Myrsvai.¡±


    ¡°Then let me introduce the two of you,¡± Myrsvai said. Suta stood directly on Myrsvai¡¯s left. Owin had a feeling the familiar wouldn¡¯t be leaving that position anytime soon. ¡°This is the Withered Shade, a Cursed, and Owin¡¯s familiar.¡±


    Thalgodin nodded.


    ¡°And this big piece of demonic meat?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°What a weird way to phrase it.¡± Myrsvai gestured to the demon. ¡°This is Thalgodin. A neural demon from the Plains of Awakening.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I saw Owin eat your boss.¡± Shade pointed his fingers at Owin. ¡°Tore him to shreds. Delicious. A feast. Incredibly bloody and actually rather disgusting.¡±


    ¡°I know Owin and his tendencies,¡± Thalgodin said. ¡°I watched him devour countless cathkabel.¡±


    ¡°Disgusting, right?¡±


    ¡°It brought joy to my life,¡± Thalgodin said in a calm, serious voice.


    Even Myrsvai looked unsure of that response.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s keep moving. We just got the chest guardian and the wandering boss. We probably have a floor boss left and the secret, if we can find it.¡± Owin gestured toward the rest of the floor. ¡°I want to get out of the smoke and see what else is here.¡±


    ¡°Lead on, Owin,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Straca, the crab boss, dropped some white crystal or chitin item. Owin couldn¡¯t really tell what it was, but Myrsvai and Suta were excited about it, so he didn¡¯t mind letting them have it. He took a lot of loot before anyway, so it was only fair.


    Once the boss was properly looted, and Sutah had kicked its corpse a few times, they continued through the dark smoke into the rest of the seventh floor. After they found the stairs and descended to the eighth, he wasn¡¯t going to see Myrsvai or Suta again until he left the Ocean. They could stay and talk and relax for a long time, but it would only delay them separating again.


    Myrsvai didn¡¯t comment on Suta using spells. He only nodded to Owin and kept the familiar walking at his side. Shade was quieter than usual with his eye sockets partially squinted.


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger,¡± Thalgodin said. ¡°Your name is already known throughout the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Elysium too, I guess.¡±


    Thalgodin grinned. ¡°For different reasons. I suspect you will find more cathkabel out for your head. If you encounter any demons with names, they will know you as a friend. Just avoid eating those demons summoned such as myself. Those not forced to be mobs are able to be killed permanently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡±


    Thalgodin nodded. ¡°But we can kill more priests. You will have a death priest after you soon, I suspect.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°You will know when you see it.¡±


    ¡°Okay . . .¡± Owin walked at the front with Thalgodin easily matching his stride. Shade wandered close behind while Myrsvai and Suta fell a bit behind. They didn¡¯t talk, but Owin knew there was enough mental communication they did that they didn¡¯t need to properly speak to understand one another.


    The smoke felt like it thickened, obscuring the space in front of Owin. He soon saw a dense cluster of tubeworms, which he dispatched long before anyone else could react. If he found something to eat to get his dexterity up, he¡¯d been even quicker.


    ¡°Myrsvai, is there a mob I can eat to get my dexterity up?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Let me think. That may be a question to consult with an alchemist or Potilia if I can¡¯t think of any. It is not a question I¡¯ve been asked before.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Shade said. ¡°Can you imagine why?¡± The skeleton put his hands on his hip bones and looked above. With the black smoke and the general darkness of being so deep underwater, they couldn¡¯t even see the surface anymore. The crystals lighting the ground had grown dimmer and more spaced out, making the whole second half of the floor feel treacherous.


    The ground sloped downward at a steady decline, making it look like the black smoke flowing from the hydrothermal vents was drifting down the hill toward whatever lay at the bottom.


    ¡°I bet the boss is down there,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Owin tried to spot anything far in the distance. Some streaks of light flashed in the smoke.


    ¡°Why? Because of the five heads sticking out of the smoke over there.¡±


    Everyone followed where Shade was pointing. There were some huge, monstrous heads sticking out of the smoke far below.


    ¡°Oh.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 16

    The heads were still a ways off, leaving countless vents and tubeworms between where Owin currently stood and what appeared to be the floor boss. They could rush down and fight, but there was nothing to gain over that. It would just mean he would be off on his own again sooner.


    Not actually on his own, but Shade didn¡¯t really count.


    The skeleton had asked Thalgodin how the demon liked his vest at least ten times since leaving the wandering boss¡¯s corpse, and Thalgodin, surprisingly, liked it.


    ¡°You do?¡± Shade asked again, even already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the big demon said.


    Thalgodin took turns with Myrsvai and Suta whenever they came across clusters of tubeworms. It was easy to get surprised on the seventh floor with all the dark smoke. Owin never felt overwhelmed, but he tried imagining what it would be like to be a normal hero with levels and experience. How strong would he be?


    The tubeworms were tough opponents because of their durability and fast, ranged molten rock attack. But when Myrsvai buffed Suta, and Suta buffed himself, they easily killed every tubeworm they fought.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to fight the boss alone,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin nodded. He had expected Myrsvai to do something similar. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready to help.¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t handle the boss on our own, we¡¯ll leave. I can¡¯t rely on your power any longer.¡± Myrsvai smiled. ¡°Thalgodin will also watch.¡±


    ¡°The drain on your mana,¡± Thalgodin said as he dove forward, slashing through a cluster of tubeworms with his neural swords. He spun and chopped through a cluster with his axe. ¡°If you don¡¯t wish for my assistance, you can send me to the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°No. I want your help on the next floor. The mana drain only gets severe with a third summon. This is part of the training. Critique the battle. Both of you. What can I do to improve? What can Suta do?¡±


    The familiar nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I know enough about this to tell you what to do,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai tapped him with the butt of his staff. ¡°Your strength rivals Chorsay¡¯s now, Owin. You saved me from the wandering boss. You fought alongside Artivan, one of the best mid-level knights I¡¯ve ever seen. You know how to fight.¡±


    He knew how to jump, slash, and stab. That wasn¡¯t necessarily fighting, especially for a magus, but Mrysvai wasn¡¯t going to budge.


    ¡°Can I critique too?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I think you could do with a haircut.¡±


    Suta punched Shade in the knee, causing the skeleton to wail and fall to the ground.


    ¡°Critique the fight, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton stayed on the ground and grabbed a piece of tubeworm. ¡°Oh, sure. Like you¡¯ll take that criticism any better. Some people are just soft. Not me. All bone.¡±


    Thalgodin grunted and continued walking down the hill.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Owin muttered. He grabbed Shade¡¯s gloved hand and yanked him upright.


    Shade continued talking about anything that came to his mind, so Owin directed him toward Thalgodin, who was just curious enough to be a good listener. Suta had yet to leave Myrsvai¡¯s side, and Owin assumed that wouldn¡¯t change anytime soon.


    After the chaos of the fifth floor and the timer of the sixth, the seventh floor did feel like a calm break.


    ¡°Do you know anything about the tenth floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The boss arena?¡± Myrsvai made a noise. ¡°I know the name Chaudius. I can tell you the names of all seven tower bosses, but little to nothing about them. I don¡¯t know if the gods interfere with that knowledge or if Shard Heroes choose to be secretive. Or, perhaps both. Chaudius is a melee fighter, likely a girhuma or cetanthro, though I don¡¯t know which.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Shade knows?¡±


    They listened to Shade lecture Thalgodin on good oiling practices for his swords, which all looked to be in flawless condition. The demon listened closely and nodded along.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Is any of that true?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough experience with swords to know, but . . . it sounds true.¡±


    After a few more minutes of Shade talking, even while Thalgodin fought tubeworms, the skeleton noticed Owin and the others watching him.


    ¡°Good advice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Owin said.


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets narrowed. ¡°You can tell I¡¯m making it up?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Thalgodin said, his voice suddenly more serious. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me?¡±


    Shade put his hand on one of the demon¡¯s many arms. ¡°I lie to everyone. Don¡¯t take it personally. I am a talented storyteller, as long as that story isn¡¯t true. A true story is a little more intimidating, you know. I don¡¯t know a lot of things, but if you talk fast enough and confidently, people will believe just about anything you say.¡±


    Thalgodin glared at the skeleton.


    ¡°Shade, what do you know about the tenth floor of the Ocean?¡± Owin pulled Shade away from the demon before Thalgodin crushed him.


    ¡°Sloswen will answer a single question, and there are some pretty designs on the ceiling.¡± He placed both of his hands on top of his skull. ¡°Other than that . . . uh, there¡¯s a boss.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°Then we know the same things.¡±


    Owin waited for Shade to say something else, but as he had first expected, the skeleton didn¡¯t know anything. Shade just stared back at him with empty eye sockets and also waited for some type of response.


    Before long, Myrsvai grew impatient and ushered them all along. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. There¡¯s nothing else for us here.¡±


    ¡°Other than the secret,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Which we can hope to find it, though I don¡¯t know where to begin looking.¡±


    ¡°I would recommend somewhere on this floor.¡± Shade put his arm over Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder and tapped his cheek. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to kill him?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    Myrsvai sighed. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ***


    Nikoletta had been unconscious for days. But something was wrong.


    Siora didn¡¯t spend all her time in the medical wing. What kind of freak would do that? She wasn¡¯t sentimental enough about the mender to really care if she lived or not, but out of general respect, she had visited a few times.


    Outside the Ocean, with Vondaire¡¯s help, Nikoletta had woken up enough to stop herself from dying, drained her mana, then fell unconscious. Getting her back to Atrevaar would have been difficult but with Avani and Codhyses, it was an easy enough endeavor.


    At this point, there was no reason for her to still be unconscious. Her injuries were healed, her mana had recharged, and she had rested for plenty of time.


    The Void Nexus medical team gave up. They didn¡¯t know.


    Veph and Sylmare stood just inside the doorway to the private room Veph had assigned for Nikoletta. The leader of Void Nexus had her crystal sword sheathed at her side. She tapped metal fingers on its pommel as she watched Nikoletta flash.


    ¡°How many times is that now?¡± Veph asked.


    ¡°Five,¡± Siora said quickly.


    The air hummed as a shard lifted from Veph¡¯s shoulder. The wizard slowly walked across the room as two other shards lifted and hummed. The presence of the silver gems thundered in Siora¡¯s chest. It was hard to breathe.


    Veph¡¯s index was in front of her eyes as she touched Nikoletta¡¯s neck. She made a noise and sat on a chair beside the bed. ¡°A boon from Sloswen was hidden in there.¡± The air calmed as the shards dropped back into her shoulders. ¡°The gods are interfering.¡±


    Siora sat forward. There was no reason to try to act calm or casual. This was only unusual. ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Sloswen apparently decided he wants her stronger.¡± Veph flicked her gaze to Sylmare. ¡°What level can a mender summon cathkabel?¡±


    ¡°Sixty,¡± Sylmare said immediately.


    Nikoletta had just hit fifty nine.


    ¡°Is it going to take her all the way?¡±


    Veph nodded. ¡°She¡¯s poisoned from the boon. It''s running through her blood, ticking her health down constantly. Her constitution is rising rapidly because of this. She¡¯ll develop a poison resistance too. Maybe an immunity if it¡¯s serious enough.¡± Veph kicked her feet up onto the bed. ¡°This type of training has been done before. It¡¯s generally outlawed now. At least frowned upon. Most people who try it simply die.¡±


    ¡°How is she healing?¡±


    ¡°Her own spells have been extended,¡± Sylmare said. Her index was open as well, but Siora doubted the umbra could see anything hidden.


    ¡°Right,¡± Veph said. ¡°Her healing spells last for days because they work as slowly as the poison. This is entirely intentional from Sloswen. By tomorrow, she¡¯ll be able to start summoning cathkabel. Did she ever make a familiar?¡±


    ¡°No. She got the ability in the dungeon and wanted to wait until we were out so it formed properly.¡±


    Veph nodded. ¡°She is smart. Nice job recruiting her. You¡¯ve brought me two good ones now.¡±


    Siora nodded. Avani had readily joined after they brought Nikoletta all the way back. She was off training with Codhyses and some other newer recruits.


    ¡°Well, time to go.¡± Veph stood and pointed to the doorway.


    Siora looked between the two women in front of her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Grab your things. We¡¯re going to the Subterranean,¡± Sylmare said.


    ¡°We?¡± Siora asked quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting your first shard. Here¡¯s your party member,¡± Veph said as she casually gestured to Sylmare. ¡°Get your things and meet me in my office in ten minutes.¡± She stepped out the door. ¡°Actually, five minutes,¡± she called back, her voice already growing distant.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sylmare remained in the doorway. ¡°Althowin Alegarra told Veph to get her fourth shard. We¡¯re expected to get one too.¡± She checked out the door. ¡°You might want to hurry with gathering your things.¡±


    Siora quickly stood up, knocking over her chair in the corner. ¡°It¡¯s just us?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we need anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. I . . . Okay.¡± Siora hurried past Sylmare and sprinted for her quarters. Five minutes was not enough time.

 Book 4 - Chapter 17

    Ocean Mob


    Deep Sea Behemoth


    Level 68


    Owin had at least expected a name for the massive creature. They saw more and more of it as they neared, confirming it to be the single biggest mob Owin had seen. It had five heads and an uncountable number of flailing tentacles. It didn¡¯t look like anything else he had seen on the seventh floor.


    Just beyond the behemoth was a crack in the ground with light shining from below. At their current position, Owin couldn¡¯t see what gave off the light, but he guessed it was something to do with lava. It seemed to be the main bright thing below, other than the shining crystals.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Stand there. Watch. Don¡¯t let Shade get too close.¡± Myrsvai was crouched beside Suta. Mana threads glowed inside his metal leg.


    ¡°Okay, rude,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t have you to be a distraction on the next floors. Suta and I need to see if we can manage this entirely on our own.¡± Myrsvai tilted his head, listening to something the little familiar whispered.


    ¡°When you put it that way.¡± Shade leaned his elbow on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°How do you feel about this?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°We will watch together,¡± Thalgodin said.


    Myrsvai stood and tapped the bottom of his staff on the ground. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    Suta punched his fists together.


    ¡°Which head are you attacking first? May I suggest them all? One big attack?¡± Shade started to walk beside Myrsvai before the magus stopped him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going ahead alone.¡±


    ¡°Alone alone? Like without me?¡±


    ¡°Alone, Shade.¡± Myrsvai continued down the hill with Suta close on his left side.


    Suta looked back at Owin. The familiar¡¯s yellow eyes glowed in the dark Ocean, piercing through the heavy black smoke. He nodded.


    Owin smiled just as the Deep Sea Behemoth roared. He was finally going to see the real power of Myrsvai and Suta.


    The Maimed Magus was a legend throughout Verdantallis for surviving an attack. For killing a hero company.


    ¡°You challenge me alone?¡± The Deep Sea Behemoth laughed. A different laugh, some higher, some lower, boomed from each of the five heads.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anybody else.¡± Magenta fire swirled around Myrsvai¡¯s feet.


    Wisps of yellow smoke started to drift from Suta¡¯s shoulders. The familiar stuck out his wrapped hand just as an abyssal sword appeared.


    ¡°That whelp won¡¯t help an old man win.¡± The Deep Sea Behemoth stood tall, using tentacles to raise its body above the black smoke. The five heads spread out with wide, mocking grins. They were far more human-like than Owin had first realized. Bulbous gray eyes of the center head watched Myrsvai closely.


    ¡°Suta.¡± Myrsvai tapped his staff on the ground. ¡°Abyssal Armor. Show this boss what we can do.¡±


    And now, Owin got to watch Myrsvai and Suta take their first step to become legends for being 7 Shard Heroes.


    Suta launched himself out of the black smoke toward the central head. A tentacle swung out of the smoke, which was knocked aside by an Abyssal Blast from Myrsvai. Suta swung the summoned weapon, slashing through the cheek of the Deep Sea Behemoth.


    More tentacles appeared, swinging wildly at Suta. They appeared from the beast¡¯s back, sprouting like new trees. One caught the familiar, shattering his summoned armor and throwing him off into the smoke.


    Myrsvai didn¡¯t flinch. He didn¡¯t even move.


    Owin didn¡¯t fully understand what it meant to be a summoner. He had seen the magus summon Suta, demons, and weapons, but what did he actually do in a fight? Other than Dread Bind and Abyssal Blast and Barrage, Owin couldn¡¯t think of any offensive spells, but at his level, Myrsvai had to have a whole collection of spells from all different Power levels.


    The two outside heads moved, one looking up, the other looking down. They inhaled deeply with the one facing up glowing light blue, and the one facing down glowing with a fiery orange.


    Myrsvai had yet to actually move.


    Owin tensed. Myrsvai didn¡¯t want help, but Owin wasn¡¯t going to watch another friend die.


    The magus looked back, smiling. ¡°Want to see something interesting?¡±


    Bits of ice formed on one of the faces of the Deep Sea Behemoth. Water boiled as lava dripped from another. The middle three heads watched, laughing, as tentacles moved it into place.


    Suta dashed out of the smoke, skidding to a stop in front of Myrsvai. The magus raised his staff. The gem on top, cradled in what looked like a clawed hand glowed white in a way Owin had never seen before.


    The upper head turned and unhinged its jaw. A blast of ice hissed, causing Owin¡¯s ears to ring. It was like a massive column of blue that looked like it would destroy anything in its path.


    Right before it struck, Suta glowed brightly, matching the white shine of Myrsvai¡¯s staff.


    ¡°Absorb Elements,¡± Thalgodin said. ¡°A simple ability that only has real power if the magus can use what it absorbs.¡±


    The attack completely covered Myrsvai and Suta and caused the ground all around them to freeze in a thick sheet of ice. Bits of ice flew through the water and floated around the Deep Sea Behemoth¡¯s head.


    As soon as the attack stopped, Owin spotted Myrsvai with his staff raised high.


    ¡°An Abyssal Magus rarely has use of Absorb Elements, unless they simply plan to nullify an attack,¡± Thalgodin continued. ¡°I swore loyalty to Myrsvai because he is clever.¡±


    Suta took a few steps away from the magus. His white glow had faded, leaving him looking normal. The white glow remained, shining even brighter, at the top of Myrsvai¡¯s staff.


    ¡°Elemental Metamorphose.¡± He smashed the staff onto the ground, causing the white glow to vanish immediately.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Shade said. ¡°That could kill Suta.¡±


    Owin tensed again. ¡°What?¡±


    Suta hunched over and placed his hands on the icy ground.


    ¡°In a normal familiar, it could. It¡¯s an ability meant for elemental magi.¡± Thalgodin had a smirk as he watched. Even the Deep Sea Behemoth seemed interested. It advanced slowly, watching. More tentacles were constantly sprouting from its body as it moved itself ever closer.


    Owin had thought it was huge before, but the smoke had obscured so much of the boss¡¯s body. The thing was monstrous. It was like five snakes bound together at the tail, but that tail was a swarm of tentacles that were constantly moving and multiplying.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Spikes of ice erupted from Suta¡¯s back. The familiar smashed his fists against the ground, shattering the ice and rock. An icy blue helmet formed over Suta¡¯s head, leaving the blue crystals at the top still sticking out.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Ready,¡± Suta said, his voice a bit deeper than normal.


    The Deep Sea Behemoth head dripping lava swung in low through the smoke and unleashed a barrage of lava. As soon as it started the attack, Suta swung his hands, creating a big wall of ice.


    Owin grabbed Shade and Thalgodin, yanking them to the side. He dragged them both along as the lava struck the ice wall and splashed. Bits of molten rock splattered where Owin had just been standing, but the part he was more concerned about was all the rock freezing in the cold water, causing thousands of obsidian shards to rain down.


    Suta¡¯s wall had been destroyed, but he stood in front of Myrsvai unharmed.


    ¡°Time to kill, Suta.¡± Yellow smoke lifted off Myrsvai¡¯s shoulders. The same soon started to rise from Suta again.


    ¡°What are they doing now?¡± Owin asked. There were so many abilities and spells he hadn¡¯t seen or heard about.


    ¡°Channeling,¡± Thalgodin said, not expanding any further.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Owin said quietly. He was hoping for more of an explanation.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do anything fun like this with me?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Uh . . . what?¡±


    Suta sprinted straight toward the Deep Sea Behemoth, causing all five heads to swing inward. Elemental attacks formed in their throats, causing the five different heads to glow.


    ¡°Is Myrsvai going to move?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Why would he move?¡± Thalgodin had his axe head on the ground and leaned on the shaft. He watched with admiration. There was no concern.


    All five heads blasted their elemental spells at Suta, causing an explosion of energy. Owin felt the boom in his chest as the wave passed through the water. He spotted Suta about fifty feet into the air with yellow smoke pouring off his shoulders. The ice that had grown from him had shrunk, but was still present. Only one head of the Deep Sea Behemoth noticed Suta in the air.


    ¡°Abyssal Barrage,¡± Myrsvai said, pointing his staff. Magenta fireballs rushed through the water toward the leftmost head.


    Suta landed on top of the central head, lifted his hands, which flashed violet, then smashed them down, covering the whole head and himself in a thick cloud that Owin recognized as Infernal Shroud.


    Nosolus had used it way back in the Great Forest in the battle against the satyr leader, the umbra, and Owin. Trying to breathe inside the spell was like swallowing fire. Suta leapt from the spell just as Myrsvai¡¯s barrage battered one of the other heads.


    The Deep Sea Behemoth roared. Tentacles thrashed as it tried moving its heads away from Suta. The boss was ignoring Myrsvai, even though everything was originating from him.


    Owin wondered what a fight against other heroes was like when they knew to target the magus over the familiar. He would have to ask, but he didn¡¯t want to bring up the awful memories of their battle against the dead hero company.


    ¡°Neural Blaze,¡± Myrsvai said as he lifted his staff.


    Suta landed on another head and flashed with white light, matching that on Myrsvai¡¯s staff. The Deep Sea Behemoth head roared as Suta placed his hands down, and quickly grew quiet as the gray eyes flashed. The head fell limp, crashing down into the black smoke.


    Suta dashed out of the smoke, coming to a stop right in front of Myrsvai again. ¡°Two dead.¡±


    Only one head had fallen. Owin was watching them closely. Whatever the neural attack had been was strong enough to immediately kill one of the heads. Suta touched the lower half of Myrsvai¡¯s staff. The rest of the ice melted from his head and back while the yellow smoke rising from his shoulders grew thicker.


    A whimper escaped the Infernal Shroud covered head before it also fell to the ocean floor, limp and sizzling. Pieces of the Deep Sea Behemoth¡¯s skull were visible through the melted skin.


    ¡°You monsters.¡± The other heads all started to cry out insults in deep, reverberating voices.


    ¡°Thalgodin,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Would you like to handle the right?¡±


    The demon smirked. ¡°I would.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want help,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°He¡¯s already won,¡± Shade said, placing his hand flat on Owin¡¯s head. ¡°He was even showing off.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded toward Shade. ¡°Thalgodin is a summon, so here is my full power, Owin.¡±


    The demon beat his wings, sprinted, and leapt through the water. He moved much slower than Owin had seen him move back in the first floor secret, but back in the cathkabel fortress, he could use his wings without being underwater.


    Thalgodin used his numerous arms to swing the double sided axe, chopping right through one of the necks. The elemental charge gathering inside the Deep Sea Behemoth¡¯s neck erupted, severing the head and knocking Thalgodin back. The demon opened his wings wide to slow himself before he was launched into a boundary wall.


    Meanwhile, Suta had leapt back in with a summoned weapon and had carved into the Deep Sea Behemoth¡¯s other head, spilling multi-colored blood into the dark ocean water. With fewer heads to attack and with Thalgodin in the fray, the fight wrapped up quickly. The huge boss lay on the ground, covering a whole village¡¯s worth of space.


    Owin had thought the lava elemental on the fifth floor was huge, but this was the size of a building. He had been told the mobs would get bigger the deeper he went into the dungeon, but this was the first time there was actually something to reference. His little lich bone knife wasn¡¯t going to be good enough when the bosses were enormous.


    Suta and Thalgodin set about looting the boss while Myrsvai walked back over and stood quietly in front of Owin. The magus looked a little smug, but Owin couldn¡¯t blame him. It was an impressive fight.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do all of that.¡±


    With another tap of his staff, all the yellow smoke drifting off him and Suta vanished. ¡°Channeling helps our spells and abilities resonate, so we¡¯re able to cast spells simultaneously. By myself, Neural Blaze might give you a headache. When Suta casts it after I¡¯ve started, it can fully disrupt a mob¡¯s brain activity.¡±


    ¡°How much of the fighting do you actually do?¡±


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°As much as I need to do. I have some spells that will protect me or harm others if I fight something that gets too close.¡±


    Suta walked over with a long, spiked gauntlet. It looked huge compared to the small familiar. Owin couldn¡¯t imagine anyone wearing something so ridiculous and bulky. Suta held it up beside Thalgodin, but with the demon¡¯s weird arms, there would be no way to fit the armor.


    ¡°Shade,¡± Suta said, holding out the spiked gauntlet.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little gaudy, isn¡¯t it?¡± The skeleton extended his left arm and allowed Suta to slip it over. Shade held out his arms and looked himself over the best he could. ¡°My bottom half is still naked. Especially so now that I have this white glove and this ridiculous arm armor.¡± He waved his left arm, causing the new gauntlet to clank. ¡°Why do I let all of you dress me? Where is my stylist?¡± Shade sighed and rested his elbow on Myrsvai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re all lucky I¡¯m so kind, patient, and beautiful.¡±


    Suta stood quietly directly beside Owin. He watched Shade, then copied him by putting his elbow on Owin¡¯s shoulder. Since they were the same height, it looked a little awkward and uncomfortable for Suta.


    ¡°If I am going to continue assisting you, I hope to see less showing off,¡± Thalgodin said. The tall demon was still grinning after diving into the fight.


    ¡°I had to show Owin what a magus can really do.¡± Myrsvai gestured toward the remainder of the floor. ¡°Suta saw the stairs just over a crack in the ground. We can go when we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Owin didn¡¯t want to be alone again, but the sixth floor hadn¡¯t been bad. Shade was a better companion than Owin had originally thought. He was even slightly less annoying when others weren¡¯t around.


    Slightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go look,¡± Owin said.


    It was a short walk to the crack. The ground simply dropped away. Plenty of orange light escaped the dense black smoke that sat low in the crack. Most of the lava was hardened on top, but the heat was still impressive. Owin had no doubt he¡¯d melt upon just the slightest touch with the lava.


    ¡°I guess we should go to the eighth floor,¡± Owin said quietly. ¡°We can see each other outside.¡±


    ¡°As Shard Heroes,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Shade leaned over the edge of the crack. ¡°As touching as this departure is . . .¡± He squatted and pointed into the smoke. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we explore that cave first?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin tried peering through the smoke, but it was impossible to see. ¡°Where?¡±


    Shade pointed again, as if that helped.


    ¡°Shade, we can¡¯t see anything,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Use your eyes.¡± Shade poked his own face and gasped. ¡°I don¡¯t have eyes!¡± He shoved his fingers into his eye sockets. ¡°Did I drop them? Did Suta steal them?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Suta said quickly.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± Myrsvai gently tapped the familiar with the butt of his staff. ¡°Stop admitting to crimes you didn¡¯t commit.¡±


    ¡°My eyes,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°I knew it. The little thief.¡± Shade shook a fist at Suta. ¡°I¡¯ll get you one day.¡±


    Suta walked over and pushed the skeleton right over the edge.


    Owin sighed.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to surprise you, but that river of lava is hot.¡± Shade appeared right on the edge again. When Suta moved, Shade flinched and nearly fell back inside, but the familiar caught his arm and yanked him back over.


    ¡°Is it the secret?¡± Owin asked, still trying to see the cave.


    ¡°Is there another reason Sloswen would hide a room?¡± Shade shuffled sideways and gestured with both arms. ¡°Right here. If you jump just right, you should land inside.¡±


    ¡°Is it worth the risk?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Suta said.


    Myrsvai raised his eyebrows. ¡°If Suta isn¡¯t scared for me, then I think it¡¯s an acceptable risk too. I¡¯ll follow you, Owin.¡±


    Owin nodded. He was about to jump over lava and hoped he landed in a cave. ¡°You¡¯re sure there¡¯s a cave, Shade?¡±


    ¡°As sure as I am alive.¡±


    Owin hesitated. ¡°What?¡±


    The skeleton ran past and dove head first into the smoke. There was no sign he had died, so Owin sprinted and dove right after him. Thalgodin laughed as everything around Owin vanished in the black smoke.

 Book 4 - Chapter 18

    As soon as Owin landed on the other side, he realized he had passed through a void nexus, separating this secret from the rest of the floor. The labyrinth in the Great Forest and the cathkabel fortress had the same thing. The familiar chill, the weird sensation of being transported, had passed even as he dove directly over a river of lava.


    Shade grabbed Owin and hauled him up just as Myrsvai, Suta, and Thalgodin all landed roughly on the ground behind him.


    ¡°See? We all made it. No harm done,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°An arena,¡± Thalgodin said immediately.


    The room was a perfect circle with a domed ceiling made of rock. The walls encircling the arena were made of a rough, natural-looking glass that showed flowing, shifting molten rock. The magma wasn¡¯t cooled by the water, letting it shine brightly.


    ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s an arena?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°How many circular rooms have you seen in the dungeons?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°A few.¡±


    ¡°How many of them have been arenas?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin was hesitant to step forward. There was nothing else in the room with them, and if the secret was separate from the floor, that meant nobody defeated it before them. It was hiding somewhere or something would trigger its spawning.


    ¡°There¡¯s either a puzzle or a boss to manage,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Owin asked. They were just in a weird room, but everyone was making so many assumptions.


    ¡°There¡¯s no door, Owin.¡±


    He looked over his shoulder. There was a door frame where he had entered the room, but instead of a void nexus, there was only obsidian. ¡°So . . . what happens if the windows break while we¡¯re trapped?¡±


    Shade placed his newly armored hand on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to ask things like that. Now everyone, including me, is thinking about it. Even Sloswen. He¡¯s up there thinking about ways to pop open that glass and let the lava pour inside.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sloswen is going to bother altering the secret arena just to spite Owin,¡± Myrsvai said. His voice trailed off as he looked at the top of the dome. ¡°I assume a god is above such pettiness.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Shade muttered.


    Owin elbowed Shade, who collapsed from the touch. ¡°Sorry, I forgot about my strength.¡±


    Shade stayed on the ground and spread his arms and legs out. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I get it. Big tough Owin over here has to bully the naked man.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself a naked man,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°What else am I? A half dressed man? Is that really better?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to say things like this when we¡¯re outside the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡± Shade sat up. ¡°Can I walk forward first? I¡¯d love to be bait. It¡¯s like fishing, but for murder.¡±


    Owin just gestured forward.


    ¡°Great!¡± Shade sprinted into the center of the room and was immediately roasted as a geyser of fire, gas, and bubbles erupted from the center of the room. It hit the top of the dome and vanished like it was able to pass through the solid stone.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°What did we catch? Danger?¡±


    Stone around the geyser cracked, causing the entire ground to rumble.


    Owin took a step back. ¡°Grab the sword.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Shade yanked the Incandescent Blade from the sheath and dropped it into Owin¡¯s hands.


    The geyser widened, filling the room with bubbles, until a creature emerged from the broken stone. The geyser calmed as soon as the boss fully emerged, standing atop a pit of rubble.


    Owin had never seen anything like it before. It had monstrous legs holding it upright that ended in long, clawed feet. Its torso was segmented and ridged, leading to two bulbous eyes and two spike tendrils hanging from its face. The creature held a long sword made of what looked like a spine.


    Ocean Mob


    Locaris


    Level 70


    ¡°That¡¯s a boss,¡± Shade said.


    Owin pushed off with all his strength, launching himself across the arena. He moved a little faster than anticipated and smashed directly into Locaris¡¯s face. The boss stumbled back, leaking black blood into the water.


    Owin deftly landed on his feet and immediately jumped again. To truly match the speed he moved, he would need to get his dexterity higher. But for now, a sloppy swing with the sword was enough to carve through part of the huge boss before Owin bounced off the ceiling.


    The Incandescent Blade had taken a chunk out of Locaris¡¯s torso. Before the boss could react, Owin launched himself off the ceiling and smashed his gauntlet-covered fist into the back of the boss¡¯s head.


    0 Experience


    Owin¡¯s strength launched the boss¡¯s corpse straight at the floor, causing its legs to crumple underneath as it fell to the ground.


    ¡°Well, fuck me,¡± Shade said.


    Owin landed gently on the ground in front of the rest of the party. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I . . .¡± Myrsvai just nodded slowly.


    ¡°You honor the Vile Fiend,¡± Thalgodin said.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Suta jabbed Owin in the arm as he walked past and started trying to violently shake the boss¡¯s corpse. It was too big for him to truly lift it and wildly shake, but the parts that did move sent coins flying. A sword and a gray bone fell out right as Suta dropped the boss¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Mine!¡± Shade sprinted and dove for the bone, causing both him and the bone to explode into a cloud of dust as soon as he touched it.


    Everyone stared silently at the cloud.


    ¡°I can just summon him again,¡± Owin finally said.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Cooldown: 120 seconds


    Shade appeared directly beside Owin. He looked nearly the exact same, though his bones were a little less dusty, almost fully like normal bones, but still dark gray.


    ¡°I have a cooldown now, Shade,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He smacked Owin with his gloved hand. ¡°Oh! Does that mean I can actually fight? Am I strong now? Am I the all powerful Withered Shade?¡±


    ¡°Is that going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Probably not but it would be great!¡± Shade thrust his hands out. Nothing happened.


    Suta slowly walked over carrying the sword. It was a small version of the boss¡¯s spine sword.


    ¡°Here.¡± Shade took it and swung. Nothing happened again. ¡°Unsummon me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to summon you for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Owin stared quietly at everyone for a moment before going to help Suta collect all the gold coins that had scattered through the arena.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there little room for him in his box?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°He asked me to.¡±


    ¡°The void nexus is open,¡± Thalgodin said.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go?¡± Owin asked. He looked around the room. The secret was really boring and fast compared to the others he had explored.


    ¡°I suppose we are.¡± Myrsvai stopped in front of the swirling black doorway. ¡°Be prepared for anything upon exiting. There¡¯s no telling where you may end up. The lava is directly beneath the doorway, after all.¡±


    Suta dropped all the coins into Myrsvai¡¯s bag, then leapt through the doorway. Thalgodin and Myrsvai followed right after, leaving Owin in the secret alone.


    Was it that easy?


    Part of the glass wall cracked, causing the water nearby to immediately start boiling. Owin took a step toward the door. The crack snaked out, causing more and more of the water to heat as the lava fully broke through the glass. Owin sprinted and dove into the doorway.


    He landed on the stone ground just above the cave. The others stood around, looking at the exit and stairs just down hill. The black smoke was clear on this side of the crack, leaving a little prairie of glowing crystals to fully illuminate the stairs and boundary wall.


    ¡°The seventh floor was an interesting experience,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we did it together,¡± Owin said.


    Myrsvai nodded. ¡°Me as well. I¡¯ll see you on the sand bar.¡±


    ¡°Did you want to say bye to Shade?¡±


    Myrsvai smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯ll see him again before long. I don¡¯t fully know what lies in the trench, so be cautious.¡± He grunted. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I feel the need to warn you. I just witnessed you defeat a boss that was clearly meant for a whole party.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Suta hugged Owin. ¡°Shard Heroes.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Show Elysium your might,¡± Thalgodin said. He walked down the stairs and stood just before the void nexus.


    ¡°Are there cathkabel on the next floor?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°When do people worship the light?¡± The demon was tall enough that Owin could still see his head even when he was down the stairs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°In the dark,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°See you soon, brother.¡± Myrsvai ushered Thalgodin through, and they both vanished.


    Suta remained at the top of the stairs. ¡°Brother.¡±


    ¡°You can do this.¡±


    Suta nodded and punched his fists together. ¡°Magus.¡±


    Owin grinned as the familiar sprinted down the stairs and leapt into the door. He walked over and lingered at the top for a moment.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton appeared right beside him and almost fell into the stairwell. ¡°They¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai said they¡¯d see you again soon, so they didn¡¯t need to say bye.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Shade placed his hand on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°That sword will be good, you know. I kept it in there. Really cramped now. I think the gods will get angry that I¡¯m using the box as a storage space, but you know what? I don¡¯t care. We¡¯ll take advantage of it.¡± He tapped his fingers on the chitin. ¡°Ready to be a Shard Hero?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You are more than ready. You¡¯re too strong, actually. And no, I won¡¯t elaborate. We are going onward. I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of fish we see next. Can you imagine how gross they''re going to look? Did you see how ugly that boss was before you broke its face?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Hideous.¡± Shade dragged Owin down the stairs. ¡°Ugliest thing I¡¯ve ever seen, and I look at you all the time.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°See you on the eighth.¡± Shade tapped Owin¡¯s head one more time before they vanished into the void nexus.


    ***


    Veph brought nothing.


    Siora and Sylmare each had a bag to bring enough rations and equipment for several days. Veph had nothing but her wand and sword. Not even water or food.


    ¡°How fast do you think you can do this dungeon?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°Six hours,¡± Veph said. They had gathered in her office, which looked a lot less fancy than it once did. Her desk, for some reason, was just a pile of wood mush in the center of the room. It didn¡¯t even look broken. It looked wet.


    ¡°What if you get hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat the claverstan. It¡¯s not that complicated.¡± Veph checked her belt that held her crystal sword and slipped her wand back up her sleeve. ¡°Are you both ready?¡±


    Siora could have used another three days, but yeah, she was ready. She nodded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sylmare said.


    Veph walked past them, leading them out into Atrevaar. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. Give it the traditional half hour to be safe. I don¡¯t need floor one mobs killing either of you.¡±


    A huge man stood just outside the Void Nexus headquarters. Veph was too preoccupied to notice, but the man was clearly staring at her. Huge was an understatement. It was a giant. He had fresh scars on his arms and his sleeves were torn and covered in blood.


    There was only one person it could be.


    ¡°Uh, Veph,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°What?¡± She looked up and stopped. ¡°Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± His voice was deep and calm.


    ¡°Fourth shard and a fusion. You should consider the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Veph fixed the collar of her jacket. ¡°My grandfather never made you promise to stay out of the dungeon. You chose that.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°Was it Althowin?¡±


    Veph nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t be here to keep you safe.¡±


    Siora expected some snide remark, but Chorsay only gently touched Veph¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Be safe. Visit when you get back.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Veph walked right past him.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Veph didn¡¯t say a word and continued her walk straight to the portal circle.


    ¡°You know, I need to travel to Vraxridge.¡±


    Veph stopped. ¡°Then hurry up, old man.¡±


    Chorsay smiled and nodded to Sylmare and Siora.


    Siora¡¯s stomach turned. Did he know she was the one who killed Artivan? That threatened Owin so much?


    ¡°Be safe in the dungeon,¡± he said as she passed.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Siora asked quietly.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Siora stopped. She had to crane her neck to see Chorsay¡¯s face. He had a soft smile. ¡°You know who I am and you aren¡¯t angry?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all made mistakes. It¡¯s what we do afterward that shows one¡¯s true character.¡±


    ¡°I killed your friend.¡±


    Chorsay nodded. ¡°And Owin has decided you should live. I won¡¯t argue with my friends. I¡¯m not interested in fighting those weaker than me anyway. If you still feel regret and shame when you have two shards, visit me and we can see what comes next.¡±


    Siora felt her face twist. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Life is difficult.¡± Chorsay gestured toward Sylmare and Veph. ¡°I can join you to the portals. Tell me about yourself.¡±


    Siora scowled but she followed the old, gentle giant. ¡°Okay.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 19

    Ocean Dungeon


    Eighth Floor


    There was a purple glow as the only light when Owin emerged on the stairs. It was significantly darker than the previous floors, like an eternal night. Before Owin could even move off the stairs, Shade tripped and tumbled off, crashing onto the cobblestone floor.


    ¡°I seem to have fallen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    A black cetanthro with white speckles ran forward and helped Shade off the ground. The fish man was tall with four arms, but the lower two were more webbed like fins. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Shade reached up and patted the cetanthro on the head. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Elnu


    Cetanthro Coelacanth


    Level 60


    Elnu stood among rubble. Most of it looked like old, broken stones, but Owin spotted some small designs on pieces of columns. It looked a bit like the old ruins where he had found the golem in the fourth floor secret.


    ¡°Are you two travelers?¡± Elnu asked.


    ¡°Yes. Traveling all over.¡± Shade grabbed a piece of rubble, sniffed it, then flicked it away. ¡°This land of yours is quite dark. Were you aware?¡±


    ¡°Dark?¡± Elnu had wide, somewhat bulging eyes on the sides of his head. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Owin said. He hopped off the last of the stairs. ¡°Why are you in these ruins?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for a delivery. I have no idea what¡¯s taking so long.¡±


    Two sides of the ruins were blocked by the boundary wall, while the others were surrounded by tall, dark rocks. A narrow passage led away from the stairs, but with how much it twisted, Owin couldn¡¯t see more than a dozen feet ahead. There was only one way to go. At least it would be more difficult to get lost.


    ¡°If you¡¯re traveling to the village, can you keep an eye out for my delivery?¡±


    ¡°A cetanthro village?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Do you expect any water elves to be here?¡±


    ¡°Okay, unnecessary,¡± Shade said. He muttered something, then grandly gestured to the passage. ¡°Off we go before this fish says something inappropriate.¡±


    Owin joined Shade at the mouth of the passage, but paused. ¡°You don¡¯t think there is loot hidden in the ruins, do you?¡±


    ¡°By the stairs? No.¡±


    They both turned and looked at Elnu, who stared straight at them. With his eyes on the side of his head, it was difficult to tell if he could actually see them while facing straight forward.


    ¡°We¡¯re moving.¡± Shade grabbed the grip of the Incandescent Blade and dragged Owin along. It was at such an odd angle that Owin fell right onto his face while Shade accidentally unsheathed the weapon. ¡°So, this isn¡¯t a handle to guide you.¡±


    Owin sighed, still lying face down.


    ¡°Just think. We get to spend these next two floors together. Just the two of us. The two of us and whatever we decide to murder, I suppose.¡±


    Owin pushed himself up and stood with his back to Shade until the skeleton sheathed the sword. ¡°I think most summons are less annoying.¡±


    ¡°Most does not mean all. I am positive there is a wizard, mender, or magus out there that absolutely despises their familiar.¡± Shade placed both hands on top of his head. ¡°I will follow you, so you can feel like you¡¯re in charge again.¡±


    ¡°I am in charge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do want you to believe that.¡± Shade took a step sideways. ¡°I am rather impatient, so if you don¡¯t start walking, I will immediately go against my word and try to lead again.¡±


    Owin started walking before Shade could take off down the passage. With the cooldown to summon, Owin didn¡¯t need Shade to die in some random encounter around the corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re not usually impatient.¡±


    ¡°What was one of the first questions I ever asked you?¡±


    Owin scratched his ear, peeked around the corner, and continued leading. ¡°Where¡¯s my penis?¡±


    ¡°Oh . . . yes. And it was an important question. I was thinking about when I asked if we could leave the Ocean. The faster we get that shard, the faster we don¡¯t have to be here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is it the water or the dark?¡±


    Shade shook his head quickly.


    ¡°Sloswen?¡±


    Shade nodded quickly and flinched. Nothing happened with the water.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fast. Vondaire is still waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡± Shade walked for a few seconds before stopping. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Vondaire. He¡¯s a Nimble Hog.¡±


    ¡°Well, he might be a flexible pig, but I don¡¯t see why I need to know.¡±


    Owin sighed. He approached the next turn slowly and peeked around. The path widened into a small opening before continuing deeper into the floor. Owin reached a hand up, intending to shush the skeleton, but instead slapped him in the face.


    Shade gasped, but managed to catch on and didn¡¯t protest loudly.


    A wagon filled with boxes and bags was abandoned in the opening. Owin looked through the area and tried to use Examine, but he couldn¡¯t get any information. It wasn¡¯t exactly abandoned. There was a corpse of a cetanthro coelacanth near the front of the wagon.


    Shade placed both hands on Owin¡¯s head to balance as he leaned around the corner. ¡°That¡¯s a dead body,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid.¡±


    ¡°It was a question. I¡¯m the stupid one.¡±


    Owin laughed. ¡°Sure. Yes, it¡¯s a dead body.¡±


    ¡°Now I know.¡± Shade crouched and waddled to Owin¡¯s side. ¡°Do you need bait?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The cetanthro was level 60, and the bosses last floor were around 65 and 70. I think mobs on this floor will be about the same. I can handle all of that. Right?¡±


    Shade poked him in the face with an armored finger. ¡°You basically killed the secret boss in one punch. I think you will be fine with regular mobs on this floor. That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t run in there like the idiot I was born to be just to distract some fish. Or not fish. Whatever they are. You get it. Fish adjacent.¡±


    Did he get it? ¡°Okay.¡± Owin drew the lich bone knife and stalked forward. Shade stayed crouched, trying to keep pace as he waddled.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Owin immediately spotted movement high up on the rocks, near the boundary at the top of the trench. Five figures moved quickly, nearly blending into the stone. Eight long, skinny legs carried the bulbous main body of the mobs. A cluster of big eyes covered most of the body with a huge mouth full of fangs spreading the full width.


    Ocean Mob


    Pycnida


    Level 62


    ¡°See?¡± Owin said, pointing at one of the spider-like mobs.


    ¡°See what?¡± Shade¡¯s index popped up. ¡°The level? Yes, you¡¯re right. They are quite ugly.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re what killed the cetanthro?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to look like, but right now, I think the bigger focus is how hungry those spiders look. They want to eat you. Not me. I don¡¯t have any meat to feast on.¡±


    ¡°I can handle it.¡± Owin walked closer to the ruined cart. The spiders had spotted him as soon as he first stepped out. It was no surprise they were all charging straight for him.


    Owin crouched, making sure his feet were planted, then leapt for the nearest spider. It was still on the rock wall and didn¡¯t react before he smashed his shoulder into its body. They both fell back to the sea floor where Owin managed to kill the stunned spider with a slash with the lich bone.


    By the time the other spiders reached the ground, Owin was ready to dash, hop, dodge, and stab. They were weak overall. Their speed was what made them dangerous, but Owin was faster and managed to wipe out the small mob horde without taking any damage.


    Shade pointed to a spot on his gauntlet where a spider fang had gouged the chitin.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m wearing armor.¡±


    Shade shrugged. He went to the wagon and started picking through the bags.


    Owin gently kicked each spider corpse, getting a few gems and gold coins that he dropped into his bag.


    ¡°This is mostly food, which would be a great time to take a break, eat, and prepare for the rest of the floor if either of us needed food.¡± Shade pulled out a green stick. ¡°What am I going to do with this? And why is there celery at the bottom of the ocean? These are the kinds of questions that Sloswen obviously hasn¡¯t considered.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s celery?¡±


    Shade shook the green stick. ¡°It¡¯s a vegetable. Or a stalk? A weed? I don¡¯t know. People eat it. People who are alive and have stomachs, unlike the naked skeleton in front of you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only half naked.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the half naked skeleton in front of you.¡± Shade stuck the celery in his mouth and crunched loudly. As he chewed, little bits of green mush floated out from the bottom of his jaw. ¡°If I remembered how this tasted, I might be really upset right now.¡± Each word made more food fall from between his teeth.


    ¡°Because you miss the taste?¡±


    ¡°Or it¡¯s really bad.¡±


    ¡°I could tell you.¡± Owin stuck his hand out.


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets narrowed as he looked at the half eaten stalk of celery. ¡°You don¡¯t need to eat either.¡±


    ¡°But I can.¡±


    The skeleton hesitantly held it out. ¡°Just one bite.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Owin snatched the celery, took a bite, and tried to keep a straight face as he chewed. It didn¡¯t taste at all like he had expected.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Owin gave the celery back and spit it out. ¡°Really good.¡±


    Shade looked at the blob of green mush in the water. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t lie to me, right?¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    Shade patted Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Owin climbed onto the wagon and opened more containers. They all contained food, most of which Owin didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Do you think we should bring the wagon to the cetanthro?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. It wasn¡¯t a quest and, uh, mobs don¡¯t eat. Remember?¡±


    Owin stared blankly at Shade.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mob, Owin.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re naked.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± Shade covered his hip bones with both hands. ¡°Don¡¯t bring that up. I¡¯m insensitive. Wait. No.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a cetanthro village ahead, I think. Let¡¯s go there before we try to find the bosses.¡± Owin hopped off the wagon and started down the pass again. Shade ran after him with an armful of celery. The skeleton kept chomping on the food, leaving a trail of mush in their wake.


    The pass was more simple than Owin had expected. There were twists and turns, but no forks until they reached the village. More coelacanth moved about the village on the right while the pass continued snaking about on the left. It wasn¡¯t difficult to spot the village at all, especially with the huge fish milling about.


    The coelacanth cetanthro were about as big as the itajara, which Owin hadn¡¯t seen in a few floors. There were some on the fifth, but most had been in the swarm on the third floor. There had been a few bigger cetanthro, but those had all been bosses or something special.


    The fish didn¡¯t seem bothered as Owin and Shade entered their village. They didn¡¯t really seem to care at all. Most of the coelacanth stood outside homes built into the stone wall talking to one another, or moved about, carrying bags of something into the biggest building in the back of the village.


    All the cetanthro moving about the village avoided one specific area on the left side. A lone girhuma sat on a small rug that was covered in barnacles. Some boxes were stacked beside the girhuma with a small horned creature sitting at the very top of the stack.


    ¡°Why is a girhuma down here?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking at us.¡± Shade stepped behind Owin and ducked. ¡°Do you think he can still see me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you scared of him?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The girhuma looked the exact same as any other Owin had seen. The blue skinned mob watched quietly until Owin finally approached.


    Ocean Mob


    Hilxian


    Girhuma Trader


    Level 60


    ¡°You¡¯re a trader?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a nice thing to call someone.¡± Shade¡¯s index appeared. ¡°Oh, never mind. Sorry. Misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ve traveled a long way to reach this remote cetanthro village.¡±


    Shade leaned close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°I don¡¯t think she traveled at all.¡±


    Owin grabbed his bag and started digging through, finding as many coins as possible. ¡°What do you have for sale? Do you have any health potions or buffs?¡±


    Hilxian grabbed a box beside her with both hands and hauled it over. It had a whole variety of potions inside. As soon as the top opened, the shop menu popped open in Owin¡¯s vision. It would have been overwhelming if he hadn¡¯t seen it with Arimeda on the second floor.


    Hilxian grabbed three potions and passed them to Owin. At first, he flinched because he had to figure out how to pass over the stack of coins, but they disappeared before he did anything.


    ¡°What did you buy?¡± Shade picked up a red potion. ¡°I could pour this on you now.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    Shade muttered something as he hooked the potion on Owin¡¯s belt.


    Owin held a rose pink potion in front of Shade¡¯s face. ¡°Look what I got.¡±


    Artisan Dexterity Buff


    +30 Dexterity


    Duration: ????


    ¡°Only artisan? You need more than that to catch up with your intelligence and strength.¡± Shade took the second health potion Owin had bought and stuck it inside the bag. ¡°But yes, any buff is good, especially when you didn¡¯t get any stronger on the last floor.¡±


    Owin drank the potion and put the empty bottle into his bag. He bounced on his feet, but didn¡¯t feel any immediate effects of the increased speed. Shade was right. An artisan buff every few floors wasn¡¯t going to help his speed catch up with his strength.


    Hero


    Owin


    Deficient Wizard


    Nimble Hog Hero Company


    Level: 1


    Strength: 700


    Constitution: 310


    Dexterity: 300


    Intelligence: 467


    Wisdom: 169


    Charisma: 160


    ¡°Now, what is this?¡± Shade asked, pointing at the small winged creature sitting on a nearby box.


    ¡°That¡¯s Von.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Von said.


    Ocean Mob


    Von


    Level 20


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin gestured to the imp until Shade also looked at his index.


    ¡°Is Von its name or what it is?¡± Shade asked as his eye sockets narrowed. ¡°Or both?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Von,¡± Hilxian said.


    ¡°What¡¯s an imp?¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°Well . . . it¡¯s a type of vampire.¡±


    Von nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin stared at the creature.


    It was no more than a foot and a half tall, making it shorter than Owin. It had two curved horns and leathery wings. When it smiled, he noticed its two oversized fangs.


    ¡°What¡¯s a vampire?¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I suppose that is a good bit of information to have. They are all over the Fortress and are found in some other places. They are like undead but also not and also dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I think I fought one once.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°In a secret earlier in the dungeon. It was stronger than this one.¡±


    Von stayed on top of the box, watching them with yellow eyes.


    ¡°Are you a vampire?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Are you dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Owin and Shade looked at each other. They both shrugged.


    ¡°Is there anything else to do in this village?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The cetanthro have been all worried about creatures in the pass. They might have a quest.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin looked out of the village back into the pass. With how long the floors had gotten, he didn¡¯t want to backtrack after finishing a quest. The journey back could take hours or days, depending on how long the floor actually was. ¡°They can figure it out.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t, but I understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Shade said. ¡°Do you think there is anything exciting in the pass? Like a buffalo?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, then it would be all the more exciting. A water buffalo. Can you imagine such a sight?¡±


    ¡°No, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and guided him back into the pass. ¡°I¡¯ll describe it with painfully specific details.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s painful about it?¡±


    ¡°The specifications, Owin. It will be so specific.¡±


    Owin shrugged Shade¡¯s hands off his shoulders. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t distract me. I want to watch for mobs.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 20

    Vondaire sat at a seaside cafe in Minolitana Prima. While he fully respected Chorsay¡¯s orders, something about sitting on the sandbar had gotten boring. It was probably the lack of fun.


    Egnatia sat across from him, sipping a glass of red wine. She was quite striking, even with the horrid purple scar covering nearly half her face.


    The Demon Killer.


    In plain, casual clothes, the head of Magna Regum was less intimidating. She wore a dress and didn¡¯t even bother to carry a weapon, though Vondaire had no doubt that she could kill nearly everyone in the city if necessary. A Four Shard Hero was strong whether or not they used a weapon.


    ¡°A former member of the Izylia Unity Force?¡± Egnatia set her glass of wine down and leaned forward on the table. Her icy blue eyes stared into Vondaire¡¯s.


    He wasn¡¯t used to people staring into his black eyes. Their unnatural appearance was normally enough for people to avoid eye contact. It was part of the spectral umbra route he had taken, which he didn¡¯t regret. That didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t aware of the odd appearance of his eyes.


    ¡°By necessity.¡± Vondaire carefully refilled her glass before topping off his own. ¡°Financial distress, you see.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Egnatia took another drink and carefully dabbed the red drops from her lips with a napkin. ¡°Magna Regum has never been at risk.¡±


    ¡°It is quite the legacy to inherit.¡±


    ¡°I built upon it. It wasn¡¯t all made for me.¡±


    Vondaire nodded and took another drink. An excuse to avoid the obvious lie. Who could fail after having such a massive company handed to them? Egnatia had earned nothing in her life. She was worse than his previous supervisors in the Unity Force. The arrogance one had to have to assume they understood the world without having to earn a damn thing was unbearable.


    Even with nepotism, earning four shards was no easy feat. The equipment and training was all there, readily available, and Vondaire had no doubt she had a squad of guards for all the common floors, but that still left isolated floors and the bosses to defeat on her own. There was talent.


    But talent alone didn¡¯t earn respect, especially from Vondaire.


    Only those who climbed from nothing truly earned what they achieved.


    And despite how much he loathed the beautiful woman across the table, he wouldn¡¯t say a single negative word. Not until he could match her in combat. If Engatia Lucan decided to kill him in Minolitana Prima, she wouldn¡¯t have a single consequence.


    ¡°What kind of financial distress caused you to join the military?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more complicated than you might expect.¡± Vondaire finished his glass. It was surprisingly cheap wine for the richest person in the city. He refilled his glass, watched Egnatia drain her own, then refilled her glass as well. It took moments for a waiter to arrive with a fresh bottle.


    Vondaire hadn¡¯t intended on getting drunk, but Egnatia seemed set on the idea. Surely, Chorsay would understand accepting an invite to dinner with Egnatia. Who could refuse? Really, who could? She was terrifying, beautiful, and fascinating. A combination that Vondaire wouldn¡¯t have assumed could capture his attention, but now . . . well, that was something to unpack when he was back at his little table waiting for Owin and Myrsvai.


    ¡°I was born on the northern coast of Izylia, far from Oriathria. Far from any portals. They caught crabs, of all things, and tried to make a living off of it. Imagine feeding six children off crab fishing.¡± He took another drink, realizing Egnatia could not imagine doing such a thing.


    She simply nodded and fixed a strand of her short hair, smoothing out the top.


    ¡°I was the youngest. Forced to attend school while my siblings went about training to be heroes.¡± Vondaire folded his gloved hands on his lap. ¡°By the time I was assigned umbra at fifteen, four of my siblings had died in the Great Forest.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s horrible.¡±


    A single child wouldn¡¯t understand. Vondaire nodded.


    ¡°My parents had spent their savings on equipment to try to help my siblings. They knew their lives would change if one of their children became a successful hero. Meanwhile, I had graduated early without saying a word. I went to the woods every day, training on my own. All day. Every day.¡± Vondaire was uncomfortable, so he simply stared back at Egnatia. She had yet to break eye contact and her icy blue eyes were intense.


    ¡°Their fishing endeavors were bringing less money each year, and the cost of things never stopped rising. They could barely afford our house, and all the equipment and goods needed for my siblings to try the dungeons were so expensive, they went into debt with some locals. Out on the northern coast of Izylia, there are hardly any Unity Force soldiers. The ones who are there are often the strongest people in the area. They worked with some criminals, extorted people. My parents started giving all their money to these people until I volunteered to take on the entirety of the debt.¡±


    Egnatia hadn¡¯t taken a single sip of her new glass. ¡°And your parents?¡±


    ¡°Still alive. I said I would pay for their house and food, and nothing else. If they misused the money, it would stop arriving. As far as I¡¯m aware, they are keeping themselves safe.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Your siblings?¡±


    ¡°Dead. All of them.¡± Vondaire sat back and took a long drink. How could she not afford a good bottle?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Vondaire raised his glass. ¡°To loved ones.¡±


    Egnatia scoffed as she raised her glass. ¡°If only I had any.¡±


    Their glasses clinked gently as Egnatia still stared into Vondaire¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Why invite me here?¡± Vondaire finally asked.


    ¡°You interest me.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t as full of an answer as he had wanted. ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a higher level than I am, and I have three more shards than you. What did you do to level so quickly?¡±


    Vondaire smirked. ¡°That, I¡¯m afraid, is my personal secret.¡±


    Egnatia raised her purple-scarred eyebrow. ¡°Is it? I¡¯ll have to find a way to get it out of you.¡±


    Vondaire wasn¡¯t certain if she was flirting or threatening, and either way, he wasn¡¯t against it. He took another long drink of wine. He had a lot to unpack when he got back to the sandbar.


    ***


    The pass was difficult to navigate purely because of the lack of light. There weren¡¯t glowing crystals like there had been on previous floors. The only source of any light was the faint purple glow that covered the whole floor.


    There was another fork not far from the village, which had led to a dead end at the boundary wall. It was easy to get back and take the correct route, but it made Owin a little concerned about what lay further ahead on the floor. If it became a full maze, he would have to rely on his map a lot.


    They ran into two more groups of pycnida spiders, which weren¡¯t challenging mobs to fight. Owin jumped and dashed between them, killing each before it could land a real hit. Shade just screamed and ran each time, even if the spiders weren¡¯t close.


    According to the skeleton, he wasn¡¯t scared, but he wanted them to think he was.


    Owin couldn¡¯t be sure if Shade was telling the truth or not.


    It took a few hours of traveling before they ran into another fork. Owin had picked wrong going right the previous time, so he went left first, and soon found the pass filled with bones.


    Most looked like they were meant to be cetanthro bones, but there were also human or human-like skulls scattered throughout.


    Shade started picking up pieces, which he tried to attach to himself. Nothing worked.


    ¡°This is mildly ominous,¡± Shade said.


    Owin stalked forward with the lich bone out, ready for whatever mob was lying in the next opening. He fully expected a swarm of spiders or angry cetanthro, or something similar.


    As he jumped around the last turn, crunching bones beneath his boots, he found two coelacanth cetanthro standing over two big white chunks that looked kind of like bones.


    They looked at Owin with wide eyes, but all coelacanths had bulging eyes, so he wasn¡¯t sure if they looked more surprised than normal.


    ¡°Are you here to help?¡± one asked.


    ¡°Help what?¡±


    Shade picked up an entire rib cage and held it beside his torso. ¡°Does this remind you of anything?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    One of the fish tapped the top of the white object. ¡°These eggs just appeared.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shade dropped the ribs and hurried over. ¡°Those are big eggs.¡±


    Each one was about the same height as Owin.


    Ocean Mob


    Pycnida Queen Eggs


    Level 1


    ¡°They just appeared? What about all the bones?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Those too.¡±


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets narrowed. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± a cetanthro asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just smash the eggs?¡± Owin made a fist and lifted his hand.


    ¡°If you want a hundred spiders to hatch, yes,¡± Shade said. He gently pushed Owin¡¯s hand back down. ¡°I don¡¯t recommend smashing them that way.¡±


    ¡°What can we do?¡±


    ¡°Fire is good. I think we still have some grenades.¡± Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s bag and started to dig through it.


    ¡°Do we?¡±


    He pulled out one of Ernie¡¯s percussion grenades.


    ¡°I forgot I had that,¡± Owin said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t have any fire.¡±


    Shade pulled out some tinder ore from Miya.


    ¡°Oh. That has fire.¡±


    ¡°What if I put the tinder ore inside the grenade?¡± Shade pinched the cork.


    ¡°We should hide first.¡± Owin guided both cetanthro to the side. The area was much smaller than the other village, and Owin felt like he was going to take way more damage than he wanted if the explosion was anything like he expected.


    ¡°We can hide in the houses,¡± a cetanthro said, gesturing to the two homes built into the stone wall. They were made of brick and only had a few feet of each house sticking out from the stone.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± Owin followed the fish inside the house, where they all crouched behind the inside walls. It was sparsely decorated, but what was there reminded Owin of the girhuma houses on the second floor in the kelp forest.


    Shade opened the grenade, dropped the tinder ore inside, put the cork on, and shook the bottle. It immediately exploded in a fiery blast that caused Shade to disappear in a cloud of gray dust.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°For now.¡± Owin sighed. It would be a few minutes before Shade could appear again. At least his plan had worked and the eggs were completely destroyed. ¡°What¡¯s the pycnida queen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a legend,¡± a cetanthro said. ¡°A monster that stalks this pass. A creature of untold horror.¡±


    ¡°Got it. The wandering boss.¡± Owin stood up and shook out his arms. He hopped around, sheathed the lich bone knife, and looked about the room. ¡°Why is there a door in the back?¡±


    The cetanthro walked over and opened it, revealing a narrow tunnel in the back. It was pitch black with no view of the ocean surface. ¡°I think it¡¯s haunted.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± the other fish said.


    ¡°Is it the secret?¡± Owin whispered. He walked toward it and stuck his hand into the darkness. It wasn¡¯t a void nexus. He wasn¡¯t transported anywhere. It was just that dark inside.


    He had a while until Shade would be back. What was the harm? He stepped through the doorway and kept his hands pressed against the wall to help guide him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be haunted,¡± a cetanthro called after him.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Owin had fought specters and undead before. Haunting was the least of his worries. Shade already haunted him.

 Book 4 - Chapter 21

    The path was long and dark as it wound back and forth, sometimes climbing uphill, sometimes dropping back downhill. By the time Owin found an archway entrance, the cooldown on summoning was done.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade poofed into existence directly beside Owin. He looked about, then pointed. ¡°I found the door.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know where we are.¡±


    Ethereal light illuminated the inside of the stone building without letting any of the light spill through the arch into the dark pass. Owin hesitated at the entrance. There had to be traps.


    ¡°I might not know where we are, but I can make a strong guess that we are going through that door. What other reason could we have for standing in front of it?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the secret.¡±


    Shade looked back down the pass. He walked a few feet back until he peeked around a corner. ¡°It looks hidden enough to be a secret. How did you find it?¡±


    ¡°Through a door in the building I hid in while you blew up the egg.¡±


    Shade approached the archway and tapped his armored fingers on the stone. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is . . . you found the secret because of me? I suppose an apology is in order.¡±


    ¡°An apology?¡±


    ¡°For doubting me.¡±


    Owin stepped through the door, tensing, but quickly relaxed when nothing happened. ¡°When did I doubt you?¡±


    The room was a small stone square. The same smooth stone covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. Even though there was still water present, it felt thinner, like he was almost on the surface. Three doorways were evenly spaced on the opposite wall. They were only covered by red curtains hanging down, but there was a blue shimmer that reminded Owin of the boundary wall.


    ¡°Constantly. Constant doubting. Always doubting. Doubting every little thing. I¡ª¡±


    Choose a door.


    They looked at each other.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I did. Do you think we should choose the same door? Separate doors? Adjacent doors?¡±


    Owin slowly crossed the room, still expecting some type of trap. He had seen too many secrets with traps to expect anything else. By the time he reached the center doorway, Shade was standing beside him.


    ¡°Why are you moving so slowly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m avoiding traps.¡±


    Shade looked around the room. ¡°What traps?¡±


    Owin ignored the skeleton and reached out, touching the red curtain. As soon as his fingers brushed the blue glow, the other two doorways turned gray. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going through this one.¡± He pushed the curtain aside and walked into the next room with Shade close behind.


    It was a long, narrow room with nothing but bones inside.


    Shade picked up a bone, tried taking a bite, then discarded it. ¡°What a waste of a room.¡±


    A hum caused the water to shake. Bubbles rose from the ground, coming from invisible holes. All the bones moved into three different spots, gathering together until three skeleton mobs stood in the center of the room.


    ¡°Oh. Not a waste. Just, uh, a little insulting. Is that what they think I look like?¡± Shade adjusted his scarf. ¡°I at least know how to dress.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wearing pants,¡± Owin said as he clenched his fists. The only real weapon he had at the moment was the lich bone knife, and that wasn¡¯t going to do a lot of good against skeletons. The Incandescent Blade would probably work, but so would his fists.


    Before the skeletons could fully prepare themselves, Owin leapt and punched the center one¡¯s head, crushing the bone on impact. He landed, pivoted, and leapt again, punching each of the three skeletons in turn. Losing their heads didn¡¯t kill them immediately, but a few more punches crushed them. Their feeble attacks weren¡¯t much of a threat with how fast Owin dashed through the room. Before long, he stood among the wreckage and shrugged at Shade.


    Choose a door.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any doors,¡± Shade said. He took a step back out the door. ¡°Oh, never mind. These doors are open again.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean this was the wrong door?¡±


    Shade walked to the right door and stuck his head through it. ¡°Apparently. There¡¯s a chest in here.¡±


    Owin hurried over before Shade accidentally triggered something new to happen in the secret. He wasn¡¯t lying. There was a single, large chest sitting against the back wall. Other than that, the room was completely empty. Owin stalked in, moving slow at first until Shade carelessly strolled across the open space.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a trap somewhere and with how long your respawn is now, I¡¯ll end up doing this whole secret on my own.¡±


    Shade stopped in front of the chest and crouched. ¡°What could be so dangerous about a chest? I won¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll manage just fine.¡± He tapped his gloved hand on the chest. ¡°See?¡±


    The top of the chest sprang open, revealing row after row of sharp teeth. The mimic¡¯s tongue lashed out, wrapping around Shade¡¯s head before pulling the skeleton inside. Before the monster could chomp down, Owin dove forward, driving the lich bone knife into the top of the mimic¡¯s head. He tore the knife all the way across, severing the top half of the mimic.


    Shade stayed in the bottom part of the chest, slumped and limp like a corpse.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re alive,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Am I alive? Am I dead? Am I existing in some state in between?¡± Shade sighed and sat up. ¡°Since when do chests try to eat people?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first mimic I¡¯ve seen.¡± Owin grabbed the tongue from behind Shade and cut it off near the back. Eating it wasn¡¯t enjoyable in any way, but charisma was his lowest attribute and any gain would help.


    Shade narrowed his eye sockets as Owin took the first bite of mimic tongue. They stared at each other awkwardly as Owin took  bite after bite, slowly chewing the rubbery tongue.


    Charisma +30


    Charisma: 190


    Owin gagged a few times as he swallowed the last of the food. Shade had crawled out of the mimic corpse and gently patted Owin¡¯s helmet.


    ¡°Was it worth it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Owin muttered.


    Choose a door.


    Shade walked back to the door and stuck his head out. ¡°It appears we have picked wrong two times in a row.¡±


    ¡°Then the last door has to be the right one.¡± Owin pushed past the skeleton into the first room. As he expected, only the left door was glowing blue. ¡°We should try picking the right door first next time.¡±


    ¡°Right side? Sure. I was thinking of the left again, but hey, what do I know?¡±


    ¡°I meant right . . . what?¡±


    Shade gestured to the last door. ¡°What do you think lies ahead?¡±


    The lich bone knife was ready in his hand. The last two rooms held mobs, so he expected something similar. He stepped through and froze.


    It was a human. He cocked his head upon seeing Owin and Shade. He wore a wide-brimmed helmet and armor on his torso that looked to be made mostly of leather straps.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the person asked.


    Amulius


    Level 70


    The human drew a saber from his waist. ¡°Who are you?¡± he repeated.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a hero,¡± Shade said quickly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Owin tried taking a step back as Amulius advanced, but he bumped into Shade¡¯s legs.


    ¡°I have no idea. Kill it.¡±


    Shade was completely serious. He repeated himself and backed up as far as he could before bumping into the grayed out doorway. ¡°Kill it!¡±


    Owin jumped forward just as Amulius turned to smoke causing him to pass right through. He hit the ground and skidded on the opposite side. Shade brought his new gauntlet up to block a slash from the saber as Amulius materialized.


    ¡°It¡¯s a skinweave!¡± Shade tried to headbutt Amulius, but he turned back into smoke, stepped through Shade, and rematerialized behind the skeleton. One quick slash caused Shade to burst into smoke.


    Amulius stepped through the gray cloud. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    Amulius cocked his head. Owin finally spotted the flap of skin poorly restitched across Amulius¡¯s neck. Some bone and sinew was visible hanging from the deadly injury.


    A skinweave?


    What was a skinweave? He swore he had heard the name once before, but when and why?


    The creature was fast enough to turn into smoke before Owin could hit, which meant he needed to actually trick it in some way. If he just kept jumping, he would keep passing through smoke and eventually open himself to an attack.


    Owin kept the lich bone in his hand and lifted it like he was going to leap again. He slipped a wand out with his other hand. To kill the creature with Magma Mine, it would need to be in its normal form.


    ¡°You are suitable,¡± Amulius said.


    Owin scowled. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Amulius brandished his saber. ¡°Time for your death.¡± He bolted straight for Owin, moving faster than expected.


    Owin dove to the side, casting Magma Mine in the center of the room, just behind Amulius as he slashed where Owin had just been. He kept moving to the side as Amulius turned to face him. Owin waved his hand through Shade¡¯s remains, trying to clear some of the dust. Before he could wave any of it away, Amulius charged forward, stepping right on the spell.


    A stream of lava launched into the water, blocking Owin¡¯s view of Amulius. The spell hardened into a solid column of obsidian in the middle of the room. There had been no experience notification, meaning Amulius had to still be alive.


    Owin slowly approached the column, ready to jump to either side or leap backward. Whatever might happen, he wanted to be ready.


    Amulius leaned to the side. He was missing both arms and one leg, but still managed to stand. Smoke drifted out of the wounds. ¡°You are suitable,¡± he said again.


    Without arms, it didn¡¯t seem like he would be able to fight. Owin jumped around the corner, slashing with the lich bone. Amulius turned his whole body into smoke and reformed as soon as the weapon passed through.


    ¡°You are suitable.¡±


    ¡°I heard you before.¡± Owin slashed as soon as he landed. As Amulius turned back to smoke, Owin pointed the wand and cast Magma Mine again. The moment Amulius materialized, the spell erupted, covering his whole body in molten rock.


    0 Experience


    Owin sat on the ground. ¡°Suitable for what?¡± After a minute, he climbed back to his feet. It was weird being alone again. At least while walking up the dark path, he was focused on getting staying upright and going forward. Now, it was quiet and there were more questions left unanswered.


    ¡°I want to be done with this place,¡± Owin muttered. He walked through the single doorway on the opposite side and looked around the room lazily. There was a single table with three items on top. Each glowed blue like the doors did before.


    There was a mana potion, a stack of coins, and a health potion. Owin grabbed the health potion and watched the other two items become gray. When he tried grabbing one, his hand passed right through it.


    ¡°I figured.¡± He dropped the potion into his bag and looked between the three doors on the next wall. ¡°It¡¯s probably not left again. What did Shade say? Right side?¡± He took a few steps toward the right door and checked the cooldown.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Cooldown: 80 Seconds


    ¡°I could wait.¡± Owin took another step closer. Waiting also meant spending more time in the Ocean Dungeon, and he was eager to get out. What had everyone else been up to? Were the Nimble Hogs taking other jobs? What were Katalin and Ernie doing? There were a lot of things he wanted to know, and the only way to know was to get the shard and get out. The tenth floor couldn¡¯t come soon enough.


    He pulled the curtain aside and made eye contact with three girhuma. They were all equipped mobs, and from their gear, Owin guessed they were a soldier, hunter, and wizard. Owin jumped from the doorway, tackling the soldier. He hit the girhuma with enough force to feel bones crack in the water elf¡¯s chest. A quick slash across its throat caused an experience notification to flash in Owin¡¯s vision.


    He brought his arm up just in time to block a water arrow from the hunter. It cracked his chitin gauntlet, but he didn¡¯t spend any time thinking about it. Another leap allowed him to stab the thin knife right into the top of the hunter¡¯s head before landing and punching the wizard in the stomach. The girhuma doubled over, coughing. Owin slashed upward, cutting the wizard¡¯s throat.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Cooldown: 65 Seconds


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin checked each corpse for loot, then looked at the three doors in the back of the room. ¡°It was left, then right. So . . . center?¡± Owin pulled the curtain aside.


    Fifteen crabs charged right through the curtain. Owin jumped back as his armor activated, stabbing the crabs with chitin just like their own. They were like miniature versions of the crabs back on the second floor, though these were a higher level and therefore stronger than the huge crabs in the kelp forest.


    It took a moment, but between Owin punching and stomping, and his armor stabbing, the fifteen crabs died quickly. He kicked each one, checking for loot, and found nothing.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade appeared and immediately tripped over a dead crab. He hit the ground, scrambled, and jumped back to his feet. ¡°This isn¡¯t the same room as before.¡±


    Choose a door.


    ¡°I made it through one without you, and now this was apparently the wrong room.¡± Owin picked up a dead crab. ¡°These were easy to kill.¡±


    Shade picked up another crab corpse. ¡°These just look like normal crabs. Is this even a challenge?¡± He tossed it against the wall. ¡°The skinweave was a lot more difficult. I assume. I didn¡¯t really see.¡±


    Owin nodded and led the skeleton back out of the room. They could choose between left or right, and Owin had no guess. There was no sign which would be the right choice. There hadn¡¯t been a pattern, apparently.


    ¡°What is a skinweave? It only gave me a name and a level.¡±


    ¡°A skinweave is a specter that takes over dead bodies. You have to kill the body, then the specter.¡± Shade tapped Owin on the top of the head. ¡°They take whatever abilities or spells the dead body has. So . . . Amulius was probably a dead hero.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin frowned. ¡°I fought a specter that took over a dead body once, but it was a possessor.¡±


    Shade nodded knowingly. ¡°A possessor can take over anything, but if they take over a body of a hero, they don¡¯t get any of the things heroes use like spells, abilities, or even armor bonuses. Gross things, specters.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you kind of a specter?¡±


    Shade narrowed his eye sockets. ¡°Are you calling me gross?¡±


    ¡°No, I . . . maybe.¡±


    Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and turned him toward the doors. ¡°Center was the wrong choice. What are we thinking?¡±


    ¡°That I want to leave the Ocean.¡±


    ¡°Feeling done? I know how you feel. Spending so much time inside makes it feel like you¡¯ll never leave. As much as the secrets and bosses help with loot . . . we could just sprint through the floors. Maybe it isn¡¯t the most useful way to finish the Ocean, but people go insane inside the dungeons for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Even if he did rush, he would still need to wait for Myrsvai. But at least he could wait outside. ¡°Are they all like this?¡±


    ¡°No. Yes and no. They¡¯re all so different from one another.¡± Shade pointed left then right. ¡°Which way?¡±


    ¡°You pick.¡±


    Shade looked back and forth, then pointed left. ¡°It worked before. Why not this time?¡±


    Owin opened the curtain, and immediately let it close again. The right doorway was grayed out, which was fine. He had spotted the next door in the back, but he hadn¡¯t been expecting two deep sea monsters.


    Shade pulled it aside and looked. ¡°Well, look at that.¡± He let the curtain close. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. You saw Myrsvai fight a boss version. Those are little babies. Just go do this.¡± Shade punched really quickly. They were awful, flimsy punches.


    ¡°Do you think it will be that easy?¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll run in there if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Stop dying. There isn¡¯t even room in your box.¡±


    ¡°Well . . . it expanded, actually. I don¡¯t know who did that. Somebody must have been feeling nice. If I sit like this,¡± Shade curled into a ball. ¡°I can manage until the cooldown runs out.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look comfortable.¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°I manage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Just stay here.¡± Owin stopped at the curtain. ¡°If we get another bone, do you know what will change?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get some muscle. Literally.¡±


    Owin laughed and walked into the room. The two deep sea creatures looked like miniature versions of the behemoth Myrsvai and Suta fought on the previous floor. All ten heads looked at Owin and immediately started glowing with elemental energy. He sprinted for the first one and punched the center face in the nose. The strike caused the other four heads to flail to the side. He crashed into the second and kicked as he fell, pushing it aside. Elemental energy filled the room as all nine remaining heads thrashed and launched their attacks.


    A few attacks made it through Owin¡¯s armor, knocking chunks off his health. He felt a mix of freezing and burning, but nothing was going to immediately kill him. He pushed himself back to his feet, grabbed the back deep sea creature by two different necks, and swung it overhead, smashing the two monsters together. Blood splattered into the water, forcing Owin to close his eyes. He lifted the limp creature and smashed again and again until both experience notifications appeared.


    ¡°You know . . . not how I would have done it, but it is difficult to argue with effectiveness,¡± Shade said.


    Owin took a few steps back before opening his eyes. Both deep sea creatures were little more than mush. ¡°Oh. I overdid it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. If the goal was to make deep sea soup, then you didn¡¯t overdo anything.¡± Shade plucked a floating chunk from the water. ¡°Stew is probably the more accurate word. A soup is more broth, you know?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about soup, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton flailed his hands as he walked through the gore. ¡°A point to educate yourself on once we are free of this wet prison.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin opened the next current and hurried through. It was finally the chest. There were no other doors, or he might expect another mimic. He opened the top and grinned. Another Bone of the Withered Shade sat on top of a shield and scattered coins.


    Shield of Unbreakable Defense


    Adept Magical Item


    An unbreakable shield.


    ¡°Uh. Examine this quick.¡± Owin grabbed the shield and passed it to Shade.


    His index popped in front of his face. ¡°Well, that is a concise description.¡± He walked behind Owin and started fiddling with something. Before long, he stepped back over. ¡°Is it heavy?¡±


    Owin reached back, feeling the circular shield strapped to his back. It was over the Incandescent Blade and definitely made him feel more like a soldier than a wizard.


    ¡°Do I look like a wizard?¡± Owin asked jokingly.


    ¡°No.¡± Shade patted him on the head. ¡°But look at this.¡± Shade grabbed the bone and vanished. He immediately resummoned on his own. His eye sockets widened.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Owin said.


    Shade thrust both arms in the air. ¡°I have pants!¡±


    They were simple cloth pants that were bright red, about the same color as Owin¡¯s chitin armor. Shade shoved his hands into the pockets.


    ¡°Pants!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not naked anymore.¡±


    ¡°We have achieved great things today, Owin. Great things. The greatest.¡± He looked around and waved his hands through the water. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the ninth floor and go beat up the boss.¡±


    ¡°We still have a lot of this floor left.¡±


    Shade gestured to the door. ¡°Then you better get moving.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 22

    Ernie stood over Andres Orben¡¯s legendary emerald bow. Maybe it wasn¡¯t that legendary. Was it the bow or the hero that had been underwhelming? The hero, he assumed. Althowin would strongly suggest it was the hero who failed, not her weapon.


    Miya stood anxiously to the side. The Nimble Hog alchemist had been worried about breaking things or ruining things from the moment she arrived in Vraxridge, but there was no reason to worry. Everything Althowin built was next to indestructible, which was why he was still standing over the bow rather than taking it apart.


    ¡°Will you be helpful?¡± Ernie asked.


    Katalin sat on a stool nearby with a rubber glove on top of her head and Jenny the toad on top of that. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I can help.¡± Miya had somewhat oversized goggles covering her eyes as she leaned over the bow.


    Ernie needed to help her find some crafting gear that actually fit appropriately.


    ¡°I¡¯m much better at starting things on fire than taking them apart, but I do want to learn.¡± Miya pulled gloves on and carefully touched the bow. ¡°Do you know what this is made from?¡±


    ¡°Something like an elemental monarch heart, flesh of an ogre prince, and something something . . . Kat?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A lot of floor nine and ten mobs. Maybe some pieces from bosses.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to take things apart.¡±


    ¡°You could help when I¡¯m doing it,¡± Ernie muttered.


    ¡°I could.¡± Katalin tried looking up to Jenny who croaked on her head. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll bring you back in a second.¡±


    Miya leaned as close as possible until her goggles clinked on the bow. ¡°How do you even go about taking a crafted item apart?¡±


    Ernie held up a chisel and a mallet. ¡°You find a seam and break it.¡±


    ¡°A seam?¡± Miya ran her gloved hand over the rough emerald gems. ¡°There are no seams.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an invisible thing only alchemists can see. You have to learn where to look. It¡¯s the same as with more advanced bombs.¡± Katalin leaned over and set a pipe bomb on the table.


    Ernie flinched back. ¡°Dammit, Kat.¡±


    ¡°See? It looks like a solid cylinder of metal, but I put it together piece by piece.¡± She snatched the bomb back and dropped it over her shoulder into her pack. ¡°Easy.¡±


    ¡°You both know so much.¡±


    Ernie offered the chisel and mallet. ¡°I learned it all from her.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Althowin said, causing everyone to jump.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Miya immediately said.


    ¡°You two,¡± Althowin jabbed fingers in the direction of Ernie and Katalin. ¡°Go outside.¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing to Jenny?¡±


    Katalin carefully lifted the glove with the toad on top from her head and gently set it on the table. ¡°Sorry.¡± She sheepishly hurried past Althowin, nearly dragging Ernie with her.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Miya asked.


    ¡°We have some bonding to do in a bit.¡±


    Ernie stopped at the bottom of the stairs, fighting Katalin¡¯s tugging.


    Althowin looked over as she poked Jenny with a metal finger. ¡°Grab your things. You¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡± Katalin asked. She leaned back down the stairs, using Ernie¡¯s shoulders to stay upright.


    ¡°Might be awhile.¡± Althowin pushed the emerald bow off the table and set an oversized hammer in its place. ¡°Try taking this apart while I¡¯m out. That mallet is made from ent wood and the chisel is from a specter, automaton, and some claverstan metal. You won¡¯t break the tools even if you try.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to finish my project,¡± Katalin said.


    Althowin leaned over to the table and lifted the item from the work table. ¡°For the goblin?¡±


    Katalin nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll finish it.¡± Althowin¡¯s index appeared. ¡°I think I see what you were trying to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that for him?¡±


    ¡°For you, Kat.¡± She turned and started waving Ernie and Katalin on immediately. ¡°You have about thirty seconds to grab your things before I get impatient.¡±


    Ernie nearly shoved Katalin over as they both scrambled up the stairs. Althowin¡¯s cackling echoed up the stairwell behind them.


    ***


    Potilia usually understood why she ended up in so many odd situations. Joining the Nimble Hogs had made sense. Chorsay worked hard to convince her. Becoming the spy and assassin for the Hogs was the only reasonable route when she got strong while still being a citizen. Everything had happened in the way Chorsay had wanted it to.


    So why did she just travel to Vraxridge with such a huge, ridiculous party?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this something?¡± Chorsay said with his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s too many people,¡± she said quickly.


    Sanem, Raif, Cixilo, and Lera had all joined them, along with Veph, Sylmare, and Siora who had been less than talkative. As close as Potilia felt with Sylmare, that had always been a private thing, not an open friendship. She wondered if Veph knew anything about it.


    Freedom Corps soldiers were stationed outside Althowin¡¯s compound while the 7 Shard Hero stood confidently out front. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing the huge party. Citizens were gathered, forming a full crowd, blocked only by the military guards.


    Hero


    Althowin Alegarra


    7 Shard Hero


    That was odd. Where was the rest of the information?


    Althowin adjusted her sleeves as they approached. ¡°Took you long enough. I don¡¯t actually have all day, you know. I have things to do. Clients to see.¡± She gestured toward a distant clock tower.


    ¡°We¡¯re here now,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°You are.¡± Althowin¡¯s index appeared. ¡°Hogs that aren¡¯t going into the dungeons go stand over there.¡± She pointed to her left. ¡°Anyone going for a shard, go over here.¡±


    Sylmare and Siora went to Althowin¡¯s right, while everyone else but Veph moved to the left.


    ¡°Why are you still there?¡± Althowin asked. Her index vanished.


    ¡°I¡¯m not partying with them,¡± Veph said as she fiddled with her wand.


    ¡°Of course not, but we¡¯re getting this figured out.¡± Althowin gestured with her right hand.


    Veph rolled her eyes, tucked her wand up her sleeve, and fixed her ponytail as she walked. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry this up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, you brat.¡± Althowin approached the other group and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Potilia.


    There were few things that made Potilia feel like she was going to die. Holding eye contact with Althowin was apparently one of those few things. Potilia felt herself shrink, but Chorsay¡¯s hand appeared on her shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re on the wrong side,¡± he said gently.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You too, Cix. You¡¯re joining their party.¡± Chorsay gestured toward Sylmare, Siora, and Veph.


    ¡°What?¡± Potilia said again.


    ¡°Why?¡± Cix¡¯s face was hidden by her purple hood, but Potilia recognized the tone. She was already annoyed. The umbra turned toward Chorsay, revealing her scowl.


    ¡°I need you all to be in a position to protect yourselves and to protect others. Sanem and Raif aren¡¯t going in anytime soon, but they¡¯re Nimble Hogs, and we will keep them safe. Lera, it¡¯s up to you. I didn¡¯t want to make this decision for you.¡±


    Lera, who hadn¡¯t been around lately, sighed. ¡°What kind of hero company only has Shard Heroes?¡±


    ¡°One that will survive.¡± Chorsay placed his other hand on Cixilo¡¯s shoulder and guided her and Potilia toward Althowin. ¡°You both have the skills and knowledge to achieve great things. We¡¯re past the point of spies. We need fighters.¡±


    Althowin¡¯s fox ears twitched. Potilia had no doubt the 7 Shard Hero heard everything. At times, it seemed like she could even read Potilia¡¯s thoughts. ¡°The Golden Bulls blame all of you for Andres Orben¡¯s death. Stepping foot in Nagyati is now more dangerous for you than any of the gods¡¯ towers. If you all go to the Subterranean and succeed, what is the single difference between you Hogs and the Bulls?¡±


    ¡°Shards,¡± Cixilo said quickly.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the only difference you need.¡± Althowin half gestured to her compound. ¡°Shards are all you need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a hero,¡± Potilia whispered.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Althowin leaned uncomfortably close to Potilia¡¯s face. Her breath smelled minty. ¡°You might be the most equipped out of this lot. Good.¡± She patted Potilia¡¯s face with her metal hand. ¡°I¡¯ll rely on your support.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Lera slowly approached. ¡°Can I join?¡±


    Althowin leaned her head to the side and gently pushed Potilia away. ¡°You look capable.¡± Her index appeared. ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll go all the way, but I¡¯d like to try.¡±


    Potilia smiled at Lera. She was a good soldier. After her husband died, she hadn¡¯t been as social with the rest of the Hogs. Always the first to take a job. Rarely in Atrevaar for more than a day or two at a time.


    Althowin waved over her shoulder toward the other group.


    ¡°Are we just taking anybody?¡± Veph asked, obviously annoyed.


    A firm look from Chorsay shut her up.


    Katalin and Ernie stumbled out of the front door and looked around with wide eyes. Potilia suppressed a laugh. She had spent quite a bit of time with the two alchemists, and they always acted so tough, smart, and put together. They currently didn¡¯t look like any of those things. They were as caught off guard as everyone else in the mess.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The crowd never stopped shouting for Althowin or Veph. A few people seemed more excited upon spotting Katalin and Ernie.


    Potilia¡¯s life was one of anonymity, for the most part. She couldn¡¯t even imagine having so many people shouting at her.


    ¡°This is your party,¡± Althowin said, gesturing to Sylmare and Siora.


    Veph made a point of stepping aside.


    ¡°Party?¡± Ernie asked. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all going to get your shards. Congratulations.¡± Althowin stepped away from the Hogs to guide her apprentices to the right group. Katalin didn¡¯t seem as surprised as she happily waved at the Nimble Hogs.


    Chorsay waved back.


    ¡°How much of this did you know?¡± Potilia whispered.


    ¡°All of it.¡± He patted her on the back, nearly tossing her to the ground. ¡°It¡¯ll be good for you. Good for us all.¡±


    ¡°But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you more while you¡¯re gone so you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯ve missed out.¡± Chorsay held a stack of books in front of Potilia. ¡°They¡¯re dense, so you shouldn¡¯t be able to work through them too quickly while you¡¯re in there.¡±


    Potilia immediately took the armful of books and stuffed them into her bag. Her kanabo stuck out awkwardly, but she didn¡¯t want to be seen walking around with it when most people didn¡¯t know about her other job.


    Sylmare watched her closely. Potilia hoped they would get a chance to talk privately. What a weird situation. If they had to talk in private, Potilia doubted she could get all the words out.


    ¡°Join us,¡± Althowin said.


    Chorsay took a moment to gently touch everyone¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Be safe, you three.¡±


    Cixilo gave him a hug before heading over. Lera patted his forearm. Potilia leaned against him, trying to forget about all the people looking at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be safe, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually hoping you will help the others, Po.¡± Chorsay put his hand on her head. ¡°You¡¯re strong enough for this. You just need to use that brain of yours. You¡¯re the smartest person I know. There¡¯s nothing in there that can surprise you. On those isolated floors, be sure to keep your wits about. You aren¡¯t alone. If Owin is done soon, I¡¯ll head to Kriergow and wait for you to emerge.¡±


    ¡°You better.¡±


    He patted her head. ¡°Now get moving. Althowin doesn¡¯t want to wait any longer.¡±


    Potilia hurried over to the huge group. Veph stood beside Althowin with her arms folded. She looked utterly bored, though it was always difficult to read her.


    ¡°This is way too big,¡± Siora said.


    ¡°No. Not for you all.¡± Althowin smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of no-talent heroes, and you¡¯re going to stay that way until you get that first shard.¡±


    Veph nodded.


    Althowin rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to travel as one big party. Entering the tower while intending to be a party is enough to give some party mechanics, but to truly get the full share of experience and ability to manage to stay together properly, you will need to be part of the same organization.¡±


    Potilia¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you join Void Nexus,¡± Althowin said immediately. ¡°My idiots here aren¡¯t part of anything yet, and they¡¯re not going to be career heroes.¡± She scratched her face. ¡°No offense, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Leave Void Nexus,¡± Veph said.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Sylmare shut up upon receiving a look from Veph. She simply nodded and opened her index. Siora beside her did the same.


    ¡°Same for you lot,¡± Chorsay said.


    Potilia did as she was told. It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t just rejoin the Hogs anyway. There was no reason for it to be a big deal.


    Invitation from Althowin Alegarra - Leader of Alegarra Alchemy Inc. to join Alegarra Alchemy Inc.


    Accept?


    Katalin snorted. ¡°That¡¯s the best name you could think of?¡±


    ¡°We can workshop names once you get the job done,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°We¡¯re joining your hero company?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°Not a hero company. A temporary adventuring collective.¡± Althowin smiled. Her fox tail swished through the air behind her. ¡°If anyone asks, what is it?¡±


    ¡°A temporary adventuring collective,¡± Cixilo said quickly.


    Althowin looked at Chorsay. ¡°I like her.¡±


    Potilia focused on the word Yes until she got confirmation that she had joined the new organization. As she used Examine on those around her, everyone else appeared with the same organization tag, except Veph and Chorsay.


    ¡°Are you all ready to leave?¡± Althowin asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ernie said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you making us break your rules?¡±


    Althowin scowled. ¡°Yes. But I need you two alive and capable.¡± She glanced at Veph and Chorsay. ¡°The Three Heads didn¡¯t take well to my threat, and the Golden Bulls are already set on wiping out the Hogs for killing Andres. Everyone here feels differently about the stupid goblin, but one thing is certain: we cannot let Verdantallis fall into war again. My threats won¡¯t mean a thing until I act, until everyone realizes I¡¯m not bluffing. And right now, I can¡¯t go kill the Three Heads. It would only make things worse.¡±


    ¡°What about Owin?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll manage. From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s probably already stronger than most of you here combined.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. Ernie nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be reaching out to his current guardian to escort him here right after he emerges from the Ocean.¡± Althowin had her index up, looking through something as she spoke.


    Potilia looked at Chorsay and mouthed the word Guardian?


    He mimicked adjusting a tie.


    Oh, Vondaire. Potilia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Get ready to leave. I¡¯ll walk you to the portal.¡± Althowin turned to her apprentices and took a backpack from her own back. ¡°This has everything you¡¯re going to need. Some percussion grenades, some pipe bombs, ingredients and empty bottles for everything you would need. Antidotes, health potions, mana potions if one of those idiots needs one, shields, and some buffs. There¡¯s enough health potions in here to keep you alive through anything, and of course, a list with all the things I need you to collect while you¡¯re down there.¡±


    Ernie took the bag and looked inside. ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    ¡°A specter bag, yeah. Yours to keep.¡± She reached inside the bag, pulled out another, and shoved it into Katalin¡¯s arms. ¡°Just stick your old bags inside.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± Katalin asked, making eye contact with Potilia.


    ¡°You only need to fight on the isolated floors. You both have abilities and spells to help with the boss.¡± Althowin smacked the bag in Katalin¡¯s arms. ¡°I put Boss Buster ingredients in there for you, but the gods will call it cheating if I give you one. Make it yourself, or something close. An original creation would be good. And Ernworth . . .¡±


    Ernie grunted. ¡°I know, I can¡¯t use bombs correctly.¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Which is why you need to go the other alchemist route. There is just about every type of venom and poison in that bag. Keep those antidotes close. I know you can figure it out.¡±


    Ernie¡¯s whole aura changed. He nodded.


    Althowin turned and noticed Potilia watching. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Miya? She¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯ll be a real alchemist before you even get back.¡± Althowin shooed Potilia away and kept talking rapidly to Ernie and Katalin.


    Chorsay guided Potilia toward the portals as they trailed behind the others. ¡°I¡¯ll check on Miya before heading to Minolitana Prima. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing well, and now she¡¯ll have Sanem and Raif to keep her company.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re staying?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°They are. Althowin wants them to be safe and Atrevaar isn¡¯t safe for us anymore. They have quarters in her compound. She¡¯ll be showing them there once you¡¯re all on your way.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so many of us.¡±


    ¡°Show them who¡¯s the strongest.¡± Chorsay patted her shoulder. ¡°Go catch up.¡±


    Potilia nodded and ran to catch up to her new party. Sylmare, Siora, Lera, Cixilo, Katalin, Ernie, and herself would be going all the way to Kriergow, to the Subterranean Dungeon. Potilia squeezed her backpack straps. After all the reading she had done, she had no idea how a dungeon looked on the inside.


    ***


    Cetanthro was a broad term for a variety of mobs in the Ocean. Anything fish-like, from what Owin could tell. So broad that some were close to normal looking, and some were simply ugly.


    The small group gathered in the pass was ugly. Really ugly. They were big, broad cetanthro with gray, rough skin and mouths that took up most of their face. As they talked to one another, Owin caught sight of their weird spiky teeth. They had beady green eyes far back on each side, making it so they talked to each other by facing slightly away.


    ¡°Imagine going through life not being able to look forward,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve been a cetanthro mob that escaped.¡±


    Shade squeezed Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The horror. Imagine, not being able to breathe outside. You¡¯d walk along the real ocean floor, alone or with fish that don¡¯t talk. I hope. I haven¡¯t been down there, but I assume regular fish can¡¯t talk. Otherwise, I ate a lot of creatures that can talk, and I really prefer that¡¯s just a thing you do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The cetanthro spotted Owin and waved him over. Their gills stuck out a bit, acting like a collar around their jerkins. The small group carried clubs and hatchets, which hadn¡¯t been the common weapons through the Ocean. He hadn¡¯t expected anything new with the cetanthro to appear on the eighth floor.


    Ocean Mob


    Grahvy


    Anguin Bruiser


    Level 64


    There were ten of the anguin bruisers, who all looked nearly identical. Little bits of their clothes or some well-placed scars separated them all in small ways, but Grahvy was the biggest and was a little rougher than the rest.


    ¡°A water elf down here?¡± Grahvy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    The anguin bruiser stood at an angle so his small green eye could look over Owin and Shade. ¡°And this is your . . . servant?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shade said. ¡°Wait, no.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Owin said quickly.


    ¡°Is he blind? The way he dresses is unique.¡±


    Shade stuck his fingers in his eye sockets. ¡°Was this not enough of a hint? Also, rude. People who can see can dress however they wish.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re the Anguin Crew.¡±


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t answer any of my questions. What about yours?¡± Shade crouched beside Owin. ¡°Anyone who calls themself a ¡®crew¡¯ is probably not someone I want to associate with.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to associate with a fish anyway.¡±


    Shade nudged Owin. ¡°You know me so well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a goblin?¡± Grahvy asked.


    Shade pulled the lich bone knife from Owin¡¯s belt and placed it in his hand. ¡°Now, I¡¯m not saying you need to quickly and violently stab all these fish . . .¡± He looked at them again. ¡°Sharks?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sharks,¡± Grahvy said.


    ¡°But it would be great if you did.¡± Shade slapped him on the back.


    ¡°Yeah, fine. Go stand behind that rock so you don¡¯t die.¡± Owin lazily waved behind him. Back up the pass were a few low rocks that would provide some cover while letting Shade watch because the skeleton always wanted to watch the fights even if he was scared.


    ¡°What are you doing in this pass?¡± Owin asked. He bounced back and forth, shifting his weight between his feet.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to raid the fish village ahead.¡±


    ¡°Anything good there?¡±


    ¡°Some food.¡±


    Owin grunted. That sounded like something he could skip. What good would food do for the two of them? Owin bounded up to Grahvy and stabbed the lich bone into the top of his head. When that didn¡¯t kill him, Owin spun and kicked the anguin in the chest.


    By the time he dropped back to the ground, the rest of the Anguin Crew had gathered, ready for a fight.


    Grahvy staggered, trying to plug the bleeding hole in the top of his head. ¡°Water elf trash.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Shade said from his cover. ¡°I should¡¯ve expected something problematic.¡±


    Owin walked backward, letting the anguin advance. As soon as he bumped into the rock, he slipped the knife into his belt. ¡°Grab the sword.¡±


    ¡°Fun.¡± Shade unsheathed the Incandescent Blade and passed it over Owin¡¯s shoulder.


    As soon as he fixed his grip, Owin dashed forward. He moved right past Grahvy, slashing as he sprinted. The sword carved through the cetanthro¡¯s torso, leaving the fish wobbling as he tried to pull his guts back into his body.


    The other cetanthro swarmed, as they do. Owin leapt up before they reached him, soaring above the fish. They watched, ready for him to land.


    He hadn¡¯t thought it through. The best he could do was take out one or two as he landed, leaving most to wail on him. His strength was higher, but his constitution still needed work. He could hit a lot harder than he could get hit.


    ¡°What now?¡± Shade shouted.


    Owin slashed downward as he landed, cutting an anguin in half. Clubs and hatchets smashed into his chitin armor from all angles. He felt a few pieces of armor crack. Before they could attack any openings. Owin spun all the way around, swinging with every ounce of his strength.


    The noise was one of the worst he had ever heard. All the anguin wailed and screamed as they collapsed in a circle around Owin. he had effortlessly sliced through all of their knees, and even Grahvy, who was shoveling his organs back in, was still somehow alive.


    Owin leapt over the screaming, thrashing fish back toward Shade. The skeleton took the sword, waved it around until the blood washed off, and slipped it into the sheath.


    ¡°Why are they so hard to kill?¡± Owin asked. The only one who had died was the one he cut all the way in half.


    There was now a thick cloud of blood in the water that was growing every second. Grahvy stumbled forward and fell to his knees. ¡°Why?¡± he whispered as he slumped and fully died.


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin took another step back.


    ¡°This was far more brutal than I had anticipated.¡± Shade walked over and kicked Grahvy¡¯s corpse causing the anguin¡¯s guts to spill all the way out. ¡°Well, if you were hoping to loot some small intestine, I have a wonderful surprise for you.¡± Shade grabbed a tube-like organ and pulled it up until it caught, causing Grahvy¡¯s body to roll. ¡°Oh, ew.¡±


    ¡°Leave it alone.¡±


    Shade dropped it and shook his hand until the blood washed off. ¡°Are we going to listen to the choir of pain, or were you planning to finish the job?¡±


    Owin groaned and took out the lich bone. ¡°I¡¯ll finish them. You do the looting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, commander!¡± Shade saluted as Owin walked past.


    It didn¡¯t take long to kill the anguin when he was able to more accurately stab them in the heart. He tried for the brain again first, but that didn¡¯t seem to do anything. The heart killed them immediately, which would be good to know if he came across another anguin.


    Shade dumped some coins into the bag and held up a plain metal knife. ¡°Is this interesting?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A knife.¡± His index appeared. ¡°An apprentice knife? Oh, no. Waste of time.¡± He tossed it over his shoulder. ¡°Onward, steed!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shade placed his hand on Owin¡¯s helmet and pushed him forward. ¡°It¡¯s like, uh, what someone calls a dear friend. Like ¡®Hey, Steed, I missed you¡¯ or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The road forked again. Just up the pass on the left, Owin spotted a cetanthro and what looked like the houses he had seen in the other villages while the right path swerved back and forth as it continued into the dark.


    ¡°That way,¡± Owin said, pointing right.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to stab more fish?¡± Shade patted his head. ¡°Just kidding.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 23

    Myrsvai stood in a cetanthro village, waiting as Suta looted all the dead shark-like creatures. Defending cetanthro from a bandit raid was not what he had been expecting to find on the eighth floor, but it was an easy quest that gave a decent reward.


    Suta shook the corpses violently, finding far more loot than anyone else could ever hope to find from each corpse. It was difficult to watch when he flailed the dead bodies around. It caused all sorts of things to fly out. If there was a hero watching, Myrsvai would be embarrassed. He found himself to care far less when it was just scared cetanthro mobs watching.


    The fight had been tough. The anguin brutes were durable, to say the least. They still hadn¡¯t pulled many of their tricks out. It would be good to surprise even Sloswen during the boss fight on the tenth floor. At least, that¡¯s what Myrsvai hoped for.


    Thalgodin chopped an arm off an anguin and took a bite. He spat it out before long. ¡°Why does Owin eat mobs?¡±


    ¡°Not all mobs. Primarily the ones that give buffs like demons and cathkabel.¡±


    The demon dropped the arm. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Suta carried an armful of loot back and waited for Myrsvai to crouch before he dropped it all into the bag. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you, Suta.¡±


    Myrsavai nodded to the cetanthro, who continued to shout their thanks for protecting the village. They walked back into the pass and took the right path. It only took a minute before Suta stopped, halting both Myrsvai and Thalgodin.


    Myrsvai waited quietly. The familiar was obviously focused on something. Curiosity was the only thing Mrysvai could pick up through their mental connection.


    ¡°My neural blades can act as a light source, should we need it,¡± Thalgodin said.


    Panic.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Suta only pointed forward. At first, nothing looked out of the ordinary. The dark water made it difficult to see far ahead, except in the villages where they had magical sources of light.


    ¡°Use a sword,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Thalgodin drew one of his neural blades and held it high. A silver glow emanated from the blade, illuminating the pass in their immediate area.


    It looked like a shadow, even in the dark depths of the Ocean, was moving along the pass. A dark form clung to the stone walls, advancing on Suta.


    The familiar took a few steps back as he coated both fists in violet abyssal fire. ¡°Spiders.¡±


    The swarm was massive, even if the spiders were tiny. They weren¡¯t anything like the huge spiders they had fought near the stairs.


    ¡°Suta,¡± Myrsvai said as he spun magenta flames around his staff.


    The familiar jumped back. ¡°Ready.¡± He thrust his hands out just as Myrsvai pointed his staff.


    ¡°Infernal Shroud,¡± Myrsvai said, casting the spell at the same time as Suta. The heavy smoke-like spell settled in the pass. Single experience points started rapidly ticking up Myrsvai¡¯s vision.


    Some of the wave reached his feet, but died long before they could ever bite or attack in any way. He guided Suta and Thalgodin out of the spell until all the spiders died. It was better to be safe. Not that the spell could cause them any harm, but who knew what else might follow the swarm.


    Suta tugged on Myrsvai¡¯s shirt and pointed above the spell.


    ¡°I should have expected that.¡± Myrsvai immediately started channeling with Suta. Yellow smoke lifted off their shoulders as mana flowed between them.


    Thalgodin drew the rest of his neural blades and let them all glow.


    A massive red and black spider approached, towering over them. Its pointed legs dug into the pass, chipping the stone. This was a massive, terrifying version of what they had fought near the beginning of the floor.


    ¡°Wandering boss,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    ¡°Cut the legs. Suta will get the body.¡± Myrsvai smashed his staff down, sending a burst of power into Suta.


    ¡°On it.¡± Thalgodin beat his wings, which were useless underwater. The demon sprinted into the Infernal Shroud, roaring loudly.


    Suta bounced on his feet. Violet flames crawled up his arms until they joined the yellow smoke rising from his shoulders. ¡°Ready.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Myrsvai pointed his staff, sending an Abyssal Barrage at the approaching boss.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Thalgodin cut one of its legs before leaping high out of the shroud. He had little spiders all over his body. He burst into abyssal flames, killing most of the small mobs clinging to him.


    Suta shot multiple Abyssal Blasts into the shroud, killing more mini spiders before running up the side of the pass and jumping at the boss spider.


    ***


    They wandered in the dark for a long time. There weren¡¯t more forks in the road, so it felt rather boring compared to other floors. Shade had talked about various things from history, most of which sounded entirely made up. It was easy to tell when he made it up specifically because of the names he picked. They were always bizarre.


    They finally reached another fork, and Owin simply stopped.


    Shade ran into him, stumbled to the side, then tripped over a rock and smacked his face on the rock wall. He let himself slide to the ground and stayed still.


    ¡°Are you going to get up?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you would check on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m checking on you now.¡±


    Shade groaned.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, fine. Thank you.¡± The skeleton climbed back to his feet. ¡°See how easy that is?¡±


    ¡°Just because it¡¯s easy doesn¡¯t mean I want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s both rude and understandable.¡± Shade pointed in both directions. ¡°Where to? Where . . . also? No, wrong word.¡± Bad joke. You need to be able to read to understand that one. Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I could read,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°We both know you can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have eyes and I can read better than you.¡± Shade jabbed his hands forward in both directions. ¡°Choose left or right or I will choose and you won¡¯t be happy with my decision.¡±


    The right pass was dark like the rest of the floor, while a distant light shone brightly somewhere down the left.


    ¡°Why would I be upset about it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going right.¡± Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s arm and tried to drag him, though the skeleton was still weak.


    ¡°I was going to choose left.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    Owin grunted and let himself be dragged to the right pass. ¡°What do you think was giving off that light?¡±


    ¡°Probably another village. I don¡¯t know. Why do you think I know things?¡± Shade let go, but continued to lead. ¡°When have I ever said I knew what was happening?¡±


    ¡°Almost all the time.¡±


    ¡°And have I ever been wrong? Wait. Don¡¯t answer that.¡±


    Owin scratched his nose and followed Shade without much thought until the skeleton came to a sudden stop. Owin bumped right into him, knocking Shade back onto his face.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± a deep voice asked.


    Owin lazily looked up. A massive anguin sat on a stack of boxes. It was like Grahvy grew three times bigger, and he had already been much bigger than Owin. A tent covered the rest of the pass with a chest stuffed away in the back, almost hidden behind all the boxes and bags.


    Ocean Mob


    Rahlish


    Anguin Giganta


    Level 70


    Rahlish grabbed a massive spear from the tent as he stood. He grinned, showing off his mouthful of gross, weird teeth. He didn¡¯t turn his head to look properly through his beady green eyes, so Owin already knew he was out of the fish¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Oh, is that a chest?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the chest guardian. Do you think we missed the wandering boss?¡± Owin turned his back to Shade, allowing the skeleton to draw the sword.


    Shade pulled the Incandescent Blade out of its sheath and passed it over. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything wandering, so . . . yes.¡±


    Rahlish took a step forward and cocked his head, pointing his eye at Owin. ¡°I heard a water elf was bothering my boys.¡±


    Bothering? Owin thought of the anguin all screaming in pain.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me. But I¡¯m a goblin.¡±


    Each of Rahlish¡¯s steps caused the ground to shake. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay for that.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a lot of money,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°This might be difficult. Back up.¡± Owin yanked Shade backward before the skeleton could get skewered. With how difficult it was to actually kill the anguin before, Owin wondered how much damage Rahlish would be able to actually take before going down. His heart was the target, but while standing twenty feet tall, reaching his heart would be difficult. It would require a precise jump, which still wasn¡¯t one of his best talents.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that difficult if you just kill him.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Shade.¡±


    The skeleton smacked him on the back. ¡°You got this.¡±


    One of the chitin pauldrons crumbled away, leaving a transparent membrane in its place. It was already weakened from the anguin before, so it was no surprise that something so minor could damage it. Still, he was annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Three steps was enough to cause Rahlish to burst into action. His spear flung out, missing Owin by an inch as he ducked to the side. With his dexterity any lower, it would have stabbed right through his face.


    He jumped and stabbed with the Incandescent Blade, but missed the heart by a wide margin. Rahlish reached with his free hand, grabbing at Owin. He left the sword embedded in the anguin for the moment and dropped back to the ground, dodging the cetanthro¡¯s webbed hand.


    A flurry of spear strikes caused Owin to dash and jump all over the camp. Rahlish didn¡¯t hesitate to tear through his tent with the sharp spear point.


    As soon as the barrage ended, Owin leapt again. The anguin flashed, causing the ground to crack under his feet.


    It was the same ability Artivan used to use. The anguin was a knight.


    Owin hit Rahlish¡¯s side, stabbing the lich bone into his gray skin, but failed to move the creature. With increased weight, Rahlish was truly immovable. Owin pulled the knife out and pushed off the cetanthro to climb even higher. Using his nails and the knife, he was able to scale the anguin quickly, even as Rahlish furiously tried to grab Owin.


    ¡°Hey, Owin,¡± Shade shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Owin jumped off Rahlish¡¯s back as his hand passed over. The stone wall of the pass was close enough that Owin flipped and pushed off, launching himself right back to Rahlish¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s something coming this way,¡± Shade shouted.


    Owin stabbed the lich bone into the anguin¡¯s shoulder and tore as much as he could before the webbed hand smacked him off. He flew through the water, hit the ground, and bounced before recovering on his feet. More chitin crumbled away, leaving only the breastplate, helmet, and one boot still in good condition.


    He felt a little lighter, and a lot more exposed.


    ¡°What are you shouting about?¡± Owin looked between Rahlish¡¯s legs as the anguin boss turned to face him. A wave of shadow moved down the pass, quickly approaching Shade.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Shade flailed his arms and ran toward Rahlish. ¡°There¡¯s something coming!¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 24

    The Nimble Hog Hero Company.


    A wreck.


    Little was left of their headquarters. Quite the disappointment.


    Arkasti scratched his neck. Whatever had caused the mess was long gone. The street was partially repaired, and rubble had been cleaned. The people of Atrevaar had been busy at work.


    So why was everyone looking at him with so much venom?


    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± someone said.


    Arkasti turned and thrust his hand out, immediately shaking the hand of the woman behind him. She wore the black armor of the Stelsodo Security Regime. ¡°Officer! How do you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a lieutenant, sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, of course! How can I help you?¡±


    She scratched her chin, looking between the ruined Nimble Hog building and Arkasti. ¡°You . . . you know what happened here, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Arkasti unlatched his helmet, pulled it from his head, and tucked it under an arm. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I know little at the moment. I have been rather preoccupied for some time.¡±


    The Security Regime lieutenant¡¯s index flashed in front of her eyes. ¡°You are a Golden Bull.¡±


    ¡°Obviously!¡± He pounded his free hand against his chest. ¡°Until the day I die.¡±


    She looked uncomfortable. After a moment she sighed. ¡°When you were preoccupied, what were you doing?¡±


    Two shards lifted from his shoulder, humming in the air. The lieutenant''s hair billowed in the sudden pulse of energy pushing off Arkasti. If he hadn¡¯t taken a closer look before he approached, he would have warned her before releasing the shards. Luckily, he got to see her react to the sudden increase in energy without a warning. She was strong enough to be around the shards, though obviously not strong enough to face him in battle, if there was a need to do so.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Shard Hero.¡± She took a sharp breath. ¡°Andres Orben attacked the Nimble Hogs and was killed by Chorsay Eoghet.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Arkasti looked anew at the wreckage around him. Evidence of a battle between two incredible Shard Heroes. That changed things. ¡°What caused such a battle? A disagreement?¡±


    She looked over her shoulder where some other Security Regime members had gathered. ¡°I can¡¯t disclose everything. The, uh, the goblin was apparently brought up as an issue.¡±


    Arkasti nodded slowly. That little swine hadn¡¯t stopped being a topic of conversation since his emergence. ¡°I was hoping to speak to the goblin.¡± He nodded toward the broken building. ¡°Was he home?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not currently in Atrevaar. I¡¯m not at liberty to disclose more information.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°I apologize for breaking the news this way. I recognized your armor and I wanted to ensure you weren¡¯t here to cause more trouble.¡±


    ¡°Trouble? No. The goblin is a friend of mine. Andres had his own agenda.¡± Arkasti put his helmet back over his head but left it unlatched. ¡°Are the Bulls going to suffer any consequences?¡±


    ¡°Rebuilding and a series of fines. A party has already made their way to Nagyati with the information.¡±


    ¡°My thanks.¡± Arkasti yawned and looked about. ¡°Is there a place that serves pot pies still standing after this brawl?¡±


    ¡°Pot pies?¡±


    ¡°I normally find myself enjoying other countries, but Stelsodo is appearing to not meet my expectations. Where can I find a place to eat more than my share of warm, savory food?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I have some recommendations.¡±


    Arkasti nodded and listened closely. If he was going to wait for the goblin¡¯s return, he might as well find a way to enjoy himself.


    ***


    It was the biggest spider Owin had ever seen. It had tentacle-like growths hanging from its face, wobbling gently in the water as it approached. Shade ran, flailing, and dove between Rahlish¡¯s legs. The anguin boss tried to step on the skeleton, but before his foot could land, Owin delivered a punch that crushed the cetanthro¡¯s bones, causing it to stumble aside. Anguin could endure incredible damage. A few broken bones weren¡¯t going to stop the chest guardian.


    Rahlish fell against the rocks, swearing as he still tried to kick the flailing skeleton. Shade managed to get up and away from both bosses. He grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and ducked behind, doing his best to hide despite his height.


    At the moment, the bigger concern was the wandering boss and its incoming shadow.


    ¡°Is it a spell?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Shade reached past Owin¡¯s face and wiggled his fingers. ¡°Tiny, little spiders.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of spiders.¡±


    ¡°If only you could get experience.¡± Shade blindly poked at Owin¡¯s face and flicked his nose.


    ¡°Can you stop?¡±


    ¡°I could.¡±


    Owin reached back and pushed the skeleton over as he used Examine on the massive red spider.


    Ocean Mob


    Pantopoda


    Pycnida Queen


    Level 70


    The massive spider was the same level as Rahlish, which made it a lot less terrifying. Before eating the Vile Fiend, the bosses of the eighth floor would have been a challenge. Now, he just needed to focus.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Shade shouted directly in his ear.


    Owin reached back, grabbed Shade¡¯s skull, and shoved him back over. Before the skeleton could climb back to his feet, Owin jumped, shattering the ground beneath his feet. He flew away from Rahlish, directly toward the long, tentacled face of the spider queen.


    Pantopoda¡¯s face opened like the petals of a flower, revealing a mouthful of spikes covering every inch of flesh. Owin¡¯s jumps had grown more powerful as his strength increased, and his overall speed had also risen along with his dexterity, although that was still much lower than he wanted. The combination made his normal leap and stab strategy that much better . . . usually.


    As he flew straight for the horrifying tooth-filled mouth of the boss, he realized what everyone kept telling him. Even in the water, there was really no way to maneuver after jumping. He was moving too fast to try to move aside like he had the first time he had fought Amkati on the first floor. His only choice was to accept that he was going to be entering a new dungeon. A spider¡¯s stomach.


    A quick twist was all he managed before crashing into the spider¡¯s spiked mouth. Its pointed teeth scraped along the chitin, cracking even more of his already damaged armor. He felt the pressure of a tooth press against the back of his helmet, though it managed to stay together as the dark eighth floor vanished before his eyes.


    He bounced around and felt water swirl inside. After living in a dark cave for so long, he thought he¡¯d be able to see in the dark, but apparently that wasn¡¯t a thing goblins could do. At least, no goblins he knew.


    Did he know any goblins?


    Owin steadied himself. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything happening inside the spider. At least, not yet. He could climb back out, or he could cut himself out.


    Owin felt around until his nails scraped soft tissue. He tore a chunk out and bit into it, filling his mouth with bile-like sour meat. Even after chewing and swallowing a piece, he didn¡¯t see any changes to his attributes. That was a shame, but also not a surprise. At least he didn¡¯t need to waste time eating the creature.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Instead of only tearing chunks out with his hand, Owin flipped the lich bone knife in his hand and drove it directly into the soft flesh at his side. Everything rumbled and water swirled anew. A strong current grabbed him, threatening to send him deeper into the massive creature.


    Owin laughed and held tight to the lich bone. He pulled himself closer to the side and used his hand to pierce the flesh. Once he had a good handhold, he used the knife to cut deeper, working his way slowly into the spider.


    With how many disgusting things he had done or seen, ripping through the Pycnida Queen was almost peaceful. He couldn¡¯t see a thing in the pitch black stomach of the spider, and its flesh tore away like he was cutting through blades of squishy grass.


    Was that a good comparison? He would have to ask Shade. It didn¡¯t seem good as he thought about it longer, but it was a good try, he hoped.


    The lich bone scraped against something solid. Was it the tough outer layer of the spider or a bone? Owin stabbed and felt the knife shake in his hand. Cutting wasn¡¯t going to work. It didn¡¯t matter what it was. It was in his way.


    Even as the water continued to swirl, Owin stayed still. He had climbed far enough into the spider¡¯s flesh that whatever its body was doing on the inside was barely affecting him. He pressed his feet into flesh at his sides, pulled his arm back, and released the strongest punch he could manage. The flesh quivered underneath his feet as he shattered the outer shell of the spider. Blood, flesh, and all sorts of other things he didn¡¯t recognize exploded into the water.


    Shade stood still behind Rahlish, but it took a moment for Owin to even notice the skeleton since he was covered head to toe in black spiders. He looked like a creepy shadow.


    He seemed fine. Rahlish was struggling to find the skeleton, even going as far as attacking his own tent in a futile attempt to kill the immortal skeleton.


    Owin grabbed onto the upper part of the wound above him and flipped himself onto the top of the spider. Mini spiders now covered the outside of the queen, but a few solid stomps killed them and cracked the red shell he stood upon.


    ¡°Where is your brain?¡± Owin asked. He doubted the spider would answer, but there was so much he didn¡¯t know about mobs.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Rahlish shouted.


    Pantopoda had stopped moving. Was it waiting for some type of attack, or could it just not do anything while Owin was standing on top of it?


    His question was quickly answered as the red skin, or shell, or whatever it was, split open in vents all across the top of the spider. More little black spiders spilled out like a flood, all swarming toward Owin.


    ¡°Oh.¡± How could he fight that many? Stomping killed a lot at once, but he would have to stomp incredibly fast to not be overwhelmed. Using Discharge in the water in front of him could kill a lot, but not without causing a lot of unnecessary damage to himself.


    Owin stomped on the first spiders that reached him, and more were already crawling up his leg. Tiny bits of his health disappeared with each bite, and with so many spiders suddenly crawling on him, those tiny bits turned into bigger and bigger chunks. Owin immediately leapt off the top of the spider while smacking at his own leg.


    He landed among a sea of spiders and felt the ground shake as Rahlish stomped nearby.


    ¡°Shade!¡± What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Jump as high as you can,¡± the skeleton shook his head, throwing spiders all over. ¡°As hard as you can. Hit the top of the boundary, and launch yourself back down!¡±


    ¡°That seems like a terrible idea!¡±


    They shouted through the small area as even Rahlish swatted at spiders swarming him. The anguin was distracted, muttering as he slapped at his legs and stumbled on his broken foot.


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Owin jumped with every ounce of his strength. Spiders flew all over as he shot straight up. If he wasn¡¯t in the water, he would have gone even faster. Still, he soared straight to the top of the trench and landed against the shimmering boundary wall. Pantopoda was a faint beacon of red far below, but everything else was nearly impossible to see.


    Shade had been right. None of the small spiders had survived the journey.


    Owin pressed his feet into the boundary wall and pushed, sending himself back down, aiming straight at the spider queen. He led with his fist, hoping the collision wouldn¡¯t simply kill him. Based on his previous fights, he assumed it was something he should survive.


    Everything was a blur as Owin found himself lying on the ground in a crater. He had passed through the spider so quickly that he hadn¡¯t even realized he had hit the ground.


    0 Experience


    The water shifted with a familiar, discomforting, hum. Shade scrambled into view, tripping over the side of the crater and falling inside and coming to a rest on his back beside Owin.


    ¡°We have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Sloswen appeared a moment later. ¡°This is unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin sat up.


    The god waved his hand, immediately eliminating all of the remaining miniature spiders. Before the corpse of Pantopoda could fall on top of them, he waved his hand again and caused it to vanish.


    ¡°What¡¯s unacceptable?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Your strength. It is not earned.¡± Sloswen remained on the lip of the small crater. ¡°Do you know what we gods do to cheaters?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Sloswen clasped his hands together. His snake tattoo slithered across his fingers, switching to his other arm. He reached up just as Rahlish came into view and snapped. The anguin boss froze in place.


    ¡°We punish them,¡± he said. The god looked at Rahlish for a long, silent moment. His white eyes shifted to blue, to yellow, and back to white. ¡°I do not know what to do with you, goblin.¡±


    ¡°You could just let me get the shard.¡± Owin leaned back on his elbows. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    Sloswen folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Humorous.¡±


    Owin scratched his nose. There were some bumps from spider bites. ¡°I wasn¡¯t making a joke.¡±


    ¡°I gave you that rare armor because I thought Ruvaine had wanted you to succeed. I have since learned I made a mistake and have attempted to correct my error.¡±


    ¡°Is that why the loot sucks now?¡± Shade asked.


    Sloswen snapped, causing Shade to puff into dust. ¡°He will regret speaking.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Owin waved at the cloud, pushing dust away. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°That is why I have shown myself again.¡± Sloswen¡¯s snake tattoo climbed up his shoulder, disappearing under the god¡¯s shirt. He leaned forward, looking down on Owin. ¡°Most heroes go their entire lives without speaking to a god. Here you are, speaking to me for a second time without even acquiring a shard. I need to decide what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Owin slipped the lich bone knife into his belt. ¡°I just want the shard.¡±


    ¡°You are no different than the humans who roam these halls.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Sloswen scowled. ¡°You speak so casually to a god.¡±


    Owin sat up again and smiled. ¡°I ate two lords of the Abyss and defied Ruvaine. What¡¯s different about you?¡±


    ¡°You dare ask?¡± Sloswen pointed at Owin.


    The pressure smashed Owin into the ground, cracking the stone directly surrounding him. The air left his lungs and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t breathe in. With another flick of Sloswen¡¯s finger, the pressure increased tremendously, sending Owin into the ground. He continued to sink, unable to breathe as he was sent plummeting into nothingness. The boundary wall greeted him with force, cracking most of his chitin armor as he crashed against it. His shield took a massive part of the hit, but couldn¡¯t stop his breastplate from falling apart.


    Just as suddenly as he sank, Owin was lifted back to the surface. He collapsed to his hands and knees as the pressure lifted. Vomit and blood fell from his mouth, spilling into the water.


    ¡°That is a fraction of my power, goblin. Stand.¡±


    Owin did as he was told, wobbling as more blood dripped from his mouth.


    Sloswen pointed and healed Owin, filling his health bar immediately. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Owin looked at the ground and nodded.


    Sloswen resummoned Shade, who sat without saying a word. ¡°I will allow Chaudius to fight at increased power. I will not change the remainder of the floor or the ninth, despite my displeasure. Until I have the opportunity to fully convene with the gods, I will allow you to compete in a fair setting. I will not go against my word, even if I despise the situation.¡±


    ¡°Who is Chaudius?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°My champion. He will not use a shard. His power increase will be within a fair competition. You are an anomaly and have made a fool of my bosses. This should not be so simple.¡±


    ¡°What about Vondaire?¡±


    ¡°A polite hero. He will find a challenge as his shards increase. When one enters at level 100, they will always find the first tower to be simple.¡±


    Owin and Shade looked at each other.


    ¡°Who?¡± Shade whispered.


    Owin rolled his eyes.


    Sloswen glanced to the side. ¡°Your comrade is finding this boss an appropriate challenge.¡±


    ¡°Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°We will see.¡± Sloswen snapped, letting Rahlish unfreeze.


    The anguin took a step onto his broken foot and howled in pain.


    ¡°What about the spider swarm?¡± Owin asked as he stood, still keeping his eyes averted from the god.


    ¡°They disappear shortly after their queen¡¯s death. I didn¡¯t need them to disturb our conversation.¡± Sloswen gave Shade a look that Owin couldn¡¯t read. ¡°We will speak again before your battle against Chaudius. As long as you don¡¯t truly cheat, I will attempt to keep things fair. It is not your fault that you are . . . broken.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Defeat the chest guardian and be on your way. I prefer to avoid keeping heroes in purgatory while Chaudius fights.¡± The water shifted, then Sloswen disappeared in a stream toward the dark, distant surface of the ocean.


    Shade reached over and put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, this is unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The gods hate you as much as they hate me.¡± Shade looked up. ¡°Probably not, actually, but I like to pretend it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Rahlish stabbed his spear in their direction but fell on his broken foot.


    Owin leapt out of the crater and punched the anguin in the face, immediately killing the boss. He fell back on the remains of his tent. The cetanthro¡¯s legs were riddled with spider bites, which made Owin pause. The bosses were fighting each other?


    ¡°How did you get out of the spider boss earlier?¡± Shade asked. ¡°I missed it when I was preoccupied.¡±


    ¡°You were standing still with spiders crawling on you.¡±


    ¡°As I said. Preoccupied.¡±


    Owin walked toward the chest, waving the skeleton on. ¡°I ripped and cut until I hit its shell, then I punched my way out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an exoskeleton.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re a skeleton.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Shade leaned back over the crater. ¡°Did you know there is a goblin shaped hole in the ground?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin lifted Rahlish¡¯s arm and shook it. When nothing fell out, he sighed and dropped it. Sloswen was obviously still changing the loot after giving him the chitin set. He lifted the chest and found a single gold coin. ¡°I think we can skip any chest guardians on the next floor.¡±


    Shade put his hands on Owin¡¯s shoulders and leaned forward. ¡°You¡¯re rich.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t find you funny right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now? Does that mean you do other times? This is news to me. Very exciting.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 25

    While he was entirely focused on fighting, Myrsvai picked up some stray thoughts from Suta. The abyssal familiar was too busy thinking about how Owin fought Pantopoda.


    Thalgodin covered himself in abyssal fire and spun, shedding roasted spiders. He landed firmly beside Myrsvai, who was also covered in abyssal flames to keep the wave of spiders at bay.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    Pantopoda was immobile, leaning against the wall of stone after Thalgodin had cut all of the queen¡¯s legs. More spiders continued to pour out, but it appeared there was no other move the boss could manage without reaching them.


    ¡°It is. Once Suta focuses, he will finish the fight.¡± Mrysvai could sense the familiar somewhere in the chaos. Their fight had been dragging on as they continued pushing off waves of spiders. Even with the abyssal flames, they could be overwhelmed, as Mrysvai was earlier until Thalgodin came to his aid. The spiders had piled on until some were reaching him without getting burned.


    That was a flaw in his defenses that he would need to examine, when he had time.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    Myrsvai tapped his staff on the ground, sending a beam of magenta light into the shadow-like swarm of spiders. A violet light flashed brightly, as if answering Myrsvai¡¯s call. Spiders exploded outward, followed by a blossom of blood from Pantopoda.


    ¡°He¡¯s performed a critical injury. Dive in and see if you can assist in the kill.¡±


    Thalgodin beat his wings once, then jumped over the sea of spiders and vanished into the swarm. His abyssal flames continued to burn, leaving a trail of dead, floating spiders in his wake even as their dark forms appeared to snuff out the fire.


    Myrsvai leaned on his staff and waited. There was nothing else he could do unless Suta was unable to finish the kill. A few buffs could help, but there shouldn¡¯t be anything stopping him.


    The top of Pantopoda split open, sending a massive cloud of blood into the water. The spider swarm surged, flowing back toward their queen. Thalgodin appeared out of the cloud of blood, carrying Suta in his many arms. The neural demon landed gently beside Myrsvai and set Suta on the ground.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Mrysvai said.


    Suta punched his bloody fists together.


    It had been a hard fought battle. One they would have certainly lost if Suta didn¡¯t use spells. His full power was still hiding, but they would find it soon. They would need to in order to beat the champion.


    As much as Myrsvai loved the martial arts that had helped Suta process their battle against the Husvrina Hero Company, he really wished the familiar would abandon the fighting style. His instincts were all in the wrong places and his use of spells was sloppy.


    Still, he was using spells and was showing promise.


    Suta glanced up at Myrsvai.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it negatively,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta nodded.


    He knew what Myrsvai meant. They practically knew everything, especially now that they frequently shared a channeling link.


    ¡°Are you interested in the chest guardian?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    The swarm crawled inside the spider queen¡¯s corpse and vanished, leaving the area feeling suddenly very bare. Suta waited until he was sure the spiders were gone, then shook parts of the corpse until something fell out.


    Excited.


    ¡°Suta found something good. We¡¯ll see what it is. If he wants, we can fight the guardian.¡± Myrsvai opened his map and looked over the area they had already been. ¡°I see no sign of a secret on this map. We will have to ask Owin if he found anything. Based on what we¡¯re seeing, I suspect we aren¡¯t far off the floor boss, meaning the chest guardian must be out of the way.¡±


    Suta sprinted back over and held out a breastplate.


    Kraken Mail Breastplate


    Master Magical Item


    The Kraken Mail armor set is formed of abandoned armor from fallen heroes throughout the bottom floors of the Ocean Dungeon. Only 1 of each piece can be worn. Acts as normal armor unless the hero has acquired the complete set.


    Note: Armor piece binds upon first touch.


    Note: Current Kraken Mail set - 1/8


    ¡°Good find, Suta.¡±


    ¡°May I assist?¡± Thalgodin asked.


    Myrsvai nodded and turned, letting the demon undo his current breastplate. It had served him well for a long time, but it was nothing compared to a master piece, even one without an active effect.


    Suta passed the breastplate over and let Thalgodin fit it. The armor shifted over his chest, adjusting itself until it was truly a perfect fit.


    ¡°Will you allow a copy?¡± Mrysvai asked.


    Suta shook his head.


    ¡°Consider it. Armor would be beneficial, especially if you continue using your fists.¡± Myrsvai smiled. ¡°Before our second shard, we¡¯ll ask Owin what he thinks.¡±


    ¡°He wears armor,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°He does.¡±


    The familiar chittered. Annoyed thoughts found their way into Myrsvai¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it for now.¡±


    Suta nodded quickly.


    ¡°Chest guardian or floor boss?¡± Thalgodin asked. He adjusted his grip on his battleaxe and looked over the spider bites along his arms. ¡°I may need to be sent back soon. I do not think I will survive two boss battles without recovery time.¡±


    Myrsvai looked over the information he had for Thalgodin. As the summoner, he was able to see current health, mana, and any cooldowns. He was healthy enough, but Myrsvai understood what he meant. He was under leveled for the eighth floor, and wouldn¡¯t survive against a stronger enemy.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°If I send you back, how long before you are capable of upper floors?¡±


    ¡°A year, perhaps. If you train me on the lower floors, that time will cut down. The gods have limited what we can do within the Abyss, as I am certain you are aware.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded. ¡°Help with the chest guardian and I will send you back.¡±


    ¡°I can find another for you to summon, if you are interested.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea for the floor boss, actually. A swarm of untamed.¡±


    Thalgodin grunted and continued on, leading the party into the hidden parts of the map. ¡°An interesting idea, though foolish. How long can you maintain that?¡±


    ¡°If I let Suta take a break before I go to the next floor, I could keep the untamed summoned for two minutes. Perhaps three, depending on what I am able to snare.¡±


    ¡°Two minutes, if they are engaged with the boss, would be sufficient. If you are looking for madness, I recommend a swarm from the Cackling Wastelands. Frantic Demons would rip a boss to shreds, though it raises the danger for yourself. A swarm of Blood Demons from the Fighting Pits would be a safer option as they will always battle the strongest being in the area. I assume a swarm of Blood is less deadly overall, meaning your two minutes would be less effective.¡±


    ¡°The Cackling Wastelands is going to be the best option.¡±


    Suta walked in front of Myrsvai and stretched his arms out.


    ¡°You can¡¯t protect me the whole time. You will need to help beat the boss. You¡¯ll know if a demon turns on me. I may tame one during the fight if things go well.¡±


    ¡°I would not waste the mental energy on a Frantic Demon, especially when you are limited in your mana.¡± Thalgodin folded his wings close to his body as he walked.


    ¡°Do you know any Frantic Demons?¡± Myrsvai had never summoned one before. The only one he had truly known from the Wastelands had been Bastronum, who was a Mirth Demon, which were considered the opposite of the Frantic Demons. Unfortunately, Bastronum had died a long time ago.


    ¡°I do not. The Plains of Awakening are far from the Wastelands. The Soundless Forest borders the Plains on every side, and we rarely travel through that silent hell.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Myrsvai closed his index. The map wasn¡¯t helping all that much. If he returned to explore secrets some day, then he would find the trench¡¯s map to be more useful.


    ¡°Punch, punch, punch.¡± Suta said, smashing his fists together. Most of the spider queen¡¯s blood had drifted off the filthy wraps he still kept around his hands, but the act of punching his fists together caused a plume of blood to lift off and pass right over Myrsvai¡¯s face. He tasted the sour, somehow spicy blood of Pantopoda and fought his face to stay neutral.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Suta said as he let his arms drop to the side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find this chest guardian. Perhaps we can have some of Owin¡¯s luck when it comes to finding an armor set.¡±


    ***


    Shade yawned, which felt dramatic. Owin watched the skeleton as he stretched, yawned again, and seemed to look at Owin out of the corner of his eye socket. They walked quietly through the dark eighth floor, through the trench toward the stairs. There couldn¡¯t be too much left. They had made it back to the fork where Shade had picked right, so Owin immediately led the next direction where a light shone on the rock wall in the distance. It seemed to be far off, but he knew they would be there before long.


    Shade yawned again, stretching his arms out.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°What? Me?¡±


    Owin sighed.


    ¡°You sigh a lot.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He stopped walking and looked up at Shade. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I just want you to notice me.¡±


    Owin pressed his lips together and stared at the skeleton. ¡°I can¡¯t really tell when you¡¯re joking and trying to be annoying or if you actually mean it.¡±


    ¡°Mean what?¡±


    Owin sighed again.


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± As soon as he started walking again, Shade started poking Owin through the soft spots of his armor.


    ¡°Did you know your chitin is broken?¡± Shade¡¯s bony finger jabbed into Owin¡¯s ribs.


    ¡°Yeah. It broke when Sloswen slammed me into the ground.¡±


    Shade grabbed his shoulder with surprising force. ¡°Someday, they won¡¯t be able to do that again.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He flicked Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Will I?¡±


    Shade stuck his fingers in his eyes. ¡°Better than I can.¡±


    Owin rolled his eyes. ¡°Stop acting like you can¡¯t see all the time.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t hear you. I don¡¯t have any eyes.¡±


    Owin sighed again, which earned him another ear flick from Shade. They explored a few small paths that branched off, but nothing led far. Before long, the light shining on the wall of the trench was bright enough to remind Owin of the first floor of the Ocean Dungeon, back when the sunshine actually reached the ocean floor.


    ¡°Did you know there is a fish with a light on its head?¡± Shade put his arm over his head and dangled his gloved hand in front of his face. ¡°It uses the light to eat fish.¡± He loudly chomped.


    ¡°How does it eat fish with a light?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Owin. I¡¯m not a fish expert. I just know fun things.¡± Shade chomped a few more times before letting his arm drop. ¡°Why do you think I know things? I make up at least three quarters of what I tell you. Probably more, honestly. I can¡¯t stop lying.¡±


    They rounded the bend in the path and abruptly stopped.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to say that I¡¯m a genius beyond comparison, but I feel inclined to guide you in that direction.¡± Shade put his arm on top of Owin¡¯s head and let his gloved hand dangle.


    ¡°I see the cetanthro, Shade.¡±


    The stairs and exit were tucked into the back, just in front of the shimmering boundary wall. Just beyond where they stood, the trench opened to a circle with its own yellow-tinted boundary wall, giving the area the obvious appearance of an arena. The yellow barrier opened like a doorway just in front of Owin, allowing him entry inside. There was no way to reach the stairs without first defeating the boss, but it wasn¡¯t like Owin had any plans to run away.


    Directly in the center of the arena was the single ugliest thing Owin had ever seen. The cetanthro was about twenty feet tall with mottled brown and red skin. The boss had a wide face with a mouth that hung open, giving it the appearance of something rather stupid. Long, thin teeth protruded from its scarred lips. Just above the huge mouth were tiny beady eyes, and in between those eyes was a stalk that held a glowing light at the end. The arena cast some light on the rock walls, but the majority of the light Owin had seen from far away had been the boss¡¯s.


    It was the single most muscular creature Owin had ever seen, and he could see just about everything since the boss only wore a flimsy loincloth. Every muscle was well defined and clearly visible. The fish man¡¯s legs were each multiple times bigger than Owin, and its arms were bulging with oversized muscles.


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t have a penis, but . . .¡± Shade leaned his elbow on Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Do you think that thing has one?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade flopped his other arm in front of Owin. ¡°You know. Do you think that thing is packing?¡±


    ¡°Packing what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh.¡± Shade pulled his arm back. ¡°Let¡¯s not taint that innocent noggin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused again.¡±


    Shade grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders and pushed him toward the arena. ¡°We¡¯re not talking about penises anymore. Get that huge thing out of your brain, you pervert.¡± He shoved Owin through the doorway.


    As soon as they entered, the doorway vanished, leaving them trapped in the arena with the muscular boss.


    ¡°Finally, a challenger,¡± the cetanthro said.


    ¡°Challenger? No, I¡¯m just here to watch,¡± Shade said.


    The fish looked at the skeleton as if noticing him for the first time. ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    Shade gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°Yes, your majesty. Don¡¯t want to get in the way of that thing. Right, Owin?¡± Shade winked, closing a full eye socket.


    ¡°How do you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± He was already casually walking away, following the edge of the outer barrier.


    The cetanthro grabbed a chain off the ground in front of it and yanked. The ground rumbled as a massive metal ball slid over the arena ground, leaving a furrow where it pathed. He pulled on the chain again, causing the ball to swing through the water before crashing back to the ground. The collision echoed through the entire floor.


    ¡°Wow, he looks strong. Probably because of that huge hog,¡± Shade shouted from the side.


    ¡°Nimble Hog?¡± Owin asked quietly.

 Book 4 - Chapter 26

    Ocean Mob


    Lophiforma


    Angler King


    Level 70


    The angler king took a few steps forward, cheered on by hoots of admiration from Shade. With each small movement, the giant metal ball dragged behind the cetanthro, leaving a deep furrow in the stone ground.


    ¡°I am Lophi, the true king of the Ocean.¡±


    ¡°Well, that just isn¡¯t true,¡± Shade said, sounding disappointed.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re in charge of Sloswen?¡± Owin asked. He remained beside the yellow barrier. He had no reason to move yet. When he did, it would be faster than Lophi expected. He wanted to keep the boss unsure of his potential until the last moment.


    There was no real reason for the deception. Lophiforma was also level 70, and Owin had handled the other two bosses on the floor with ease. Or close to ease. He did end up inside the giant spider.


    ¡°I am in charge of all beneath the waves,¡± Lophi said.


    ¡°Boo,¡± Shade shouted. ¡°I changed my mind. I¡¯m on your side again, Owin.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you changed sides before.¡± He had the lich bone in his hand, watching the light bounce on Lophi¡¯s head as the muscular fish took each step.


    ¡°Your pet talks too much,¡± Lophi said.


    Owin nodded, not taking his eyes off the yellow light. ¡°He never stops.¡±


    ¡°You should silence him.¡±


    Shade quickly shook his head and tried to hide behind his own arms.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried. It doesn¡¯t work.¡± Owin took one step forward, grabbing Lophi¡¯s full attention. The light on his head swung as he looked back over.


    ¡°Then I shall fight you and prove I am the greater king.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a king.¡±


    ¡°Not with that attitude!¡± Shade continued to boo and make a cacophony of other obnoxious noises.


    Lophi stopped and rested the heavy chain on his shoulder. ¡°Can you let me focus?¡±


    Owin launched himself directly at the boss and punched him in the side of the face. He barely felt resistance as Lophi¡¯s head exploded, showering blood, brains, and shattered skull through the arena. The heavy chain fell to the floor, sending up a puff of smoke into the water.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Shade took a hesitant step forward. He paused and crouched. ¡°Do you think he has a second stage?¡±


    Owin nudged the corpse with his foot. ¡°No.¡±


    Shade approached and kicked the corpse. ¡°I thought this beautiful, hideous thing might provide a challenge. I hate to say it, but perhaps Sloswen had a point. You¡¯ve grown a little too strong for a shardless dungeon. Not that I want him to activate shards. That would be bad.¡±


    ¡°It will make next floor easy.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡± Shade poked the neck stump. ¡°Do you think you could make a meal out of this? He was a decadent creature, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°Maybe sushi? Or sashimi? What¡¯s the difference?¡± Shade looked up and stared at Owin.


    Owin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you think I actually know what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do you ever?¡± Shade pinched some neck meat and tore it off. ¡°Eat this.¡±


    ¡°Will it kill me?¡± Owin took the thin, pink piece of meat and held it close to his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably fine.¡± Shade pulled out another piece. ¡°If it isn¡¯t, you won¡¯t have that much to worry about. Not much to concern yourself over once you¡¯re dead. Well, unless you¡¯re me, but you¡¯re not because I¡¯m me, so you¡¯re probably fine.¡±


    Owin chewed on the piece of fish meat and had no buff notifications. ¡°It¡¯s just meat.¡±


    Shade chomped on the pink flesh, letting it fall out his open jaw. ¡°An unfortunate reality. To die, and for what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Shade waved his armored hand through the cloud of blood and brains. ¡°That was quite the critical hit. Poof, no brain. Imagine. Wait.¡±


    Owin sighed, grabbed Shade¡¯s arm, and dragged him across the arena. If he didn¡¯t force him onward, the skeleton would never stop.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want that weapon?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to do with that?¡± The huge metal ball on the end of the chain would be extremely powerful with his strength, but carrying it around would be obnoxious. There was clearly a reason he had never seen a hero use anything similar.


    ¡°It was a cheap shot. You should always punch the honorable ones in the nose.¡± Shade tapped his own face where he obviously had no nose.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It sounded right.¡±


    They exited the far side of the arena and stood just before the stairs and the exit. The stairs led to the ninth floor. The last floor before the final boss. He didn¡¯t expect much of a challenge at this point, but maybe that was okay. Not everything had to be exciting. It would be different when he made it into the next dungeon.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Sure. What else do I have going on?¡± Shade took the first step and immediately tripped. He bounced down the stairs and vanished through the void nexus.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Dammit, Shade.¡± Owin hopped down and passed onto the ninth floor.


    Ocean Dungeon


    Ninth Floor


    Before Owin even had a chance to observe the floor in front of him, a cold, squishy tentacle wrapped tightly around him. He barely heard Shade scream before the dark, nearly pitch black ninth floor flew past.


    Whatever grabbed him was holding on tight, forcing his arms into his sides. Without his full chitin armor, he felt every wiggle and squeeze until the creature finally released him, throwing the goblin straight at the trench wall.


    Owin barely spun before hitting the wall, letting his boots take a lot of the impact before he inevitably crumpled and fell to the ocean floor. He groaned. That one hit had taken half his health. If he hadn¡¯t been able to spin before striking the wall, he would be a colorful splat on the side of the wall.


    Or just red.


    Ocean Mob


    Kraken


    Level 70


    Eight tentacles wiggled underneath the massive creature that looked just like the ones he had seen sprout from bosses on previous floors. Its head was like a big ball but with white eyes that glowed in the dark depths of the ninth floor.


    Another tentacle swung toward Owin. The creature was quick for its size, but he had more than enough time to leap above. Another tentacle swung overhead and smashed him right back into the ground. While it didn¡¯t take as much health away, the shock and pain was more severe. Owin groaned, rolled aside as another tentacle smashed into the stone, and jumped away as another swung from the side.


    ¡°Back, you beast!¡± Shade punched the kraken directly between two tentacles. His flimsy punch looked impossibly weak, but as soon as the armored knuckles hit the red skin of the kraken, the whole boss stopped moving and only wobbled with the movement of water.


    ¡°Did I break it?¡± Shade took a big step back. ¡°Oops!¡±


    Owin leapt onto a tentacle and sprinted for the head. His steps carried him along quickly, but by the time he reached the head, whatever had stunned the boss started to wear off. The kraken narrowed its massive white eyes and tried to turn to Shade.


    A full punch straight to the head of the kraken caused a thunderous noise as the red skin rippled from the point of impact. A deep rumble shook the beast. Before it could grab and throw him again, Owin drove the lich bone into the side and tore a hole big enough for him to squeeze through.


    Shade grunted as he punched again. Whatever effect happened the first time failed to happen again as a tentacle crushed the skeleton.


    Owin rolled his eyes and stepped inside the kraken. Shade could wait until the cooldown was done. What else was he going to do?


    Owin ripped a handful of kraken meat out as he continued cutting his way into the boss. He couldn¡¯t see anything inside, but he could imagine Katalin vigorously shaking her head, telling him not to eat random mob meat. He did it anyway and found . . . nothing. Part of the kraken could give a buff, he would just need to find it.


    All kinds of noises reached Owin¡¯s ears as he cut, ripped, and tore his way deeper into the kraken. It was only after a minute that he realized it was a little odd that this wasn¡¯t the first time he had fought a boss by doing the same thing.


    What would Artivan think about making a path into the boss¡¯s brain?


    Owin shrugged, cut once more, then stepped into the little cavern holding the kraken¡¯s brain. It was a pink . . . thing. It was a weird lump, and there was little room to even reach inside. Owin slashed with the lich bone, which earned him a spray of blood and a rumble through the kraken¡¯s flesh. He could stab the brian, or even cut it in half, and probably kill the boss that easily. Instead, he grabbed it with his free hand, tore a chunk off, and chewed on it.


    It tasted kind of like a mimic tongue, which was one way to say it was bad.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he whispered as no attribute gains flashed in his vision. A quick stab to the brain caused the creature to slump, throwing Owin against a wall of meat. After a moment to recover his balance, Owin sat on what remained of the brain. He had to really hunch down and smash a couple parts of the kraken¡¯s brain into the base of the skull to make himself fit.


    It was a chaotic start to the floor. What did it say about the rest of the ninth?


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade stuck his head out of the slit in the kraken meat. ¡°Cozy in here.¡± He disappeared back inside. ¡°Coming?¡± His voice was distant.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin took another handful of brain as he ventured back out into the dark ninth floor.


    Shade had tripped down the side of the kraken and remained face down on the ground.


    ¡°How was dying?¡±


    Shade reached his arm back in a way most arms can¡¯t move and gave a thumbs up. ¡°Just joyous. How was cutting your way into a creature?¡±


    Owin jumped down, landing roughly beside Shade¡¯s head. ¡°Same as usual.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Shade turned his head all the way around. ¡°We just got here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That wasn¡¯t a boss. Was it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sloswen said.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Shade ripped his own head free and chucked it at the god.


    Sloswen barely moved his head aside, letting the skull fly past and crash against the shimmering boundary wall.


    ¡°I deserve that,¡± Shade¡¯s head said.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Sloswen had his arms crossed, allowing his snake tattoo to slither freely. ¡°I will be watching your progress closely.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually?¡±


    Sloswen¡¯s face contorted. Whether it was for humor or anger was beyond anything Owin could tell. ¡°No. I watch as I need as heroes progress.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to follow us around?¡± Shade asked.


    Sloswen pointed at Shade¡¯s head, then swept his finger toward the skeleton¡¯s body. His head zipped through the water and reconnected with an audible click. ¡°No. I will watch from my normal perch.¡±


    ¡°Like the fish?¡± Shade asked.


    Sloswen¡¯s ethereal gaze made Shade sit up and shut up.


    ¡°In the sense of fairness, I wished to inform you. If you survive, we will speak before your battle against my champion.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin slipped the lich bone into his belt. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± In the blink of an eye, Sloswen was gone. A faint aura of shimmering water hovered where he stood for a moment before everything calmed.


    ¡°Does he look more like a cathkabel or a human?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Shade poked at his own eye sockets. ¡°He¡¯s got weird eyes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have eyes at all.¡± Owin watched Shade, then stopped and grabbed the skeleton¡¯s arm. ¡°What is this gauntlet? How did it do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Apparently, there is a ten percent chance to stun a target every time I punch. If the stun goes off, the chances of it happening on the same enemy drop to . . .¡± His index popped up. ¡°Five. Then three and a half? Yeah. Then it shrinks again.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°But you got it with the first punch.¡± That was lucky. Without that opening, Owin wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to do.


    ¡°Oh, no. I was punching the back of the kraken for a while. I honestly thought it was my dramatic shouting that helped.¡± Shade tried to jab the air like Suta always did, but he looked awkward and clumsy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what it was, but thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Shade patted Owin on the head, then stood still, awkwardly staring at him.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Owin sighed. He opened his map to see the really small area he had uncovered. Currently, it was only the stairs and the beginning of the trench. The platform holding the stairs from the eighth floor was about thirty feet above the bottom of the trench, meaning when the kraken grabbed and threw him, he had traveled all the way across the width of the trench and fell that extra thirty feet before hitting the wall.


    If his chitin armor had survived the previous floor, it would¡¯ve cracked and fallen apart after that fight.


    ¡°It looks like it splits here,¡± Owin said, gesturing vaguely to the fork.


    ¡°That¡¯s the main path.¡± Shade pointed past the kraken¡¯s corpse down the trench. ¡°It¡¯s too big and wide to be anything else, plus I can see a lot of other kraken eyes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin jumped straight up and floated for a moment. He could see white spots in the far distance. Whether they were krakens or not was impossible to tell. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do if I have to fight more of those.¡±


    ¡°You probably do. I¡¯d start thinking of plans now. And when I say I would, I mean you would. I¡¯m not thinking of plans. Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s over here at least.¡± Owin grabbed the skeleton¡¯s arm and dragged him in the other direction before Shade could keep talking.

 Book 4 - Chapter 27

    Their path quickly went up, left, down, and to the right through a narrow rock path surrounded by the tall, dark trench walls. Owin stopped at the base of a short hill. Something was familiar.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he said.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Shade squatted and got way too close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°You swore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, pushing Shade¡¯s face away.


    Shade slapped Owin¡¯s hand and pulled himself closer. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unbefitting of your station.¡± Shade tried sticking his finger in Owin¡¯s nose, which earned the skeleton a firm shove on the face that caused him to sprawl out on the ground. ¡°Unbefitting!¡±


    ¡°Do you see this?¡± Owin asked, gesturing at the top of the short hill.


    Shade sat up and cocked his head. ¡°That spiky thing?¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Chaeto


    Bristle Worm King


    Level 70


    If Owin had thought the Bristle Worm Prince on the fourth floor was big, he had been wrong. Chaeto, the King, was enormous. The white bristle worm stood tall with visible splits in its countless segments. It was at least as tall as the kraken, though Owin wasn¡¯t even sure he knew exactly how big they actually were since he couldn¡¯t see their whole bodies at one time.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the chest guardian,¡± Shade said. He pointed at the wooden chest clearly visible just beside the bristle worm. ¡°See it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Shade. I see it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, me too.¡±


    Owin slid the lich bone aside. While it would be effective, it wouldn¡¯t be his best choice. The venom of the bristle worm didn¡¯t work on Owin before, but those were smaller, weaker versions of the same mob. There was no reason to test if the Bristle Worm King would have stronger venom. His best option was to kill it from a distance. That left spells and wands, which meant he was really only left with wands.


    ¡°Any chance you want to punch that?¡± Owin asked. He had both wands in his hands. With their charges full, he stood a better chance of defeating the boss without getting stabbed a billion times.


    ¡°Punch? No.¡± Shade lifted his armored fist above his head. ¡°I¡¯ll smash it.¡± He took off running and was promptly sent flying back down the short hill. He crumpled at the bottom, and a few limbs even popped off, but he was alive and sighed loudly.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Owin guided one of the arms back toward Shade¡¯s shoulder until the bone reattached with a weird slurping sound.


    ¡°I have this odd, nagging feeling that the stun didn¡¯t work.¡± He sat up and grabbed his leg, which was dangling oddly from the bottom of his pants.  He jammed his leg back into the hip bone with another audible noise.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like it worked.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Shade stood up and brushed himself off. There was no dust or anything on him, as everything had already washed off with the movement of the water. ¡°Thank you for your insight.¡±


    Owin grabbed Shade¡¯s right arm and tugged, pulling it off without much effort. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could completely fall apart.¡±


    Shade snatched his arm from Owin and reattached it without ever looking over. ¡°That is such a rude way to phrase that. What are you going to say next? That I mentally fell apart centuries ago? While you would be right, it would hurt my feelings, and I fear I have only a few of those left.¡±


    ¡°Centuries or feelings?¡±


    ¡°Well, both.¡± Shade wiggled his arms. ¡°If I get really relaxed, everything just falls apart. Watch this.¡± He collapsed into a pile. Smaller bones like the ones in his feet, hands, and ribs stayed together while all major limbs were separate and rolled across the ground.


    Owin gently pushed the different pieces of Shade, sorting them into different piles. ¡°Do I have to do something now?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± A few of Shade¡¯s fingers wiggled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m stuck.¡±


    After a minute of trying to sort the bones with his foot, Owin finally put away a wand and actually helped Shade reconnect his arm. Chaeto watched silently from above. Realizing that most bosses were limited to an arena really changed the way Owin felt about the threat they posed. Maybe something could cause them to leave their little arena, but enough of them stayed in whatever space they were allocated, and that made it easy to take things at his own pace.


    Chaeto wasn¡¯t a threatening boss, even at level 70. Every boss for a while had been 70, and the only one he had any trouble with was the kraken. A big part of that had been the surprise attack, but also its size. Chaeto was big, but far from the biggest boss he had seen. If he had to compare the bristle worm, it was no bigger than Malacoe the lobster from the fifth floor that Owin had beaten with Discharge.


    With access to one arm, Shade finished putting himself together and stood silently. He also stared at the boss and rested his elbow on Owin¡¯s head.


    Owin wondered what Shade was thinking basically all the time, but especially in his silent moments. One would think his constant talking was just him thinking out loud, so what happened in his head when he was silent?


    They both had limited memories, though Owin¡¯s weren¡¯t quite the same. His lost memories were simply from before he was really himself, from when he was a mob. Even if he had a chance to recover those memories, why would he want them? It would just be a constant loop of death, of him killing and being killed. Splatters of blood, pain, screams of terror from the heroes and their friends.


    At least now when he killed, there was purpose.


    But what about Shade? What kind of horrors did he think about?


    ¡°Worms don¡¯t have penises, do they?¡±


    Owin sighed.


    ¡°See? There it is again.¡± Shade tapped his fingers on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°You need to quit sighing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to stop if you promise to not mention a penis for the rest of the dungeon.¡±


    Shade stepped in front of Owin and thrust his hand out. ¡°Deal.¡± He grabbed Owin¡¯s hand and shook vigorously. ¡°Now, you little ugly freak.¡± He stepped back and gestured to Chaeto. ¡°Go kill the boss and stop procrastinating.¡±


    ¡°Stop what?¡±


    ¡°Waiting. Go fight while I watch with a wonderful amount of enthusiasm.¡± He lifted his hands above his head. ¡°Wow. What a move. Go Owin,¡± he said in a flat voice. ¡°See? Enthusiasm.¡±


    Owin pressed his lips together and strode past Shade. His plan was simple. Magma Mine had yet to not simply destroy an enemy, especially with how it froze into stone underwater. He would open with that, and improvise from there. A simple plan. He looked back at Shade who bobbed his arms up and down.


    ¡°Enthusiasm!¡±


    Owin stopped and looked up at Chaeto. The Bristle Worm King was raised up, ready to strike as soon as Owin was close enough. He took a deep breath. If he got covered in bristles, Shade would have to help. Last time, it had been Ernie who had so carefully and thoughtfully removed the bristles.


    Would Shade be as careful? Owin looked back one more time. The skeleton had his hands on top of his head.


    ¡°Kill it yet?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°For you? Are you kidding? That spiky appendage doesn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Owin smiled and turned back. What was an appendage? He crouched, ready to sprint, and held both wands loosely, calmly in his hands. He didn¡¯t want to squeeze and potentially snap them in half. It was important to stay loose and mobile. He wasn¡¯t a knight who could stand his ground.


    Owin sprinted up the last of the hill, directly past Chaeto. The Bristle Worm King turned, trying to follow Owin¡¯s movement, but it was too slow. Owin leapt onto the wall in the back stone wall, pointed his wand, and cast Magma Mine directly underneath the boss.


    The spell immediately went off, sending a stream of molten rock directly into Chaeto¡¯s belly. The Bristle Worm King made a terrible screeching noise as it collapsed into fifteen different segments. Obsidian shattered, sending shrapnel zipping through the water as another of Chaeto¡¯s segments emerged, apparently unscathed from the spell.


    ¡°That looks bad!¡± Shade shouted from below.


    Owin landed at the base of the wall, completely surrounded by bristle worm segments. All of his armor was either cracked and near breaking, or completely broken, leaving only a weird film in its place. His helmet was partially regrown, but even with just the film, his hair was pressed against his skull. His boots were together, but he couldn¡¯t just kick the bristle worms.


    He jumped straight up along the wall and pointed a wand. ¡°Arcane Blast.¡± The purple spell launched from the point of the wand. It zipped through the water and smashed against the flat face of a segment. A small burst of blood followed the impact, but Owin couldn¡¯t spot any visible damage. His foot pressed against the wall, pushing him through the water over the segments. He landed roughly back on the hill but managed to stay standing.


    All sections of Chaeto turned and swarmed down the hill. Shade screamed behind Owin.


    Most of his armor was broken or near broken, but his gauntlets were fine. Fine enough. Owin cast a flurry of Arcane Blast and Ice Bolt until both wands were empty. Even if the segments didn¡¯t die from the spells, the little damage would hopefully be helpful.


    He hopped back to the base of the hill where Shade remained and slipped both wands into his belt. ¡°I¡¯m about to start punching.¡±


    ¡°Am I meant to act surprised? Enthralled? Titillated? I can do all three at once.¡±


    ¡°Back up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Shade took a few steps back. ¡°I¡¯ll be titillated over here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Owin shifted his feet. He tried his best to emulate Suta¡¯s fighting stance. When they were out, he hoped he could learn something about martial arts. Maybe it would stop him from jumping at everything. Artivan and Katalin did always tell him to stop jumping all the time.


    As the first segment neared, Owin pushed off his back foot and punched. His gauntlet shattered, but so did the bristle worm segment. Bristles erupted out like the segment had actually detonated. Bristles broke through the thin film that remained under the broken chitin armor and absolutely covered Owin with long, thin spikes. His skin tingled and immediately itched.


    ¡°I hate this!¡± He turned and punched another, killing it in a single hit and causing bristles to fly through the water. A yell escaped as he turned and punched again. He didn¡¯t even want to yell or make any noise at all, but his skin itched more every moment, and now with a broken gauntlet, he was suffering even more as he slaughtered the swarm.


    Somehow, it helped. Owin continued yelling as he turned, punched, dashed, punched, and ripped through the entirety of Chaeto¡¯s segments. Before he knew it, there was only a cloud of silver bristle worm blood floating around him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± Shade sprinted over and grabbed Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Ew.¡± He pulled his hand away as he touched some bristles. ¡°Oh, you mean you are miserable and would prefer death. Now that, I can understand. Sit.¡±


    Owin looked underneath to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to sit and bristles embedded in the stone. He found a clear spot and sat. An involuntary twitch caused his arm to shake.


    ¡°This is, uh, wow. This is a lot.¡± Shade pinched a bristle and plucked it.


    Owin flinched as a brief shock of pain pulsed through his shoulder.


    ¡°You need my help, right? Like, I can¡¯t just walk over there and pretend you can handle this on your own?¡± Shade narrowed his eye sockets and poked the end of a bristle, which only pushed it farther in. Owin¡¯s arm twitched even worse.


    ¡°Forget I asked.¡± Shade fell to his knees. ¡°I¡¯ll be as gentle as possible, but I¡¯m no expert.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Shade plucked a few at once, and Owin, without any real intention, slapped the skeleton across the face, causing Shade to puff into a cloud of dust.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin sighed and laid back. He tried to adjust, as it was uncomfortable to lie on the shield. ¡°I wonder if that would¡¯ve been helpful.¡± He let his arms flop to the side.


    ***


    There had been moments, many moments, of being near death in Miya¡¯s life. Sometimes it was because of her own doing, with the whole lighting things on fire habit. Other times it was because of external circumstances, like the Golden Bull bursting in with the intention of killing everyone.


    Those moments were scary. Terrifying even.


    And somehow they paled in comparison to this single alchemy project.


    All she had to do was build a sword using ogre hide. It seemed like an odd project, and Miya doubted Althowin would even actually sell it, but it wasn¡¯t even presented as a request.


    Althowin had said, ¡°Create an ogre hide sword immediately.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a lot of flexibility in that demand.


    Miya could feel the sweat in her armpits as she stood in front of the table. Perhaps she was overdressed for the situation. It would explain why the 7 Shard Hero wore thinner, more casual clothes. Ernie didn¡¯t wear much other than a thin blouse either.


    Or maybe it was simply the nerves that were burning bright inside Miya. Althowin sat, partially reclined to the side, always watching with a single eye. Chorsay sat beside her, mostly occupied with a book, but he kept glancing up whenever Miya did something that appeared meaningful.


    ¡°Despite what people say,¡± Althowin said, stifling a yawn. ¡°I don¡¯t have all that much free time. If I wanted to watch you stare at the materials, I wouldn¡¯t have given you a project.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Miya picked up the ogre hide in a trembling hand. In the past, she would have assumed an ogre hide sword was something like wrapping a piece of ogre hide around an iron sword.


    How wrong she had been. It didn¡¯t surprise her that she hadn¡¯t successfully created magical items before. Watching Althowin finish disassembling Andres Orben¡¯s bow was mesmerizing. It wouldn¡¯t have made sense at all if Althowin hadn¡¯t explained each little piece and step as she worked through it.


    There were so many different pieces in an item like that, but Althowin had only provided Miya with an iron sword, an ogre hide, a variety of mana batteries, a sword hilt, and a bucket of different mob pieces. She strongly suspected the iron sword was there as a trick.


    Miya flipped the ogre hide over, leaving the tough exterior flat on the table. The inside was almost furry as she brushed her fingers over it. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered. A wave of heat caused more sweat to form as she remembered that both heroes sitting nearby had incredible hearing. They could probably hear her heart thumping in her chest. Althowin could probably hear Miya¡¯s worried thoughts.


    It didn¡¯t matter. The job had to get done. She grabbed a long, thin mana battery and laid it across the ogre skin. There were four types of hammers, which also seemed like a trick. Could it even matter which one she used?


    Probably, but also maybe not. She picked up each in turn, using Examine, but also just testing how they felt. In the end, she went with the ball peen hammer and smashed the flat end against the mana crystal.


    Blue light flashed as the crystal threatened to detonate. Her free hand pressed flat onto the crystal and the skin and glowed white as she used Prepare. She hit the end of the crystal again, causing it to glow and partially flatten.


    The flattening was intentional, the glowing was not. Stabilize helped calm the crystal as she swapped back to Prepare and continued hammering until it was flat. It wasn¡¯t until she was done with the long, mana-draining process that she realized the crystal she had picked was far too small for the project.


    Althowin clearly had known that from the start and had watched with a keen interest. ¡°Now what?¡±


    Miya had made the base for a needle-like dagger. ¡°I keep going?¡±


    ¡°If you stop now, that mana crystal and that ogre skin are trash.¡±


    ¡°I keep going,¡± Miya said confidently.


    Althowin gestured and reclined again. ¡°What are you reading this time?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Chorsay closed the book, keeping his thumb between the pages. ¡°It¡¯s from your library.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t read?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read them all, asshole. I just don¡¯t remember every book I own.¡± She placed both hands behind her head and nearly elbowed Chorsay. ¡°Read something to me.¡±


    Miya scrunched her face but didn¡¯t say anything. If she even so much as glanced over, both of the older heroes would certainly notice. She shifted her free hand to the ogre skin, folding it as she used Prepare, until it formed a full brick of solid ogre skin with the thin mana crystal placed perfectly in the middle.


    It was going better than she expected, but that didn¡¯t mean it was going well.


    Chorsay barely read a paragraph out loud before Althowin abruptly asked him to shut up.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Althowin asked.


    Chorsay watched Miya with a raised eyebrow. He was just as interested in the process, but like usual, he couldn¡¯t resist reading.


    ¡°Creating the hilt?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°No. I need to create a hilt.¡± She left the hilt on the table and grabbed an earth elemental stone. Her mana was struggling to keep up with the constant spells, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to use any metal or metal mob parts until she was level 55, so she had to be more creative. Althowin said that was all part of the process.


    ¡°Yes, you do. Keep going.¡± Althowin yawned again but never stopped watching.


    Miya cast Destabilize on the stone before switching to Prepare and started hammering.


    Chorsay cradled his book in his arm and stood with a soft grunt. ¡°I need to be going. I¡¯ll see you two soon. Keep it up, Miya.¡±


    She nodded without looking back.


    ¡°Bring them all here. I have some questions,¡± Althowin said. ¡°Even the magus.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s talented,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± Althowin steepled her fingers and continued staring at Miya.

 Book 4 - Chapter 28

    Myrsvai idly tapped his staff against the stone ground. A level 70 floor boss would be quite the challenge, but he was nearing another level up. Perhaps if they looped back to find more mobs, they could get the little experience necessary. If not, he would undoubtedly level up from defeating Lophiforma.


    ¡°Fight now,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    They stood just outside the door into the arena. The yellow barrier hummed nearby. With the boss using such a massive weapon, Myrsvai would be at a disadvantage. He hadn¡¯t fought all that much while running about to avoid attacks. He had spent too much time standing still while focusing on buffs for Suta or demons.


    The floor boss had been relatively easy with Thalgodin assisting, but now that the neural demon was sent back to the Abyss, it was only Suta and Myrsvai once again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°If we each summon three, it should make the mana management simple enough. Do not hesitate to unsummon or kill an untamed if necessary.¡±


    Suta nodded. Violet fire swirled around his feet.


    ¡°If the boss is still alive and you¡¯ve steadied yourself, summon as many as you think you can handle. We want a swarm.¡±


    Suta nodded. He pulled the fire from the ground, swirling up his body until it covered his fists. ¡°Ready.¡±


    Myrsvai took a deep breath. His magenta fire was already gathered at the tip of his staff. It had been a long time since he pulled an untamed demon from the Abyss. Gavvuntar was the only one he had ever had to battle for control. Today, he wouldn¡¯t be fighting any of the demons. He didn¡¯t need to resummon them after this battle.


    Suta would open a portal from the Fighting Pits, attempting to pull at least one blood demon from that realm to heal the others while Myrsvai would reach out to the Cackling Wastelands for frantic demons, though if mirth demons arose, he would happily take them too.


    Thalgodin had been unsure of the plan. The Lords of the Abyss and the demons who had formed agreements with heroes were normally calmer. More civilized, even. True demons, true beings of the Abyss, were monsters.


    If the plan worked, it would be possible to try it again, perhaps even to a higher degree, on the tenth floor. There was the inherent danger of unleashing a bunch of rampaging demons into a limited space, which Myrsvai himself was occupying, but he had to hope things went according to plan.


    There was also a backup, a safety net. Suta was prepared to follow through with his own plan in order to keep them safe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta stepped through the door without hesitation. His fists flared bright with violet light as he calmly approached Lophiforma. The huge cetanthro boss dragged his weapon across the arena, laughing the whole time.


    ¡°A little runt comes to fight,¡± Lophiforma said.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Myrsvai whispered. He stayed near the yellow barrier and closed his eyes. Opening a portal to the Abyss was the easy part for him. He had done enough research and had enough experience that he could always manage to replicate his earliest experiments.


    The problem with opening just any portal was the unpredictability of what would appear from the other side. There had to be intention along with knowledge of the realms of the Abyss to open a portal in a specific spot, to call upon a specific demon.


    In the right setting, Mrysvai would have no trouble fishing for a mirth demon or a schemer. He could pluck one from their home without much difficulty. Only weak, low level demons could be taken in such a manner. While they often weren¡¯t nameless grunts of the Abyssal armies, they weren¡¯t anything special, not unless they trained like Thalgodin, Poti, Gavvuntar, or even Bastronum.


    It was fully possible to summon an army of nameless grunts, of fodder to distract the boss while Suta and Myrsvai attempted to kill the massive cetanthro, but that would likely fail. That was a strategy many early magi used before finding any allies in the Abyss.


    With his eyes closed, he envisioned the Abyss to the best of his ability. He had never been, but his connection was strong, especially after his conversation with the Vile Fiend.


    Suta¡¯s connection was visible in the back of Myrsvai¡¯s mind. The familiar effortlessly opened a portal to the Fighting Pits and grabbed three demons without even seeing who or what they were.


    A collision of powerful beings caused a shockwave to burst through the water, knocking Myrsvai back into the yellow barrier. He was still navigating, still pinpointing the exact place to find the frantic demons. The Cackling Wastelands were an endless salt flat, but navigating was somehow like traveling through a maze.


    Weak.


    Suta was engaged in combat alongside the demons. That was a benefit of an abyssal familiar. The demons rarely saw Suta as anything other than a comrade. One of their own.


    Frantic Demons likely wouldn¡¯t be as friendly.


    Myrsvai¡¯s consciousness bumped against something that immediately slashed with long, unbelievable claws. It was a freakishly tall creature with bone-thin limbs and a face that was just a whirlpool of teeth.


    Artistic depictions of frantic demons had been close, but they had missed the absolutely overwhelming presence. It wasn¡¯t something that could be explained. Myrsvai suddenly rethought his plan, but a quick ping of impatience from Suta caused Myrsvai to smash his staff down.


    Three frantic demons immediately emerged, snarling and growling. Myrsvai closed his connection to the Abyss as fast as possible as he fought a fourth frantic demon who was trying to emerge. He overpowered it, forcing the portal closed.


    ¡°Allies?¡± Lophiforma asked. The cetanthro laughed. ¡°Now, it is a battle.¡± He shifted his stance and swung the heavy chain. For a moment, the massive metal ball only dragged across the stone, then the chain snapped taut and the ball swung at an insane speed through the arena.


    Suta dropped to the ground while Myrsvai pressed himself against the yellow barrier as the ball passed. It struck a frantic demon, causing the entire top half of the demon to explode into a cloud of blood.


    The ball hit the ground, sliding, creating a furrow in the solid stone. Lophiforma laughed.


    A blood demon near Suta slit its own throat and pointed, sending lances of blood flying through the water. They pierced the cloud of blood, all that was left of the frantic demon¡¯s torso, and held firm as if they had hit a wall.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The blood demon closed its meaty hand, forcing all the blood back into the frantic demon¡¯s still-standing legs. Its top half immediately reformed.


    The frantic demon cocked its head.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Lophiforma was already dragging the chain back for another swing. ¡°I will have to crush your whole body.¡±


    The other two frantic demons, who had turned invisible, rematerialized directly behind Lophiforma and stuck all of their needle-like nails into the cetanthro¡¯s back.


    Suta backed away until he reached Myrsvai. He kept his eyes constantly focused on the six demons as he positioned himself directly in front of Myrsvai¡¯s legs.


    The blood demons sent lances of blood at the boss while keeping their distance from the frantic demons, who were trying to tear apart the muscular cetanthro.


    Lophiforma brought his weapon around again, cutting the frantic demons in half with only the chain while the metal ball flew around the arena at incredible speeds. Just as the frantic demons were healed, Lophi leapt back and brought the metal ball down hard enough to cause the entire eighth floor to shake. It crushed one of the frantic demons beyond anything that could be healed.


    Myrsvai felt the loss of its connection, which also meant his mana drain calmed considerably, but he still only had another thirty seconds before every demon other than Suta would be unsummoned automatically.


    Lophi caught a frantic demon by the face with one of his finned hands and crushed its entire skull. Its countless teeth punctured his hands even in its death, causing him to leak even more blood. There was already a cape of blood descending from the cetanthro¡¯s back after the initial sneak attack.


    ¡°Now,¡± Myrsvai said, transferring the order to the blood demons. Since he had no control and no agreement, it was more of a concept. An idea.


    Still, he had enough power over them for it to work.


    At once, all three blood demons focused their magic on Lophiforma¡¯s blood, poisoned it, and sent it back into the boss¡¯s body. Doing so caused numerous other gashes to appear as the blood forced its way in, whether or not there was an opening.


    It stunned Lophiforma, who took a step back and dropped the chain of his weapon just as all the surviving demons vanished in a flash of abyssal fire. Sometimes when a summoner¡¯s mana runs out, the demons are left to roam and rampage. Luckily, none of them had managed to keep a grasp on this plane.


    Suta nodded eagerly. Luckily for Myrsvai, at his current level, summoning Suta only took the initial chunk of mana and didn¡¯t continue to drain any. Running out of mana for a high level magus ran no risk of unsummoning their familiar, not unless that familiar was covered in buffs. In this case, Suta only had the boon from the Vile Fiend and nothing more, leaving him untouched by the sudden loss of mana.


    Lophiforma¡¯s gills flared. He turned his head, causing the light hanging in front of his face to bob. ¡°Well fought.¡±


    Myrsvai nodded.


    The fish raised one hand, clenched into a fist. His other was beyond mutilated. It was little more than a mass of bone and flesh. ¡°I fight until I die.¡±


    Suta smashed his fists together. ¡°Duel.¡±


    Lophi gave a barely perceptible nod. ¡°Come. Let us battle.¡±


    Suta dashed.


    They had no mana. There was no buff Myrsvai could give. And yet, Suta jumped directly into a fight without hesitation.


    The little familiar deflected a punch from the cetanthro and struck a jab at his elbow, causing it to snap.


    Lophi gasped, stumbled and fell to his knees.


    Suta bowed.


    ¡°No.¡± Lophiforma stood again. One arm broken, the other mutilated, and blood leaking from his whole body, and yet, the cetanthro boss continued to resist death.


    ¡°Finish it,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta lifted both hands and stood, ready to fight.


    Lophiforma gasped again as wisps of black, poisoned blood drifted from his mouth. Others would let the boss die from the poisoning. Some would feel bad and try to end suffering. Some would enjoy the suffering and watch. There were all kinds of heroes. Few were martial artists like Suta.


    He punched the fish directly in the face, causing the huge boss to collapse onto his back. Before Lophi could recover, Suta climbed onto his chest, jumped straight up, and landed with a blow that drove his clawed hand into the fish¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta grunted and tried to pull his hand out.


    ¡°Are you stuck?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Suta tried to pull his arm out again, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Suta.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Suta.¡±


    He tugged again, then slumped. ¡°No.¡±


    Myrsvai walked over, intending to pry the familiar out, but before he reached the corpse, Suta successfully ripped out Lophiforma¡¯s entire heart.


    ¡°What are we meant to do with that?¡±


    Suta walked over and calmly put it in Myrsvai¡¯s bag and closed the flap. ¡°Alchemy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if alchemists can use cetanthro hearts. That¡¯s not an ingredient I¡¯ve ever seen mentioned in recipes.¡±


    ¡°Miya will use heart,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Fine. We can bring it to Miya.¡±


    Before Myrsvai could set off across the arena to the stairs, Suta started violently shaking Lophiforma¡¯s corpse, causing coins to scatter across the stone ground.


    ¡°Rich,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°It was maybe fifteen coins, Suta. Hardly worth the time right now.¡±


    The familiar was already going around, carefully picking up every single coin around the arena. Myrsvai watched with patience. His mana needed time to recharge, but he also had no reason to stop Suta from enjoying himself.


    It wasn¡¯t as if the ninth floor would be easy.


    ***


    ¡°Can you tell me why I just killed that boss when I know there won¡¯t be anything good in the chest?¡± Owin sat on the ground with his fists clenched, trying to ignore the itchiness covering his skin. Little bumps had formed where the bristles had been plucked all over his body.


    ¡°Because of your good, curious nature?¡± Shade flinched as Owin moved. ¡°Don¡¯t slap me again.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    Shade very gently slapped Owin. His olm skin glove was soft as Shade patted his cheek a few times. ¡°I believe we are now even.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Shade offered a hand and pulled Owin to his feet. ¡°Why such negativity? There could be anything in that chest. All of your hopes, dreams, and even nightmares.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think my nightmares are going to be in that chest.¡± Owin started up the hill before turning back to Shade. ¡°Neither of us sleep. We don¡¯t have dreams or nightmares.¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°That leaves your hopes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a shard in there.¡±


    ¡°It would be neat if there was.¡±


    Owin made his way up the last of the hill and placed both hands on the chest. ¡°It won¡¯t be anything good.¡±


    ¡°Acquiring the full chitin set is more than enough for one journey through. I think we will survive finding only sand in this chest.¡±


    Owin pushed the top open and stared inside. ¡°It¡¯s an arrow.¡±


    Shade tripped and hit his face on the edge of the chest. He jumped back to his feet and looked inside. ¡°It is. Are you going to take up archery? Perhaps I¡¯m a hunter right now.¡± He grabbed it, pinching the arrow between two fingers. ¡°Uh, no. I¡¯m not. Or I just don''t know how hunters work, which is probably more likely.¡±


    ¡°Does it do anything?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade¡¯s index appeared. ¡°It says I have to be a hunter to find out more, so . . . I¡¯m not a hunter. Are you? Deficient wizard? What are you? Some kind of loser?¡± He put the arrow into Owin¡¯s bag. ¡°Time for some more krakens.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight more krakens.¡±


    ¡°If you had a bigger weapon, you might do better.¡± Shade pulled the Incandescent Blade from its sheath. ¡°At least keep this out for the floor. Your strength is too high to rely on daggers. You¡¯re not an assassin who gets passive benefits for using a variety of weapons. We just want whatever is the best.¡±


    ¡°What about that spine sword you put in your box?¡±


    Shade shook his head. ¡°Not here. It will be better against smaller mobs. I think. I don¡¯t actually know, to be honest. Its description made it sound like it can do some weird things, and I don¡¯t think we need anything weird right now.¡±


    ¡°Everything we do is weird.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not add to it.¡± He shoved Owin back toward the hill. ¡°Onward!¡±


    Owin held the Incandescent Blade in front of him. ¡°You just want me to hit the krakens with this as hard as I can?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 29

    A kraken loomed in the distance, just as big, ugly, and menacing as the last one. Massive white eyes almost glowed in the near perfect darkness of the ninth floor. Other white eyes were visible in the far distance, like little beads deep into the trench.


    He had heard that the mobs got bigger as he climbed to the end of the dungeons, but he wasn¡¯t expecting every mob on the floor to be just as strong as a boss.


    ¡°Just hit them as hard as you can, ideally with the sharp end of the sword.¡± Shade mimicked stabbing with a sword. ¡°But I¡¯m no expert. If I was, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be having this conversation. I would have already killed everything.¡±


    Shade rarely stopped talking, and about half of what he said involved his own inability or his lack of brains. But it didn¡¯t make sense. There was a cooldown to summon him now, meaning something had changed from the beginning of their friendship.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Of? Life? Well.¡± Shade put his hands on Owin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It starts when you¡¯re young and you see something that makes you think. For me, it was a mandolin. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how odd of a shape it had, and who would¡¯ve guessed that I almost immediately learned about a ton of other instruments that were even more ridiculous shapes.¡±


    Owin turned his head as far as he could. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I feel as though I¡¯ve failed to answer your question.¡±


    ¡°¡±I have more questions now, but . . .¡± He shrugged Shade¡¯s hands off and faced the skeleton. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you? That sounded mean.¡±


    ¡°It certainly did.¡±


    ¡°I meant as a Cursed. What¡¯s the point of collecting bones? What are you supposed to do? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here just to be friends.¡±


    Shade crouched until he was at Owin¡¯s eye level. ¡°It¡¯s a nice benefit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But why are you actually getting summoned? Why is there a cooldown?¡±


    Shade looked at his own hands. He still wore the olm skin glove on his right and the spiked gauntlet on his left. ¡°I can fight, but when I don¡¯t know my class, it can make it difficult. He clenched his hands into fists. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy it. I never did. But when I see an opening to help, I will do my best to help.¡±


    Owin tapped his finger on the spiked gauntlet. ¡°Stunning the kraken was helpful.¡±


    ¡°It was. After a few more bones, I¡¯ll know my class so we can try to equip me each time to actually help. For now, I would just have to try using abilities or spells until something worked, which can end disastrously.¡±


    ¡°Try to stun when you can. I can handle the rest.¡± Owin patted Shade¡¯s cheek like the skeleton had done to him. ¡°I just have to hit them as hard as I can.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Want to go kill an octopus?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin turned back toward the kraken. ¡°What¡¯s an octopus?¡±


    ¡°Anything with eight legs.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. Or . . . Maybe not. I¡¯m not an expert in a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Me either.¡± Owin set off, forcing Shade to scramble to catch up. It only took a moment before the skeleton was jauntily walking beside him.


    The nearest kraken was still a ways off, though its giant eyes made it appear much closer in the dark. There were some other lights flashing in the distance, sometimes changing from yellow to blue, but those were miles away. Somehow in the dark, it was almost like Owin could see deeper into the floor than he had ever been able to do on any floor before.


    ¡°What was that about instruments?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I was an entertainer in my life. The Troubadour, as the Vile Fiend said. It¡¯s still fuzzy. More than fuzzy. I sometimes catch these fragments of playing, singing, dancing. The only real strong memory I have is of seeing that first mandolin, then seeing the horns and strings and percussion and . . . and being overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Then nothing until I was an adult, and even then, just half a fragment of a poster advertising the Troubadour and part of a performance. I have no idea where or when.¡± Shade rested his olm skin gloved hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder as they walked, but said nothing else.


    They continued on in silence, giving Owin plenty of time to imagine Shade as a human. He had only seen one entertainer in action, and that had been what felt like forever ago, back in Ligala Lepis when a party from Void Nexus had tried to kill him. Katalin¡¯s pipe bombs had quickly killed the entertainer and the others. It wasn¡¯t a class he had seen often, though from what he had heard, it was because they were rarely heroes. Most stayed citizens. So how had Shade ended up as a Cursed skeleton inside all seven dungeons? As much as he wanted to ask, Owin knew Shade didn¡¯t know the answer and asking wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    ¡°Wake up,¡± Shade said, gently squeezing Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Destiny awaits.¡±


    ¡°Destiny?¡±


    Ocean Mob


    Kraken


    Level 70


    ¡°That¡¯s just another kraken.¡±


    Shade gestured with both arms. ¡°Go kill it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The giant creature spotted Owin and immediately started slithering. All eight tentacles moved wildly, churning the water as they moved. It charged, moving far faster than Owin would have assumed a creature that big could move. He sprinted on his own, attempting to close the distance before a tentacle could snag him again.


    Owin had no doubt he had a strength advantage, but speed was evenly matched, if not a bit in the kraken¡¯s favor. Before getting close enough to hit the kraken¡¯s head, Owin found himself blocking swings from the tree-size tentacles. If the Incandescent Blade wasn¡¯t unique and could break, he would be in trouble. Red flesh struck the flat end of the blade, outstretched from Owin¡¯s body. He dug his feet in, cracking the stone beneath him instead of letting himself get launched into the trench wall.


    Another tentacle swung in behind. Owin didn¡¯t notice until it hit the unbreakable shield. As the description said, the shield appeared to be unbreakable and actually held the tentacle back instead of letting Owin get completely smashed between the tentacles.


    ¡°You have a third coming in!¡± Shade shouted.


    A third could only come from one direction. Both tentacles trying to squish him let up for the briefest moment, backing up to allow the overhead tentacle to smash down. Owin took the slight opening to leap straight up. He swung the Incandescent Blade with all his strength, chopping the overhead tentacle in half. His jump continued carrying him up as the kraken flailed in pain.


    ¡°Now for the head!¡± Shade shouted.


    ¡°I know!¡± Owin landed on the injured tentacle and immediately dove off, dodging another swing. He landed and bounced back up to the base of the kraken¡¯s head. He swung as hard as he could, effortlessly chopping through a section of the creature. It obviously caused damage as blood poured out, but a small cut was hardly going to be enough.


    The kraken swayed briefly, trying to recover from the sudden injury. Before it could regain itself, Owin wound up and swung the sword again, this time hitting with the flat of the blade. He had done it like that before, but in the past, it had been an accident, back when his dexterity was low enough that he couldn¡¯t control which side of the blade he used.


    A sonic boom caused Owin¡¯s ears to ring as ripples passed through the kraken¡¯s skin. Its white eyes faded, though the beast was clearly still alive. His swing had taken every point of his strength and the kraken still lived.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Owin shouted.


    ¡°Do it again on top of its head!¡±


    Owin jumped off the kraken, pushing hard enough to tear the skin he had been standing on. He landed on top of its head just as it recovered. Tentacles all reached for him, but they were more sluggish than before. Owin jumped off the kraken¡¯s head and lifted his sword with both hands. He rotated the blade, landed, and smashed the flat end onto the top of the kraken¡¯s head.


    It shuddered and went limp, but Owin never received an experience notification. There was no sign it was dead. Owin jumped and smashed the sword down two more times before the notification finally appeared in his vision.


    0 Experience


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say that was inefficient, but I don¡¯t know what else to call it,¡± Shade said as he tried to move the tentacles. ¡°Is it even worth checking for loot? I don¡¯t believe so. I feel as though Sloswen was pretty straightforward with his disdain for you.¡±


    Owin jumped off the kraken¡¯s head and landed roughly beside Shade. ¡°Us.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. His disdain for both of us. Or life in general? Maybe he is just hateful.¡± Shade looked up and flinched. ¡°I think he¡¯s bored of threatening me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    Owin asked Shade about different instruments as they continued deeper into the trench. While the skeleton didn¡¯t seem to know much about any of them, he shared random facts and tried to even recreate some of the noises. It was a nice distraction that caused Owin to laugh and not think about anything else.


    Two more krakens blocked their path, but even with the creature¡¯s close to each other, it felt like a one on one fight each time. They were too big to try to fight one small goblin at the same time. They both tried to attack, which caused collisions and slowed both krakens down. Meanwhile, Owin¡¯s armor had partially grown back, giving him more protection through the fights, but they went about as well as the others had gone. He won without taking severe damage, but none of it went as smoothly as he wanted.


    Hours and krakens passed before they reached the glowing lights. Owin had been forming ideas in his head the entire time, trying to guess at what could be causing such bright yellow and blue lights within the trench. None of his guesses had been close.


    The ground for about a quarter mile was made of crystal. When it was yellow, it looked like it was trying to mimic the sun, but when it was blue, it looked exactly like a massive mana battery.


    Shade crouched and tapped his armored hand on the edge of the crystal. ¡°It seems sturdy.¡±


    Owin took a step onto it and waited. Even as the color shifted from blue to yellow, nothing changed. ¡°I thought it might light me on fire or something.¡±


    ¡°And you still stepped on?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Yeah, I guess.¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°What do you think it¡¯s for?¡±


    Shade took a hesitant step onto the colorful ground. He waited silently, staring down at the yellow light. As soon as it turned blue, he flinched, but just like before, nothing happened. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°It has to be a mana battery. It looks just like one.¡± Owin tapped the tip of sword against the ground. It felt strong, but he didn¡¯t feel that inclined to test it. If he punctured the mana battery, he had a feeling it would be a lot like his wand exploding, but infinitely more powerful.


    More kraken watched with their glowing eyes in the distance, but there was also something else. Something Owin couldn¡¯t make out in the darkness. It didn¡¯t have any glowing parts like the kraken¡¯s eyes. He only caught brief glimpses of shapes passing in front of the krakens, shifting deeper in the trench.


    ¡°If krakens are the main mobs on this floor, what do you think will be the wandering boss and the floor boss?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade looked back at the glowing ground beneath their feet. ¡°You think this has something to do with the wandering boss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why else it would be here. Unless the secret is underneath it or something.¡±


    Shade walked to the far edge and poked the trench wall a few times. ¡°Might as well check. Nothing is over here at the moment. Why not poke things until a door opens?¡±


    ***


    Siora stayed at the back of the group. It was nonsense having this many people in one party. Their experience split would be worthless and there would be fighting over loot. There always was.


    Even worse, the Nimble Hogs kept looking at her like she was some kind of monster. All of them had done horrible things in their lives, she was sure of it. Everyone did something bad at some point. Nobody was good. Nobody was perfect.


    Katalin stood beside her, making Siora that much more uncomfortable. The 7 Shard Hero¡¯s apprentice. The one who had threatened Siora after Owin had been tossed off the ferry.


    He survived. Who cared? She clenched her jaw.


    They were slow moving through Ryh Thalor. The capital of Kriergow was a city in the mountains. One she had only visited once before. Its architecture was unique with the mountains rising on either side. Half the buildings were underground or built into the stone itself, while the rest were built on the slopes of the mountains.


    Getting to the Subterranean Dungeon would involve hiking through mountains, climbing before they could descend to the void nexus at the base of a volcano. Reports of the volcano¡¯s activity were plastered all over the city, claiming it was calm and currently safe for heroes.


    Saying anything was safe seemed ironic, knowing how dangerous the Subterranean Dungeon was with all the lava, rats, and all the other disgusting mobs that roamed its corridors. She¡¯d rather go back and fight some hobgoblins in the Great Forest.


    The rest of the party, including Veph, were clumped together outside a restaurant. Everyone was starving because they were too foolish to pack food. The nervous Hog, the citizen, said it was because they didn¡¯t have a chance to grab anything from the headquarters, but that just seemed like a lazy excuse.


    ¡°Did you figure life out yet?¡± Katalin asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Siora fought the urge to insult the cocky alchemist.


    ¡°Nobody can be angry all the time.¡± She flipped a pipe bomb in her glowing hand. ¡°I was thinking you finally calmed down.¡±


    Siora clenched her jaw and didn¡¯t answer.


    The alchemist smiled, staring with her brown eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯re accidentally answering my question.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a party now. Not even that. We¡¯re part of the same company.¡±


    ¡°This company is a fucking joke.¡± Siora opened her index and sneered as she read the words. Alegarra Alchemy Inc.


    ¡°Althowin is giving you a chance, despite what happened. Be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you and fuck your chance. I¡¯m only here because Veph told me I had to.¡± Siora turned away and walked across the brick street.


    Katalin followed directly behind. ¡°Veph and Chorsay are working together again. You can¡¯t act like the Hogs are the villains here.¡±


    Siora turned on Katalin, grabbing her scarf and yanking the alchemist close. ¡°Then who is? Me? Am I the villain in this whole fucking mess?¡± She pushed Katalin back. ¡°I just did what I was told. Veph encouraged interfering with a Hog in the dungeons. It¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    Katalin fixed her scarf, but kept her eyes on Siora. ¡°You killed a man. A good man.¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t? I¡¯m not the only person in the world to fuck up, but nobody let¡¯s me forget the old fucking Hog.¡± Siora tried walking away again, but Katalin stuck right with her. ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Siora snapped.


    ¡°No. I brought enough food that I don¡¯t need to sit at a restaurant with the world¡¯s most awkward combination of people.¡±


    ¡°Your boyfriend is over there. Go talk to him instead.¡± Siora sat at a street-side table. She didn¡¯t even know what was inside the building beside her. Walking further just meant she would have a longer trek back, and Katalin was obviously going to continue following her whether or not she ran away.


    ¡°Boyfriend? Sure.¡± Katalin sat in the chair across from her and immediately leaned her elbows on the table.


    Siora rolled her eyes. She would¡¯ve expected Althowin¡¯s apprentices to have better manners than the average person, but after meeting the 7 Shard Hero, it seemed like even she had the manners of a child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re close enough to anyone in all of Verdantallis to understand the connection Ernie and I have. I feel sorry for you. Anger all the time.¡±


    A young man hesitantly approached, glancing back and forth between the two of them. ¡°Can I get you two anything?¡±


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°A coffee shop, moron,¡± Katalin said. ¡°I¡¯ll take a coffee with milk, please.¡±


    The young man nodded and scribbled something down on a notepad. ¡°And for you?¡±


    Siora had never ordered coffee before. She tried looking through the window, but was unable to see anything that looked like a menu inside. ¡°Same, please.¡±


    He wrote down her order, smiled, and hurried off back inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m not always angry,¡± Siora said, still looking through the window.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen what your little friend did to us in the Ocean.¡± Siora turned her attention back to Katalin, staring right at her as she pulled her collar aside. The scar from Owin¡¯s lich bone was twisted and disgusting. That undead weapon had mottled her flesh and no healing would make it look normal again. ¡°He was smiling.¡±


    ¡°And look at you now. Still alive.¡±


    ¡°Nikoletta had it worse.¡±


    Katalin nodded as if she knew, as if she had been in that hallway when Owin nearly killed them both. ¡°Nikoletta attacked him first. Hunted him before he ever met you.¡±


    ¡°But I killed Artivan,¡± Siora said plainly.


    They stared silently at each other. The waiter brought out their coffee in wide mugs, setting each down gently on the table. He followed it up with little containers of milk, like miniature pitchers. Siora had never seen anything like it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Katalin said as soon as the waiter finished. She didn¡¯t hesitate, pouring the milk right into the coffee before stirring it slowly with a spoon. ¡°Would you do it again?¡±


    ¡°Which part?¡± Siora asked as she carefully poured milk into the dark coffee. Its color changed immediately like a cloud moved through the liquid.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of milk,¡± Katalin said, watching Siora.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before.¡±


    Katalin¡¯s eyebrows shifted. ¡°Don¡¯t use all the milk next time. Half is usually good.¡±


    Siora nodded and started stirring slowly, matching Katalin¡¯s technique.


    ¡°Killing Artivan,¡± Katalin said plainly.


    ¡°No. I would never even challenge him if I could somehow redo it.¡± Siora set the spoon down. ¡°He killed half my party without trying. I assumed because he was old, he was weak.¡±


    ¡°People assume the same with Chorsay.¡±


    Siora looked across the street, down where the rest of the party had entered a restaurant. They were all there now because of Chorsay. The old giant had taken in Owin without question, and whatever had happened let him reconnect with Veph.


    ¡°Why did he leave Void Nexus?¡± Siora asked.


    Katalin lifted the wide-mouthed mug with both hands and took a sip from the side as if it was a soup bowl. She cradled it in her hands and looked at Siora through the steam. ¡°I don¡¯t know the full story. I wish I did. All I know is that it had to do with Veph¡¯s grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Romoalt Veriss?¡±


    Katalin nodded carefully and took another sip of her coffee.


    ¡°He founded Void Nexus. He was considered one of the greatest new generation heroes.¡± Siora had read everything she could find about Romoalt. He had been unlike anyone else in his time. Magna Regum and the Three Headed Hero Company were two of the first companies ever founded, meaning Void Nexus was the only new company in the top three. He had created an empire from nothing.


    ¡°I never had the chance to meet him. Althowin spoke of him fondly.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that nervous woman knows?¡±


    ¡°Po? Uh, probably. I doubt she¡¯d tell you. You¡¯re better off asking Veph or Chorsay.¡±


    Siora took a sip of her own coffee. It was way too sweet, but she controlled her face. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll say anything to me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not now. Chorsay likes to tell stories. If he likes you, he¡¯ll talk all day. Bring him a whiskey, ask him some questions. Listen to his stories. He¡¯ll warm up fast.¡±


    ¡°I killed his friend. Remember?¡±


    Katalin reached across the table and set her coffee down in front of Siora, then took Siora¡¯s mug and took a sip.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Siora asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like yours. Too sweet, I¡¯m guessing. Take mine.¡±


    Siora looked at the coffee. It was darker than her mug was, but . . . ¡°Why would yours be better?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think an alchemist can make a good cup of coffee?¡±


    Siora rolled her eyes and took a drink. It was better. Much better.


    ¡°We¡¯re a team. At least for now. We already had our conflict back on that ferry. We¡¯re done fighting. Got it?¡± Katalin asked.


    Siora nodded. ¡°What about your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Ernie and I agree on everything.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Katalin grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not. Maybe someday you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Siora took another drink to hide her eye roll. What was there to understand? The alchemist was insane.

 Book 4 - Chapter 30

    A rock didn¡¯t seem like the best thing to hide behind, but there wasn¡¯t all that much inside the trench. There were no trees, buildings, or much of anything but rocks and bones. Even while Owin tried to fit behind one of the bigger rocks, he had to deal with Shade trying to hide behind him.


    ¡°You can see better than I can. What is it?¡± Owin asked.


    The krakens were easily spotted by their glowing eyes, but whatever massive mob moved about the trench was much harder to see. It was almost as if Owin could sense it more than see it.


    ¡°Am I supposed to just solve all your issues for you?¡±


    ¡°Shade.¡±


    The skeleton leaned farther forward and squinted. His eye sockets narrowed as he nearly lost his balance, even while leaning on Owin. ¡°It looks like . . . a lot of necks.¡±


    Owin opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He stared into the darkness, trying to make his own evaluation. ¡°Is that all you can see?¡±


    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re being realistic here, Owin, I can¡¯t see anything. One needs eyes to see, after all, and I am left with pits, and not like the normal pits. Not the arms, but the eyes. I have eye pits, Owin.¡±


    Owin sighed and opened his index.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to sigh anymore,¡± Shade whispered in his ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re making it difficult not to.¡±


    Whatever hid in the darkness roared.


    Shade gently slapped Owin. ¡°Close your index!¡±


    Owin closed it immediately and ducked behind the rock. ¡°What?¡±


    Shade waved his hand in front of his face. ¡°It creates light. You don¡¯t use the index when you¡¯re hiding!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re yelling,¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The ground rumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just charge in. It won¡¯t be ready for that, right?¡±


    Before Shade could answer, the mob was upon them. Five human-like faces, bigger than anything Owin had faced before, swung down and hovered just above Owin for a long, silent moment.


    Ocean Mob


    Deep Sea Behemoth


    Level 70


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s this again.¡± Owin grabbed Shade and jumped backward as the behemoth swept a tentacle over the ground Owin had just been standing on. He dropped Shade, who helplessly dropped onto his face.


    Myrsvai and Suta had already beaten the same boss a few floors before. There was no reason Owin wouldn¡¯t be able to beat it even easier than they had. He grabbed the Incandescent Blade in both hands, planted his feet, and launched himself back toward the boss. As soon as he was close enough, he was able to see it. Whether that was because of how his eyes worked or some part of the floor was unknown to Owin, but all that mattered was that he could see the boss if he stayed close.


    Its mass of tentacles spasmed, then exploded as mutated, twisted tentacles erupted and shot through the water. A quick swing of the sword pushed one tentacle aside while three others hit him, throwing Owin into the trench wall. He rolled away as more tentacles smashed into the wall where he had just been.


    All five heads started to glow with different colors as they charged their different attacks. The trench shone with the rainbow brilliance of the deep sea behemoth¡¯s attack.


    Owin didn¡¯t hesitate, diving back in. He swung with all his strength at a tentacle, but the edge of the Incandescent Blade did little more than bash it aside. He didn¡¯t cut into the stark white flesh of the creature or even visibly damage it in any way.


    The first blast was a thin beam of ice. All thoughts had left Owin¡¯s brain, leaving him acting on instinct once again. A side step was enough to avoid the initial blast, but as an arcane blast came from another head, he was forced up. As the ice and arcane spells collided, an explosion sent a shockwave through the water. Owin spun, hit the wall, and rolled to the bottom.


    ¡°This was going to be easy,¡± Owin muttered as he stood and adjusted his grip on the sword.


    ¡°Did you hurt it?¡± Shade shouted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it!¡±


    Owin clenched his jaw and watched the behemoth¡¯s moves. It was faster than the one Suta and Myrsvai fought even though it was bigger. The cluster of tentacles around its body were also more frantic.


    It turned its other faces to Owin and launched a thin beam of fire, or something like fire. Owin moved aside, then jumped farther as the water boiled.


    ¡°What kind of fire can survive underwater?¡± he shouted.


    Shade didn¡¯t answer. He likely didn¡¯t even hear because he was running away, screaming, as abyssal fire and a luminous beam chased him, shooting from the other heads.


    ¡°You¡¯re immune to those damage types!¡± Owin shouted as loud as he could.


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Shade turned and let both hit him at the same time. He vanished in a magical explosion as the abyssal and luminous energies combined and erupted.


    ¡°Was that bad advice?¡± Owin whispered.


    All five heads of the deep sea behemoth turned and watched, just like Owin, as the magical smoke faded. Shade stood perfectly still in the same spot he had been before with a thin trail of smoke floating off the top of his skull.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin shouted.


    Five colors of lights flared to life in the deep sea behemoth¡¯s mouths. The fire, arcane, and ice ones stayed looking at Shade while the abyssal and luminous heads leaned toward Owin.


    ¡°Time to kill it!¡± Shade gestured wildly toward the mob.


    ¡°Okay.¡± A quick dash brought Owin underneath the heads. He pushed off and swung the Incandescent Blade with as much power as he could manage. Once again, the edge of the blade hit the behemoth¡¯s white skin and instead of cutting, it forced the head aside like he had punched it.


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    The head released a blast of luminous magic as it flailed, crashing into another head, which launched its fire attack early.


    Owin landed at the base of the necks and looked over his shoulder at Shade. ¡°I¡¯m not doing any damage!¡±


    ¡°I can tell!¡± The skeleton collapsed into a pile of loose bones as the ice and arcane attacks launched from the behemoth¡¯s heads. Shade quickly reassembled himself. ¡°Invulnerability can be a thing, but . . . why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that word means.¡± Owin dodged one tentacle, deflected another, and blocked a third, before a fourth hit him in the back. His shield minimized the damage, but the strike still sent him tumbling.


    ¡°It means you can¡¯t hurt it unless certain conditions are met!¡± Shade squealed and ducked under a half formed blast. ¡°It¡¯s a cheap trick to make a boss fight harder!¡±


    If he couldn¡¯t hurt it, why fight? It wasn¡¯t like Sloswen would give him loot for beating it anyway. Avoiding the fight and moving on would be the better option. At least, this time. He gained nothing from a long battle.


    ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what it is!¡± Shade shouted.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Owin immediately sprinted as fast as he could manage. He had to jump, slide, and dodge a flurry of tentacles, and he still didn¡¯t manage to miss them all. A few solid smacks of tentacles sent him reeling back before regaining his feet and dashing deeper into the trench.


    The deep sea behemoth roared loudly from all five heads and launched random beams of spells toward Owin, but also straight into the sky at no specific target. The pursuit didn¡¯t end, as he had hoped. While the behemoth didn¡¯t move as fast as it attacked, it still chased fast enough to make Owin shake with energy. Blasts flew past him, carving their way through the stone walls.


    Simply running from the boss was manageable, if a little terrifying, until he ran into the first kraken, which blocked most of the width of the trench. Owin skidded to stop and flinched as a beam of ice hit the ground nearby.


    The kraken rose up, tentacles nearly twitching in anticipation, then it sprang into action. Owin sliced the first tentacle off and blocked another.  He jumped straight at the kraken¡¯s head, going for the same tactic as before, right as the other four attacks from the behemoth all hit the kraken directly in the face. Owin hovered in the water above the chaos for a moment before dropping like a rock.


    There was no way to avoid the onslaught of spells raging from the behemoth. He couldn¡¯t swim away and the spells were too wide to simply dodge to the side.


    Instead, he curled up the best he could and used the unbreakable shield on his back to block the attacks. All four spells hit the shield simultaneously, launching Owin straight through the kraken¡¯s corpse like a cannon. He hit the ground on the opposite side, having been launched for hundreds of feet, and bounced hard before coming to a stop.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Oh, well done. We are much farther along.¡±


    Owin wheezed, still lying on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, you look bad.¡± Shade grabbed a health potion and poured it directly on Owin¡¯s face.


    His health bar crawled back up, allowing Owin to sit upright. ¡°That hurt.¡±


    ¡°Running?¡± The skeleton looked back and managed to spot the kraken with the massive hole in its head. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lights from the deep sea behemoth¡¯s heads shone through the kraken¡¯s head.


    ¡°I do understand your pain, at least to some extent, but I think we should be on our way.¡± Shade yanked Owin off the ground. ¡°If I explode, do not lament. Or maybe do, but do it safely. Summon me before the floor boss, at least.¡±


    ¡°Is this thing going to stop chasing me?¡± Owin had already started running. Shade was doing a surprisingly good job at keeping up, even while flailing his arms wildly as he ran.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that way. If only you didn¡¯t open your index.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that was the only issue.¡±


    A flurry of spells hit the ground where they had been before. It appeared that the deep sea behemoth had a limited range, but with how fast it moved, that range hardly mattered. He had to keep going or it was going to catch him again.


    ¡°Do we need to figure out how to make it killable?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re nearing the end of the floor. It turns out they aren¡¯t that big when you run fast.¡±


    Owin shook his head. ¡°I was launched really far from that attack too. And you were gone for two minutes.¡±


    ¡°Running that far in two minutes is still quite the achievement. Once, I¡ª¡± A beam of thin red fire burst right through Shade¡¯s skull, causing the skeleton to poof into dust.


    Owin turned, wide-eyed, to see the deep sea behemoth only a hundred feet behind him. It had moved so fast. He turned his back, using the shield to block a beam of luminous energy. Even with the shield, the spell was powerful enough to cause him to skid across the ground.


    Fighting an enemy that can¡¯t take damage was stupid. Artivan would have told him to run a long time. To go for the stairs. To flee for safety.


    Shade was fine. He would sit in his box, probably quite uncomfortably, until his cooldown was done. That was fine. That was manageable.


    Right now, all Owin needed to worry about was himself. Not how Myrsvai and Suta were going to manage this boss when they came across it. Not what the tenth floor held. Nothing. Just survival.


    Shade had said he was near the end. On a lot of floors, one didn¡¯t even need to fight the boss before advancing. Or the boss would be in a protected arena like at the end of the eighth floor. Either way, he needed to get away from the behemoth, even if that meant locking himself in a room with an unknown boss.


    Getting cocky could get heroes killed. Owin knew it from experience, being that he had killed those heroes before. Void Nexus or not, stupid heroes died all the time. Stupid heroes who thought they were stronger than they really were.


    Owin used the shield on his back to block another attack and jumped, allowing the beam to launch him forward. He landed on his feet, stumbled, and rolled, all too slow to avoid the next attack. A beam of ice hit his arm, only covered in the thin film that was usually beneath his chitin armor. His whole arm immediately turned blue, freezing from contact. He tried to flex his hand, to move, but everything was frozen, motionless.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± he whispered, repeating constantly. Another spell hit his shield, sending him sprawling onto his face. Another spell hit his shield, causing Owin to smash his face directly into the ground.


    Show the world how strong you are. How capable you are. How incredible.


    He couldn¡¯t die. Not now. Not before seeing Artivan again.


    He was alive, or something close to it. He had to be. If Shade had once been a hero and was now a Cursed, so was Artivan. It had to be true. Owin used his one working hand to climb back to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily for a moment before clenching his jaw, widening his stance, and bracing himself for the next impact.


    As another spell hit his unbreakable shield, the ground beneath Owin cracked. He still slid a few feet from the force of the boss¡¯s attack, but he stayed standing.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± he said quietly.


    Before the behemoth could attack again, Owin sprinted with all his might, launching himself over the uneven, rocky trench floor. He watched the rock walls for changes in color, in the slight illumination, and leapt to the side as the deep sea behemoth launched its multiple spells. Each head had its own attack and own color, letting him know what was coming if he focused. No more instincts. He had to think. He had to use his brain like Katalin and Ernie had always asked him to.


    No more fucking around.


    As he came upon what looked like the last kraken, Owin baited it into attacking and dodged. A behemoth attack ripped the tentacle off, distracting the kraken enough that Owin spotted an opening. A way to get past. With the kraken still alive, he hoped it would create a real obstacle to slow the boss down.


    Owin¡¯s vision was suddenly red. Too many tentacles. Too fast. He lifted both arms, trying to block with the Incandescent Blade, but his right hand was still completely covered in ice. Two kraken tentacles smashed against him at different speeds, one hitting his upper body, the other hitting his legs. He flipped and screamed, unable to see anything but his health bar, drifting down.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Owin crashed into the ground directly beside Shade as the skeleton poofed back into existence. Owin sprawled out, unable to move. Pain lanced through his right arm, reminding him of the burning from the lich¡¯s mist


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a big boss. I¡ª¡± Shade¡¯s hands were immediately grabbing Owin. ¡°Shit. No, Owin. Not happening now.¡± Shade rolled Owin over, unhooking the shield. A spell hit Shade, causing him to fall on top of Owin, but he immediately popped back up and started grabbing potions.


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re awake, so I just want to reassure you that I will not be using too many potions this time. I will save your life with the required amount.¡± Shade held two health potions and carefully poured one of them onto Owin¡¯s face.


    As soon as the red liquid touched his skin, feeling came back to most of Owin¡¯s body as pain dulled. He tried sitting up, but before he could move, before Shade could pour the second potion, a tentacle from the deep sea behemoth hit the skeleton, causing him, the health potion, and the unbreakable shield to poof into gray dust.


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said breathlessly.

 Book 4 - Chapter 31

    Vondaire watched the ferry closely with each new arrival. In his time waiting for Owin and Myrsvai, he had seen a lot more heroes enter the dungeon than leave. Plenty had stumbled out the exits, a few left confidently after achieving their goals, and others had crawled out with blood gushing from wounds.


    He had been as helpful as he could manage, but he wasn¡¯t a mender. A few had died, some others had lived. None of it was his responsibility. Still, he couldn¡¯t sit and watch someone die.


    The ferry captain seemed used to the routine, never flinching at the absolutely horrid state of some of her passengers. Whenever new heroes arrived, they eyed Vondaire with a mix of emotions. Most seemed to assume he was powerful, but plenty had assumed he was some loser or someone who was too scared to enter the dungeon.


    Foolish as they were, he had no interest in correcting them. He nodded or wished them well, and otherwise sat and drank.


    It was quickly losing its appeal. The idea of sitting about, lounging in the sun with wine had felt novel and alluring, especially after being locked up under Taralim¡¯s pale fingers. But now, it was old. He desperately hoped Owin was near the end. Even if it took the old magus a little longer, at least he would have somebody to talk to.


    He had been disconnected from the world for too long. His brief date with Egnatia in the city had been only that: brief. And even then, it felt like she was more interested in information about Chorsay, Owin, and the Hogs rather than in Vondaire, where everybody¡¯s true interest should lie.


    It seemed fairly obvious that he was being used for information, but he didn¡¯t mind being used. What did he know anyway? He had been a Nimble Hog for seconds before committing to finishing the Ocean Dungeon.


    A group of Spelunkers sat nearby, forming a makeshift campsite. They had simply nodded to Vondaire before creating a campfire. A sleeping roll acted as their placeholder in line. With three parties ahead of them, they had at least an hour and a half wait.


    ¡°You realize I have a table and chairs right here,¡± Vondaire finally said.


    ¡°We see it,¡± a Spelunker said.


    Vondaire rolled his eyes. The hero company out of Kriergow was most famously known for almost only ever going through the Subterranean Dungeon. In fact, they were the most hired company for that specific dungeon because nobody knew it better.


    So, why were they at the Ocean Dungeon?


    ¡°Just because this one goes down too doesn¡¯t make it anything like the Subterranean,¡± Vondaire said.


    A burly man in overalls stood. He wore skin tight armor underneath, something Vondaire hadn¡¯t seen before. It was like a second skin of iron, but he wasn¡¯t a Shard Hero, so he couldn¡¯t have been fused. More likely, he had gone through the beginning of the Subterranean Dungeon so much that he had found some pieces of one of the armor sets.


    ¡°What brings a butler to the Ocean?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Butler? Sure.¡± Vondaire held out his hand and formed his shard just above his palm. ¡°I simply finished the dungeon and am awaiting some friends.¡±


    ¡°Impressive, lad.¡±


    Lad?


    The bearded man sat across from Vondaire, leaving his comrades at the fire.


    ¡°Can I interest you in a drink?¡± Vondaire asked, holding out a wine glass.


    ¡°We¡¯re not wine drinkers in Kriergow.¡± He rested his metal-clad forearms on the table. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I should have known.¡± Vondaire waved his hand, producing whiskey glasses. He poured all four and slid them to the spots around the table.


    The bearded man grunted, grabbing his comrades¡¯ attention. They all joined Vondaire at the table before long.


    ¡°An umbra, I assume,¡± the man said.


    ¡°You know, you can use your index to get a whole heap of information, even from an umbra.¡± Vondaire took a sip of the whiskey and held it before his eyes, surveying the dark liquor.


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    ¡°It¡¯s rude.¡±


    ¡°In Kriergow. You¡¯re in Graisetus now, if you consider the dungeons property of their nearby nations. Otherwise, you¡¯re in nobody¡¯s territory. Do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°We exchange greetings,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Vondaire lifted his glass of whiskey toward the man. ¡°Vondaire Faikel of Izylia. Now, a member of the Nimble Hogs Hero Company.¡±


    The man nodded and lifted his own glass. ¡°Aimar Ralophine of Kriergow. A squad leader of the Tunnelers.¡±


    The Grand Spelunking Hero Company was too long of a name, and quite off putting, but they didn¡¯t seem like the type to take feedback especially well. Few hero companies succeeded with such a niche specialty, but they were bigger and more successful than the Nimble Hogs, so what was he criticizing?


    ¡°So, a Spelunker in the Ocean. What gives?¡±


    ¡°Give the lads some experience elsewhere. And I intend to get a couple of shards. Something to help me have an actual challenge at the Forge.¡±


    ¡°Of Divine Light?¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Aimar took another drink.


    His comrades were quiet, enjoying their own glasses of whiskey while looking out into the endless ocean.


    ¡°You could reach that now. You could even get your first shard in the Subterranean.¡±


    Aimar finished his glass and set it on the table. ¡°The stronger a lad is, the better the Forge is. All the crafting spots improve with shards.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t want to redo the Subterranean?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind that. But the lads wanted to train elsewhere and I am willing to learn other dungeons.¡±


    It was not the company Vondaire was expecting. Anything was better than boredom, and when else would he ever have a chance to talk to the weird Spelunkers? He glanced at the exit nexus, endlessly swirling. When would Owin appear? Based on Vondaire¡¯s predictions, it should be soon. Soon, unless something went wrong.


    ***


    A kraken on one side and the deep sea behemoth on the other. The Incandescent Blade of Captain Lyra Magnan and his right gauntlet were on the ground at his feet, both covered in a cloud of blood running from his right elbow.


    Owin sucked in air.


    Show the world how strong you are.


    He clenched his jaw, grabbed the sword and the film of the gauntlet in his left hand, and ran. Everything shook around him as the kraken and deep sea behemoth flailed. Tentacles and spells filled his vision. Chaos surrounded him.


    Owin stared straight ahead, but he might as well have had his eyes closed. He kept a tight grip on the sword and armor and ran as fast as he could. Stone exploded behind him, pricking his head and back with shrapnel. He hit the ground, rolled, failed to stand up as he tried to use his right hand, then made it to his feet and kept running.


    Shade was gone for two minutes. Whether he would be able to help or not didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that Owin was alone. Again. The only hope he had to see anyone again was to either leave or finish the dungeon.


    He couldn¡¯t leave everyone outside waiting or worrying. Nobody needed to be scared or sad. He needed the shards to gain true strength. Unbeatable bosses were an obstacle, but it was one he could avoid.


    Owin rounded a bend in the trench and spotted three sets of kraken eyes, and one miniature form, the size of a normal human, standing just in front of the three massive mobs. It looked like a humanoid kraken. They stood in a rounded area, wider than the rest of the trench.


    Ocean Mob


    Elsorvia


    Girhuma Deep Sea Priest


    Level 70


    Elsorvia wore a red robe and spread his arms out wide. He had the girhuma pointed ears and head fin, but his face was a mass of tentacles. As he finished reaching his finned hands out, tentacles erupted from his oversized sleeves, slithering into the water like they were grasping for something.


    ¡°My child. I¡ª¡±


    Owin slid across the ground and kicked up, sending the priest flying over all three krakens, back to where he crashed against the distant boundary wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of tentacles!¡± Owin stepped aside as a tentacle crashed into the ground beside. He was no longer looking at the mobs around him. Light danced on the stone walls as the deep sea behemoth prepared more attacks.


    None of it mattered. All he had to do was reach the end. A tentacle caught his shoulder, sending him flying to the side. Owin let himself crash into the stone wall and roll. He landed on his feet, grunted through the pain, and leapt as far and high as he could manage. The deep sea behemoth¡¯s spells devastated the stone wall where he had just been.


    He flew past the krakens, landed unsteadily, and immediately took another hit upon landing. The tentacle swept through the water, sending him back into the wall. Owin rolled against the wall and steadied himself. Blood clung to his skin, even running in rivulets over the armor film. One more hit was all he could take.


    The stairs and exit were tucked away, just off the side of the trench. A yellow barrier wall blocked the section, just like it had on the previous floor.


    Elsorvia hit the ground nearby. Just as the girhuma boss started to stand, Owin was already in his face. With his hand still tightly gripping the sword and the gauntlet, Owin punched the water elf in the face, causing him to fall back to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dying!¡± Owin stomped on the boss¡¯s head, smashing the tentacle-faced water elf into the ground. One stomp didn¡¯t do it, so Owin stomped over and over, watching the stone walls nearby for signs of the deep sea behemoth¡¯s next volley of attacks.


    The yellow barrier wall dropped. Owin kicked the headless corpse of the girhuma away. Even in death, tentacles sprouted from his neck, reaching out as if to grab Owin. He mumbled his hatred of tentacles before hopping down the stairs and passing through to the tenth and final floor.

 Book 4 - Chapter 32

    Ocean Dungeon


    Tenth Floor


    Owin stood on unsteady feet. For the first time since he awakened, he felt truly exhausted. His legs felt like they were about to fall off or like his knees couldn¡¯t hold him up anymore. He wanted to sit down, but a massive cetanthro stood on the opposite side of the room.


    It was about as ugly as Lophiforma, but with a thinner head. Fins stuck out like ears on the sides, and massive teeth protruded from its mouth. The creature was dressed like a knight, wearing old plate armor covered in barnacles and other living things. Its tower shield had plants cascading off its face. Whatever cape the cetanthro wore could easily be tattered cloth or simply growth that hung from its shoulders. It was in too bad of a state to figure out what it was. And Owin was in too much pain to even care.


    They were in another circular arena, but this time there was a domed ceiling. It was truly beautiful with colorful mosaics depicting all kinds of things. Owin¡¯s head was too fuzzy to make it out. Something with towers. Probably a cathkabel somewhere. A lot of fish. It was hard to see.


    ¡°This is not the condition I expected,¡± Sloswen said.


    Owin flinched and collapsed.


    The god snapped his fingers, summoning Shade in a puff of smoke.


    Shade immediately looked at Owin. ¡°Thank you, Lord Sloswen.¡± The skeleton fell to his knees and dumped the second health potion on Owin¡¯s head. He dug through the bag and grabbed the final health potion. ¡°This is the last. No more damage is allowed. Got it?¡±


    Owin stared at him blankly. Shade poured the health potion on, grabbed Owin¡¯s right arm, then let it drop and grabbed his left. It took effort to force the sword and gauntlet from Owin¡¯s hand but he finally let them drop.


    Shade gently slapped Owin, then grabbed his shoulders and shook him. ¡°Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Owin.¡±


    He continued staring.


    Shade slapped him with a little more force. ¡°Time to wake up.¡±


    Owin finally looked at Shade. The dark pits of the skeleton¡¯s eyes were close. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. You made it to the tenth. You can do this. We¡¯re close to the end. So close. Get up.¡± Shade yanked on his arm.


    Owin stood and took a deep breath. ¡°I made it.¡±


    Sloswen stroked his chin, letting his snake tattoo slither from his arm onto his neck where it disappeared down his shirt. ¡°Chaudius stands ready when you are.¡±


    ¡°You owe him a question,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Sloswen waved his hand, causing Shade to vanish again.


    ¡°You do, don¡¯t you?¡± Owin asked. He took another deep breath and finally looked at his arm. His right arm ended at the elbow. Everything that had been frozen was just gone. He sucked in air and turned to face the God of the Ocean. ¡°I can ask you anything.¡±


    ¡°You may. What is it that a goblin would like to know? How you awakened? What will happen when you enter Ruvaine¡¯s domain once again? The limits of your power?¡±


    Those were all questions Owin desperately wanted to know the answers to, but none of them mattered nearly as much as the one thing he had been asking himself over and over.


    Who are the Cursed?


    But even that question left too much room for more questions. The Cursed as a whole could be hundreds of people. He only knew of two, but there was likely more, so Sloswen would be under no obligation to tell him anything about the Sovereign One or the Withered Shade.


    ¡°What is the story of the Withered Shade?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Sloswen crossed his arms. His eyes shifted to bright yellow with a small white dot in the center. ¡°Are you certain this is the question you wish to ask?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is the story of the Withered Shade?¡± Owin repeated.


    Sloswen gestured behind Owin. ¡°Take a seat. You need it.¡±


    Two stools had appeared. Owin didn¡¯t need to be told a second time.


    ¡°I suppose he might as well be present.¡± With another snap, Shade appeared in the stool beside Owin. ¡°Say a word without permission and you will be banished for the entire battle.¡±


    Shade nodded.


    ¡°A clever question. I cannot talk about the Withered Shade without speaking of the Cursed as a whole.¡± Sloswen crossed his arms as the snake emerged from his sleeve. It slithered between his forearms and over his fingers. ¡°This story best starts with a name. Deniz Saboator. I will not be using some joke of a name. He will either be referred to as the Withered Shade or Deniz. Understood.¡±


    Owin nodded.


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    Shade watched Owin for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°In the old world of Verdantallis, before humans discovered peace, before your modern hero companies, the land was a more chaotic place. Guilds warred, destroying entire cities as parties of shard heroes battled. In that time, more people had shards. It was the only way to guarantee safety. Now, peace is common through Verdantallis, as it should be. I worked for that peace.¡±


    Owin and Shade exchanged a look.


    ¡°Deniz was the first entertainer to reach level 100. Someone can work their entire life on attributes, on skills, and still not reach level 100. Experience in the dungeons is necessary to reach the peak. Deniz went through the dungeons repeatedly, always leaving at the end of the ninth floor. We thought he was foolish. I thought he was scared of our champions.¡± Sloswen turned his flat gaze to Shade. ¡°You were simply collecting treasures. Unique items that would benefit your entertainer class are rare, though that did not stop you from finding ways to make use of an arsenal.¡±


    Sloswen summoned his own stool and sat across from them. ¡°At level 100, an entertainer is capable of providing buffs that can keep an ant alive within a tornado, but they are not powerful enough to defeat a champion on their own. Entertainers were never intended to be combatants. I never expected them to even be heroes.¡±


    ¡°How did he get so many unique items?¡± Owin asked. He was worried about interrupting, but Sloswen was obviously going to continue right on without addressing parts of the story.


    ¡°Primarily from the secrets. Deniz knew where to find every secret through all seven dungeons. He made a mockery of our secrets.¡±


    Shade¡¯s eye sockets widened a little. He shifted and sat on his hands.


    ¡°After Deniz Saboator became a 7 Shard Hero, it was time to grant his wish. Our council gathered, all seven of us, and we came to the same conclusion. Do you know what that was?¡±


    Owin nodded. It was the main thing he had heard Sloswen say. There was only one thing it could be. ¡°He cheated.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Sloswen glared at Shade, then flicked his gaze back to Owin. A faint sense of joy seemed to change the god¡¯s eyes. ¡°With the help of a unique item, he found a way to summon a 7 Shard Hero to assist on the isolated floors and with the champions. We were aware of this. Curiosity is dangerous, even for a god. We watched Deniz cheat his way through all of our domains. With his incredible wealth, he paid for guilds to escort him through common floors, and he paid even more for the 7 Shard Hero to assist with everything else.¡±


    Shade looked back and forth between Owin and Sloswen. He obviously wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth closed.


    ¡°We allowed Deniz to make a wish without sharing our decision. Can you guess what he wished for?¡±


    Owin stared at Shade. The skeleton looked miserable. ¡°Living forever?¡±


    ¡°Eternal life, yes. We agreed, as you can see. Deniz was not the first Cursed, and I am certain he will not be the last.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re people who cheated?¡±


    ¡°In a sense, yes. A simple explanation, though it fits for this purpose. As he wished, Deniz Saboator will live forever as the Withered Shade.¡±


    ¡°But Artivan didn¡¯t cheat. He shouldn¡¯t be a Cursed.¡±


    Sloswen lost his very faint humor. His face turned back to stone. ¡°You had one question, and one only. That was your story about the Withered Shade. Now, prepare for your battle against Chaudius.¡± The god stood and snapped, causing all three stools to vanish.


    Owin and Shade both fell to the ground. Owin used his hand to stand again while Shade remained on the floor.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Owin said, gently kicking Shade. ¡°Get ready.¡±


    ¡°I . . .¡± He placed both his hands on top of his head. ¡°You used your question for me?¡±


    Owin grabbed Shade¡¯s arm and pulled him up. ¡°Yeah. Now we know.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to.¡±


    Shade shook his head. ¡°You only had one question. You wasted it. I¡¯m not worth it. I¡¯m just a cheater, apparently.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else as he fastened the unbreakable shield onto Owin¡¯s back and stuck the broken gauntlet into his bag. He helped Owin get ready without another word.


    Sloswen watched silently as well, towering over the two of them.


    When Owin finally turned to face the cetanthro with the Incandescent Blade in his hand, Shade grabbed his shoulders and leaned close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there for you on the last floor.¡± Shade squeezed his shoulders. ¡°You can do this. You don¡¯t even need me here.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe we should do this together.¡±


    Owin looked at the tall, silent god. ¡°Is it cheating if Shade fights at my side?¡±


    ¡°Heroes are allowed to use summons during combat. I will be watching.¡± The water shuddered, then Sloswen vanished.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°I still have both of my arms. I think we need to be asking you that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The pain is . . . it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll figure it out. But you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Have lived through a lot, and will survive through a lot more. I learned a lot about myself today, and I didn¡¯t like it.¡± Shade tapped Owin¡¯s cheek with his gloved hand. ¡°Don¡¯t think about me for a second during this fight. I already left you alone on the last floor. I¡¯ll make it up to you here. You¡¯ve got friends waiting for you out there, and I¡¯d love to meet them. So, let¡¯s plan to throw me a surprise party when we get back to your home. Yeah?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a surprise party?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Enough of that. Focus. I¡¯ll tell you all about parties some other day.¡± Shade grabbed the shield potion and dumped it on Owin¡¯s head. ¡°Use everything you have. You¡¯re strong, but not enough to relax.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re less funny when you¡¯re serious.¡±


    Shade patted Owin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll make a joke when you have that fish¡¯s head on a platter.¡±


    ¡°On a what?¡±


    Shade stood tall and flicked Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°Stop asking questions and get ready. Look how ugly he is.¡±


    The cetanthro walked toward the center of the arena and waited patiently. His massive mace rested on his shoulder.


    Ocean Mob


    Chaudius


    Champion of the Deep


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a level,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Not surprising. Just, uh, don¡¯t get hit and we¡¯ll be great. Shard Heroes before we know it.¡± Shade patted Owin¡¯s shoulder one more time before walking away, circling to the left.


    Just like with other cetanthro, it was difficult to tell what Chaudius was looking at. His eyes were on the side and he didn¡¯t turn to acknowledge Owin, so could he see forward or only to the side?


    Owin shifted his sword to the center, attempting to grab it with both hands. He looked at the empty space where his right arm should be.


    ¡°Do you see how ugly he is?¡± Shade shouted. ¡°And he¡¯s the champion?¡±


    Owin laughed.


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re ugly too, but compared to that fish? You might as well be the most gorgeous little green man I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owin rolled his eyes and adjusted his stance.


    The ninth floor had been horrible, but that was only because the boss was unkillable.


    The fish in the center of the room could be killed.


    He would be killed.


    All that stood between Owin and his first shard was Chaudius, the fish.

 Book 4 - Chapter 33

    Vondaire stared into the sky, watching distant clouds, as the Spelunkers continued sharing stories about the Subterranean Dungeon. They truly did love that place, which Vondaire didn¡¯t understand, and likely wouldn¡¯t even once he had that shard. What was there to love about damp caves and angry rats?


    His attention snapped to the exit. The endless blackness shifted, imperceptibly. Vondaire sat fully upright, accidentally cutting off Aimar¡¯s story.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Aimar asked. All the Spelunkers turned to look at the exit.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Vondaire said.


    Sloswen materialized on the sand bar. The few heroes still lined up to go inside went completely silent.


    ¡°Vondaire,¡± Sloswen said. The god had his arms crossed. He swept his gaze over all the heroes gathered, finally stopping on Vondaire. ¡°The goblin is about to battle Chaudius.¡±


    Vondaire clenched his hands. ¡°He made it?¡±


    ¡°Join me. Witness this battle.¡±


    Vondaire slid the whiskey bottle across the table, gently bumping it into Aimar¡¯s cup. As he stood, Vondaire pulled a wine bottle from his jacket and handed it to one of the other Spelunkers. ¡°Enjoy, gentlemen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, lad. Uh, sir,¡± Aimar said quietly.


    Vondaire patted the Spelunker on the shoulder as he passed. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Sloswen gestured toward the exit. The snake spiraled around his arm. Vondaire smiled and stepped into the exit. There was no pain like in the portals from city to city, and no time passed like the doorways between floors. One moment he was on the sandbar, the next, he was back in the arena.


    There was a sensation in the air. Something ethereal.


    ¡°We¡¯re invisible,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Well placed. You are as talented as I suspected. Now, witness this anomaly.¡±


    Owin was certainly an anomaly, though Vondaire likely understood that term in a different sense than a god.


    Vondaire kept his hands clenched. He was tense. More now than when Sloswen first appeared. Owin looked as though he had hardly made it to the tenth floor. What had happened?


    A gray, oddly clothed skeleton walked to the side. It turned its head toward Vondaire and cocked its head slightly as if it could see him. Who was the skeleton? And why was it helping Owin?


    Owin was crouched like a wildcat ready to pounce. He let his right arm hang. Wisps of blood drifted from his elbow, but the wound that took the rest of his arm looked as though it had been mostly healed. His left arm was out to the side, holding a sword that looked too big for the small, injured creature.


    ¡°He¡¯s found armor,¡± Vondaire said.


    The god made a noise, which caused Vondaire to raise an eyebrow. Best not to ask more, though his curiosity was piqued.


    Vondaire looked back at the skeleton, who waved. ¡°What is that creature?¡±


    Sloswen made another noise. Vondaire had heard that noise before from so many people. It was too recognizable. Complete disdain. Contempt.


    ¡°The Withered Shade.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Owin the goblin,¡± Chaudius said, standing calmly in the center of the arena. ¡°I am honored to battle.¡±


    Owin tried not to scowl, but the cetanthro¡¯s huge teeth and general grotesque appearance made it difficult to even watch it talk. He nodded.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Shade shouted. The skeleton had just been waving, though Owin didn¡¯t notice anything. If Shade¡¯s plan had been to sneak around the outside and surprise Chaudius, he was failing horribly.


    The cetanthro didn¡¯t flinch or acknowledge Shade at all.


    ¡°Even if he isn¡¯t honored to battle me, I¡¯m honored to battle him. I¡¯ll be so aggressively honored that he won¡¯t know what to do about it!¡±


    ¡°Shade, shut up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± The skeleton took a step toward Chaudius. The cetanthro still didn¡¯t move. If Shade struck first and got a stun with his gauntlet, the fight would be over. As he took another step forward, Chaudius made a small motion with his shield hand. Luminous fire erupted on Shade.


    ¡°Flare Burst,¡± Owin said. ¡°That won¡¯t work against him.¡±


    Shade shook out his arms and legs. ¡°It tickles.¡±


    The fish turned his head to look at Shade. Just as he started to turn, Owin leapt with all his strength. He soared through the water and swung as hard as he could manage. The Incandescent Blade hit the center of Chaudius¡¯s tower shield. Everything nearby hummed as the fish swung his long mace. The weapon churned the water and nearly took Owin¡¯s head off as he ducked.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Shade punched the fish in the back.


    Chaudius smashed his shield against Shade, which didn¡¯t immediately kill the skeleton. Instead, Shade flew up and crashed back onto the ground.


    Before Owin could continue his assault, the cetanthro turned on him, smashing Owin¡¯s bubble-like shield in a single swing. Before the next attack hit, Owin turned, using the physical shield on his back to take most of the hit. He skidded over the ground.


    Owin backed off and paced to the side, watching Chaudius the entire time. The fish was fast, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. Of course the final boss of the Ocean was fast. All of the armor was the biggest surprise. Most of the mobs throughout the Ocean hadn¡¯t been that heavily armored, or they had relied on natural armor like chitin.


    On top of his speed and armor, he had spells. When Owin had last seen Flare Burst, it had been used by knights. So, was Chaudius a knight? The armor would say so.


    How did one defeat a knight?


    Chaudius let his mace fall back onto his shoulder.


    Shade climbed back to his feet and inched toward the fish¡¯s back once again.


    There was no reason to give Chaudius time to use any tricks or spells. Owin immediately sprinted back in and swung. His sword hit the shield once again and shook in his hand. He took a step back just as the mace crashed into the ground directly beside Owin.


    It was the best opening he had seen. He jumped and swung again, aiming for the hideous fish¡¯s head. Luminous light surged from the fish¡¯s black eyes and blasted Owin out of the water. He felt his chest burning as he hit the ground and slid. The Incandescent Blade tumbled from his hand


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    Quick, armored steps pounded on the ground. Before even looking, Owin cast Smoke Cloud, rolled, and leapt. A dark form of Chaudius appeared with a faint luminous glow. He left the cloud, hitting the ground with his hand first, and pivoted to face the boss as he emerged from the smoke.


    Chaudius hissed as he appeared. Luminous energy glowed brightly in his eyes. The glow continued down his armor, over his hand, and up the shaft of his mace. The fragmented head of the weapon took on the luminous energy and shone like a star.


    ¡°A mender,¡± Owin said quietly. He had seen that spell too many times to ever mistake it. Nikoletta¡¯s favorite. ¡°Luminous Surge.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Chaudius let the head of the mace drop to the ground. It sparked as it touched the tiled floor. ¡°The cathkabel will purify unholy creatures.¡±


    Shade appeared from the smoke and smashed his gauntlet against Chaudius¡¯s back.


    Chaudius froze mid step.


    The stun had worked. However brief it lasted, it was still an actual opening. Owin leapt and punched, smashing his fist into Chaudius¡¯s face. Dark skin tore under the strike, leaking blood into the water.


    By the time Owin hit the ground, the stun was already finished. The entirety of Chaudius¡¯s heavy shield crashed into him, breaking Owin¡¯s nose as he was launched backward, into the mace¡¯s range.


    ¡°A clever trick,¡± Chaudius said. Light surged in his eyes as his skin stitched right back together.


    Fighting a mender was difficult in any situation. Fighting a mender boss was going to be impossible if he couldn¡¯t hit hard enough to kill the boss in a single strike. Other cetanthro were weak to electricity, but using something like Discharge when he had no health potions left and Chaudius could heal himself could easily put Owin at a disadvantage, or simply outright kill him.


    No matter what route he went, Owin just knew he needed to figure out how to fight without his right arm. He felt clumsy and slow, like he had just awakened back in the goblin cave.


    Chaudius rushed forward. As fast as the boss was, Owin was quick enough to leap back and keep the same distance between them. After a few more quick dashes, Chaudius slowed, walking calmly at Owin.


    ¡°You flee this battle, but we have only just started.¡±


    Owin continued walking backward, staying light on his feet. He might need to jump to either side, or even over, if Chaudius tried any new tricks.


    Shade sprinted back to the center of the arena and waved dramatically. ¡°I have an idea!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think shouting the idea is going to help. He¡¯ll hear you.¡±


    Luminous light flared in the cetanthro¡¯s eyes.


    ***


    ¡°Just attack faster! Don¡¯t let him recover!¡±


    The skeleton¡¯s plan fit a true berserker, soldier, or assassin in terms of fighting tactics, but for a deficient wizard, and an injured one at that, attacking faster wasn¡¯t a route to victory. Owin had survived because of his brutality and lack of fear, or at least his relentless fighting despite his fear. Everything Vondaire had heard about the goblin insisted that he couldn¡¯t be stopped.


    So, what would he do when he was completely outmatched?


    Chaudius surged forward, leaving a trail of luminous light that caused Vondaire to squint. The fish attacked with his glowing mace, keeping Owin on a panicked retreat.


    ¡°Why does the skeleton just watch?¡± Vondaire asked.


    ¡°The Withered Shade¡¯s combat abilities are lacking. It is a support summon, and this iteration has yet to understand his role in combat. He frequently hides or gets himself killed. If the goblin is to make use of the Cursed, he has to understand the fool¡¯s role.¡±


    Sloswen had his arms folded across his chest. He hadn¡¯t blinked once through the entire fight. Vondaire wasn¡¯t sure if the god blinked at all.


    ¡°A support summon?¡± Vondaire idly formed a spectral kunai in his hand and spun it around his gloved finger. The fight had been relatively quick for him. After destroying the cetanthro¡¯s mana, besting him in combat was simple.


    Owin, without a true class, needed to rely on something else. If that skeleton was the answer, then they needed to figure out how to utilize it correctly.


    Vondaire opened his index and held his free hand to the side, away from Sloswen, and waved his fingers.


    ***


    Owin skidded to a stop beside Shade. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Even when I hit him, he heals immediately.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt my stun will help again.¡± Shade stared over Owin¡¯s head at the wall. He tilted his head slightly and waved his gloved hand. His index appeared in front of his face. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Chaudius¡¯s mace cleaved straight through Shade, causing the skeleton to explode into dust.


    Owin immediately leapt and punched, connecting with the fish¡¯s face once again. A similar punch had taken the head off the eighth floor boss. Now, it only tore skin that Chaudius easily healed.


    Owin landed, dodged to the side, and pounced again. He slapped his hand against the ear-like fin and cast Bolt. A burst of electricity shook Owin¡¯s hand as the spell passed right into the boss¡¯s head.


    Chaudius stumbled unsteadily, taking a step back as luminous light surged through his whole body.


    Owin took the opportunity to pull a wand from his belt. He needed a weapon that was easy to use, but his lich bone knife would shatter from any luminous damage. He needed to keep it away against a mender, which only left his wands until he retrieved the Incandescent Blade.


    As soon as his fingers touched the wand, he cast Ice Aura, cooling the water in a bubble around him. If it would actually have an effect on Chaudius was a mystery.


    ¡°Let us make this more interesting.¡± Chaudius flashed yellow, expelling the luminous light from his body. To his side, a circle appeared. A four legged figure materialized. It wasn¡¯t until the light faded that Owin could make out the wolf-like fish. It had a pointed head with long fins running from nose to tail. It was clearly a cetanthro, or something close, but also unlike anything Owin had seen before.


    ¡°Aulopi,¡± Chaudius said. ¡°Let us end this battle.¡±


    Aulopi, the four-legged fish, growled. Light flashed from the creature, which was echoed on Chaudius.


    Ocean Mob


    Aulopi


    Summon of Chaudius


    As far as Owin understood it from watching Suta, a familiar could cast all the same spells as its master. If a mender¡¯s summon was different, he had no idea what those differences would be.


    A one hit kill. That¡¯s all he needed. There was a chance he could drive the lich bone into the fish¡¯s head before it could break from any luminous energy, but that was a risk. The only other option he could imagine was getting the Incandescent Blade and cutting off the boss¡¯s head.


    Chaudius burst forward twice as fast as before. Owin felt the impact of the shield before he even realized what had happened. He flipped, landed on his feet, coughed up blood, and ducked as the mace whipped through the water above him.


    Owin leapt back before the flurry of attacks could continue. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he cast Smoke Cloud. While he couldn¡¯t gain experience to increase his level, he had gained experience in knowledge from practice. Sanem and Chorsay had taught him the importance of refining skills, of being able to improve even without ever rising above level one.


    The heavy mace passed low through the smoke, but Owin was already in the air. Chaudius hadn¡¯t been buffing himself, other than Luminous Surge. All of his extra strength and speed was coming from the little familiar that still stood off to the side.


    Owin hit the ground running, sprinting straight at Aulopi. He pointed and cast Ice Bolt. Before he could reach the four-legged fish, he felt the now-familiar impact of Chaudius¡¯s shield. Owin flipped, bounced off the ground, and rolled.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Cooldown: 20 seconds


    Owin wanted to curl up. He wanted to stop. To rest.


    An attack thumped against his shield, forcing him back down before he could even stand up.


    If he stopped now, if he let the next attack crush his skull, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore. Nobody would bother him anymore. The pain would end.


    Another attack struck his shield.


    The pain would end, but Artivan would still be back in the Great Forest wondering what happened. Wondering if Owin had made it to Chorsay. Katalin and Ernie would never know what happened. Suta would be without his twin.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°Got you!¡± Shade¡¯s spiked knuckles audibly clinked against Chaudius¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Owin leapt for Aulopi, tearing the fish¡¯s face off with his claws. Without another arm to steady him, Owin hit the ground and continued tearing into the fish until Chaudius appeared, looming like a giant.


    The shining mace dropped like a meteor. Owin had expected to die from a luminous mace, just not one wielded by a fish.


    His vision turned black. The world shook from the impact of the mace. Dust crumbled around Owin.


    ¡°I got you!¡± Shade shouted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Chaudius attacked again, but as the mace was about to crush his skull, Owin watched a chunk of his mana vanish in the bottom of his vision as he felt his body move on its own, causing him to leap forward and punch Chaudius in the center of his chest. The cetanthro stumbled back and looked at Shade.


    The skeleton had both his arms extended toward Owin. ¡°I¡¯m a knight!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Owin asked quickly.


    ¡°It means we¡¯re a real team.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 34

    Chaudius looked between the two of them, visibly unsure of who to attack. Owin took the opportunity to flee and fetch his sword. As soon as Owin turned his back, Chaudius charged Shade.


    ¡°Rampart!¡± Shade flashed brown and lifted his gauntlet, somehow blocking the boss¡¯s mace. A shockwave passed through the water from the exchange, but Shade still stood, still alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re a knight?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade looked back at the wall again, and nodded. ¡°Check your spells, Owin!¡±


    Owin opened his index and flipped to the spells tab, even as Chaudius struck Shade, launching him across the arena. The fish immediately turned and advanced on Owin.


    ¡°There¡¯s so many,¡± Owin muttered. He recognized most of the names. Everything Artivan had ever used was now part of Owin¡¯s list. Before, he had only had spells. Now, there were abilities. How? Why?


    That was something he was going to have to figure out later. For now, he had to use the new list to give him an advantage.


    ¡°Slowing Grasp,¡± he said, focusing on the area directly in front of Chaudius. A light blue circle of pulsing energy appeared on the ground, looking like it was pulling everything down.


    As soon as Chaudius stepped on it, he slowed. Little cuts appeared all over his skin. Not enough to cause serious damage, but enough to cause blood to bloom into the water. Luminous light burst in his eyes, and soon covered most of his body.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any ultimate moves here,¡± Shade shouted. ¡°Best I can do is keep you alive!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hit him hard enough to kill him!¡±


    The luminous energy immediately healed all the wounds caused by Slowing Grasp, but the slowing the fish down had given Owin a moment to scan through the abilities. He could try cutting Chaudius¡¯s head off in one swing or tearing through his brain in a single slash, but neither of those seemed likely. The fish was too fast and too durable. He needed something easier. Something where he could cause major damage quickly. His head was open, but it didn¡¯t appear to be a weak spot.


    Chaudius broke free of the slowing circle and rushed forward. Before he reached Owin, Shade strobed with a rainbow of colors. Chaudius turned, barely glancing at the skeleton. The distraction only lasted a brief moment, too quick for Owin to attack. The colors sputtered out, showering gray dust around Shade as the light faded.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas,¡± Shade said.


    Chaudius was too fast for Owin to get any meaningful hits. His massive shield was always in the way.


    ¡°Disarm!¡±


    Shade pulled his right arm off and held it up. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°The shield, Shade!¡± Owin sprinted forward, casting Smoke Cloud just as he leapt aside, dodging an overhead swing. The dark smoke exploded out, shrouding Owin even as he slid to the side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to help with that!¡± Shade shouted.


    Owin emerged from the smoke, right at Chaudius¡¯s leg. The fish had taken a step back, extending his shield to block whatever Shade was planning to do. His mace, in his left hand, was stretched out, as if he planned to swipe it back through the smoke.


    Now, with Owin so close, he had no clear way to attack. A loud thunk rumbled as the shield bashed into Shade¡¯s face. Chaudius lifted his foot, either to kick Owin or adjust his stance.


    A million half formed thoughts rushed through Owin¡¯s head. In other fights, he would¡¯ve jumped up and started trying to eat the boss¡¯s face. Other times he would just swing as hard as he could. There were limitless things he could do.


    He swung the Incandescent Blade as hard as he could manage, smashing the sword on top of Chaudius¡¯s armorclad foot. The sudden impact forced the fish¡¯s foot back to the ground, throwing him off balance as the mace passed through the smoke. A shuffle of wobbly steps caused the fish to pull his weapon and shield close.


    Owin stayed close and swung up, overhead, hitting the cetanthro in the wrist as he pulled his shield arm back. Metal clanked on metal as the armor deflected the sword, but the impact was clear. Owin, even one handed, had left a sizable dent in the plate armor.


    ¡°A surprise skeleton!¡± Shade somehow jumped high enough to land on Chaudius¡¯s shoulders. He grabbed at the fish¡¯s face, yanking on fins and teeth until he had a good enough grip to balance. As soon as his hands were secured, he flashed white, increasing his weight with the Ironclad Stance knight ability.


    An armored foot caught Owin on the chin, tossing him onto his back. He gasped, gagging on blood, jumped back to his feet and spat into the water. ¡°The shield,¡± he tried to say, but with the blood and a loose tooth, he wasn¡¯t sure how easy he was to understand.


    ¡°The what?¡± Shade poked Chaudius in the eye and nearly lost his balance, wrapped around the fish¡¯s head. His legs flailed as he slapped and clawed.


    Luminous light flashed in the fish¡¯s eyes as he swung the mace. Owin brought his sword up and turned his shoulder to support the end of the blade as the mace head crashed into the metal, throwing Owin back a few feet. Something in his shoulder had cracked, but he already couldn¡¯t use his arm. He clenched his jaw, worked back to his feet, and spat more blood.


    Chaudius lifted his shield, trying to use the top edge to bash Shade off his head. The skeleton grabbed onto the shield, nearly fell off, grabbed onto the fish¡¯s wrist, and started using abilities and spells, quickly draining Owin¡¯s mana.


    Chaudius dropped the shield, lifted his arm, and punched straight into the ground with incredible force. A bright luminous spell flashed as he smashed Shade directly into the floor. Even without the luminous spell doing any damage, the punch was more than enough to cause Shade to explode into a cloud of gray dust.


    An opening. It was all he needed. Owin was already sprinting, already jumping, before Chaudius finished killing Shade. A foot to the chest knocked the fish off balance. As soon as his foot touched the ground, Owin launched himself back up, hitting the center of the metal breastplate. Two more quick attacks forced Chaudius off his feet, onto his back.


    Owin dropped the sword and grabbed Chaudius¡¯s shield instead. It was far too big. Taller than Owin, and incredibly difficult to hold with a single hand. He swung it overhead, striking the sharp end against Chaudius¡¯s arm.


    Luminous light surged, igniting the end of the mace with white fire. A quick, powerful swing caused a shockwave to burst through the water. Owin used the tower shield to block, but the strength of the attack still flattened him. Without the shield, he¡¯d be nothing more than a cloud of blood in the water.


    He jumped up and swung the shield down, smashing the thin edge against Chaudius, just as the boss tried standing. Luminous fire ignited on Owin¡¯s skin, sizzling just like the lich¡¯s mist had done before.


    Pain didn¡¯t matter. His jaw ached, his shoulder throbbed, and now his skin was on fire. None of it mattered. Not until the boss was dead.


    Another overhead smash of the shield lodged the end into the bottom of Chaudius¡¯s breastplate, making the shield stand like a monolith. As the fish tried to sit up, Owin jumped off with all of his strength. He flipped, hit the ceiling with his feet, and pushed off again, cracking the colorful mosaics. Landing on the top of the shield would surely kill him, so Owin spun again. Even as Chaudius partially sat up with the shield embedded in his stomach, Owin crashed down like a meteor, striking the top of Chaudius¡¯s tower shield with his back, smashing the unbreakable shield onto the edge like a hammer.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Bones cracked and air swiftly left his lungs as Owin rolled off the top and fell onto the ground. He wheezed and groaned. The fire had vanished, leaving his skin charred. Nothing hurt because everything hurt. It was impossible to notice any specific injuries as he stayed face down on the tiled floor.


    ¡°A brutal tactic,¡± Chaudius said.


    Owin grunted and tried to stand. He swore the fish had died.


    ¡°Brutal but effective,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Owin groaned loudly as he turned his head. ¡°Wha . . . How?¡±


    Vondaire stood, twirling a spectral knife around his finger with an eyebrow raised. Sloswen stood beside the umbra with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as annoyed as ever.


    Sloswen made a gesture. Owin¡¯s vision blurred as his health bar rapidly filled. All the pain he had been feeling was amplified, then faded like it had never happened. ¡°Congratulations, Owin,¡± he said, sounding more angry than excited.


    Owin stood, scratched his head, grabbed his sword and walked up to Chaudius, who stood, unarmed, beside Sloswen. ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡±


    The fish nodded.


    ¡°Could you summon Shade?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    Sloswen snapped. Shade poofed into existence directly beside Owin and screamed when he saw Chaudius.


    ¡°The fight is over,¡± Sloswen said.


    ¡°Oh, thank . . . uh, you, I guess. Yes, thank you. That¡¯s what I intended to say.¡± Shade bowed.


    ¡°Owin,¡± Sloswen said. He crouched low and still towered over. ¡°I present you with your first shard. Despite what I said before, you have earned this honor. Are you aware of the challenges a shard presents?¡± The god extended his hand. His snake tattoo slithered from his chest, down his arm and lifted its head on his palm. A little silver gem emerged, humming as it hovered.


    ¡°No,¡± Owin said. He couldn¡¯t pull his eyes from the shard.


    ¡°From now on, when you enter a dungeon, the mobs levels and attributes will be increased. With one shard, they are doubled. With two, they are tripled. Each new shard continues creating a higher challenge in our towers.¡±


    ¡°What if I come back to the Ocean?¡±


    ¡°It will be more difficult. You may wish to revisit the Ocean. You missed a number of Deniz¡¯s bones.¡±


    Shade grunted.


    ¡°In the secrets I missed?¡±


    ¡°That, I cannot answer. Take the shard.¡±


    Owin passed the Incandescent Blade to Shade, who quickly sheathed it. The shard continued to hum until Owin grabbed it. The moment his fingers touched the silver gem, it vanished. He felt it reform in his right shoulder, like it was settling into the bone.


    ¡°Now what?¡± he asked, moving his shoulder. ¡°It feels weird.¡±


    ¡°You can summon it without a thought,¡± Sloswen said.


    Shade leaned close to Owin¡¯s ear. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It will rise when you need strength. You can consciously raise it as well. Your attributes will be increased only when the shard is summoned. While it is in your body, your attributes will remain the same as always. For you, that will lead to unpredictable results. I keep my word and have treated this as I would any hero.¡±


    ¡°Other than all the armor he gave you,¡± Shade whispered, obviously far too loud.


    ¡°I have since undone that mistake by limiting loot and increasing enemy strength on the ninth floor.¡± Sloswen gestured at Owin¡¯s missing arm.


    ¡°What if I lost my shoulder? Would the shard disappear?¡±


    ¡°A question I have not been asked. The shards are aligned to rise from your right, forming an arch as all seven rise to the left shoulder. Chaudius?¡±


    The water thrummed as a single shard emerged from Chaudius¡¯s right shoulder. The energy built, hammering against Owin¡¯s chest as a second, third, and fourth shard emerged until all seven hung in an arch behind Chaudius.


    ¡°If one were to lose a shoulder and survive, the shard would find a new place to reside. Once a shard is acquired, it can only be lost with death.¡±


    Owin closed his eyes, clenched his hand, and focused. He felt the shard rise and hum in the air behind him. The movement through his body wasn¡¯t painful, but it was uncomfortable.


    ¡°Why is Vondaire here?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one you keep talking about?¡± Shade cocked his head. ¡°I see what you mean. A little ugly, but there¡¯s potential.¡±


    Owin scowled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°This was a unique circumstance,¡± Sloswen said, standing back to his full height. ¡°Rarely do shard seekers travel together and wait for one another. I find it endearing and odd.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the opportunity,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°How was my fight?¡± Owin asked.


    The umbra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°For who?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Everyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin shrugged. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°You are free to leave.¡± Sloswen gestured to an exit door. ¡°You may wait outside on the sand, or if you wish, you may wait and witness the upcoming fight.¡±


    ¡°Myrsvai and Suta?¡± Owin asked quickly.


    ¡°Yes. They just defeated the deep sea behemoth.¡±


    Owin shivered at the name. They had beaten the unkillable boss. He wasn¡¯t really surprised. Myrsvai was smart. Smarter than Owin.


    ¡°Before long, they will be ready to fight Chaudius. You will be allowed to observe from the side, though you will not be able to listen to his question.¡± Sloswen gestured to the wall where he had been before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that. Thank you.¡±


    Vondaire waved him over.


    Owin cast one more glance at Chaudius, who remained silent, watching with yellow eyes. Was the fish angry? Did he hold grudges against those who beat him? Chaudius nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem rattled,¡± Vondaire said. He immediately leaned on the wall and tossed his knife into the air, catching it effortlessly.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The missing arm. The shard. Any of it.¡±


    Owin sat on the ground and kicked his legs out. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Shade copied Vondaire, leaning on the wall and even pretending to toss a knife. ¡°He¡¯s too special to feel scared.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Owin said. He leaned his head back. His armor was all in the process of growing back, but it still had a long way to go. ¡°I was terrified when it happened, when Shade was gone last floor.¡±


    Sloswen joined them and silently watched.


    ¡°I just kept running. At one point, I thought about giving up. More than once. But I just kept thinking about all of our friends who would always wonder what happened. They would be scared and sad. I don¡¯t want to be the reason anyone feels that way.¡±


    ¡°You survived for others.¡± Vondaire balanced the knife on the end of his gloved hand, then dropped it and let it vanish. ¡°Foolish, but admirable, I suppose. Nothing I would do.¡±


    ¡°Why do you survive?¡±


    ¡°For the attention, Owin. I do this for myself. Nothing was handed to us. If we do nothing, we gain nothing. Though, you do have fame simply for existing, while I would be unknown for eternity if not for my actions. People across Verdantallis will know me.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°They once did,¡± Sloswen added.


    Shade groaned. ¡°Stop bringing that up. Nobody needs to know that story.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Vondaire asked, pointing with his thumb at Shade.


    Shade did the same movement until he realized he was pointing at Sloswen. He quickly stopped and crossed his arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s Shade. He¡¯s my friend,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Best friend,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Owin touched the end of his arm, feeling the scarred, warped skin where his forearm had once been. ¡°He helped me a lot.¡±


    ¡°I noticed. Having a familiar almost makes you like a real wizard.¡±


    Owin chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m still deficient.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Vondaire sat beside him. ¡°Outside this dungeon, there has been nonstop chaos. Be ready, when we exit, for anything.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The world is watching, Owin. Nothing you do will be private anymore.¡±


    ¡°Even pooping?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°What do you think it is that I¡¯m talking about?¡± Vondaire asked.


    ¡°Defecating, clearly. Are we not speaking about the same thing? What was your name again? Vondoodoo?¡±


    They went back and forth, with a few comments from Sloswen, primarily about Shade being quiet. While they talked and joked, or whatever it was they were doing, Owin watched Chaudius.


    The cetanthro boss didn¡¯t stand in place and await his next fight. The way Sloswen had talked to him was similar to how Owin had seen the god speak to the Vile Fiend, like Chaudius was conscious. Awakened.


    There was furniture in the arena that had appeared when the fight ended, when Sloswen and Vondaire had emerged. Owin hadn¡¯t noticed it at first. There was too much going on as he healed and got his first shard.


    Chaudius sat at a table, almost too small for the massive fish, in front of a platter of small crabs and clusters of fish eggs. The boss idly ate while reading an odd-looking book that was apparently unaffected by the water.


    Weird, Owin thought. He put his head back and closed his eyes. He had struggled with the ninth and tenth floors, but he was confident Myrsvai and Suta would be fine. They would find a way.

 Book 4 - Chapter 35

    The last kraken fell, draining the last of Myrsvai¡¯s mana. Suta shook a tentacle frantically until loot fell out.


    ¡°Do you need a rest?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Suta shook his head. ¡°Boon.¡±


    The Vile Fiend¡¯s boon had been incredibly beneficial. Normally, Suta would have needed to rest at least once over a few floors. When they had first entered the Ocean, after the cathkabel fortress and the ordeal with Ligala Lepis, Suta had badly needed to regenerate. Now, he was ready to keep fighting, even if Myrsvai wasn¡¯t. Part of it was also reaching level 60 where Suta no longer required a constant stream of mana to remain summoned.


    Myrsvai crouched. ¡°Are you still happy with the plan?¡±


    Suta grabbed a gauntlet from the bag and nodded. ¡°Good plan.¡±


    ¡°You thought of it.¡± He stood and stretched his leg. There were plenty of frustrations with a prosthetic leg, but at least it never got tired or sore. If he used some of the mana batteries he had gathered, he could work with Potirantoma to build a better leg that would never have issues again.


    ¡°My mana should be back before we start. Considering the time Sloswen will spend answering our question, I believe we will be set.¡±


    Suta hurried to the stairs and wobbled on the edge. ¡°Go?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Myrsvai gestured with the end of his staff. ¡°Go. See you in a moment.¡±


    The familiar leapt into the black doorway as Myrsvai carefully took each step. It was a shame to throw away a master quality gauntlet, but at least it had been looted as part of a pair. They would still have the right hand if something in the plan went wrong.


    He stepped into the void nexus and soon found himself in the colorful, domed arena. The boss stood on the other side with a long mace resting on his shoulder. The fish nodded. Myrsvai nodded back and redirected Suta¡¯s sight before the familiar tried to leap into action.


    ¡°Myrsvai Ryllsion. You have done well making it this far. A true talent of the Abyss.¡± The water barely shifted before Sloswen appeared directly at his side.


    Suta lifted his hands, ready to fight, but a gentle tap with the staff calmed the familiar down.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Sloswen.¡± Myrsvai bowed his head. ¡°I look forward to this next battle.¡±


    ¡°Chaudius does as well. Please, ask your question. We will begin the battle soon.¡± The god of the Ocean stared straight at Myrsvai. His yellow pupils were like miniature suns.


    ¡°I have spent time thinking about this moment.¡± Myrsvai firmly planted his staff on the ground. ¡°How did Owin become a hero?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Sloswen crossed his arms. ¡°A complicated question, and a complicated answer.¡±


    ***


    Owin watched Myrsvai and Sloswen talk, but he couldn¡¯t hear a word they were saying. He figured if he ran over, he would be swiftly thrown out of the dungeon, back onto the sandbar outside.


    Owin poked Vondaire¡¯s leg. ¡°What do you think he¡¯s asking about?¡±


    ¡°You know the Maimed Magus better than I do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Shade said, waving his arms. ¡°I have a guess.¡±


    ¡°I cannot wait to hear this,¡± Vondaire said sarcastically.


    ¡°Good.¡± Shade put his arm on Vondaire¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This is why we¡¯re going to be best friends. What was your name again?¡±


    Owin stood up and gave Shade a look.


    The skeleton moved his arm. ¡°I would guess that he¡¯s asking about . . . Wow. I actually don¡¯t have a guess. Maybe he¡¯s asking about . . . Nope. Nothing.¡±


    Myrsvai and Suta both stared up at Sloswen, listening with intense focus to whatever story the god was telling. Owin desperately wished to hear that story, even if he didn¡¯t know what it was about.


    ¡°Your eyes are weird,¡± Shade said. He reached over to poke Vondaire¡¯s cheek, but the umbra vanished, reappearing on Owin¡¯s left side.


    ¡°Your familiar is unique,¡± Vondaire said. The umbra had a new spectral kunai in his hand. ¡°What happens when he dies?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can answer that,¡± Shade said. ¡°I end up in a box, which isn¡¯t normally comfortable, but it¡¯s even less comfortable now that I started using it to store things. It¡¯s like a magical closet. A really inconvenient closet that I also use as a room.¡±


    Owin sighed.


    ¡°You said you would stop doing that.¡± Shade sat on the ground beside Owin. ¡°We had a deal.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Shade shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re Shard Heroes now. We can sigh all we want.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Vondaire asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Owin said quickly. ¡°We¡¯re a team. But, what was all that? Where did you learn to do all of those things?¡±


    ¡°What things? Oh, you mean the things I did that helped us win the battle? Those things? It turns out every piece of clothing I gained was a sign that I also gained an ability.¡± He held up his hands. ¡°Not the glove and gauntlet, obviously. You guys gave me these. I guess the gauntlet gave me the stun, but it¡¯s not the same thing. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can use a Withered Shield, which is apparently like a normal shield but, uh, dusty.¡± He leaned his head back and opened his index. ¡°There¡¯s also one that just says Withered Abilities, but it just gives me some of the abilities and spells of the class I¡¯m given.¡±


    ¡°And you were a knight,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I was. Yes. Big, strong knight. Now, I¡¯m a . . .¡± His eyes sockets narrowed as he focused back on his index. ¡°Assassin, I believe. No . . . Yes.¡±


    Vondaire spun a kunai around his finger. He kept his eyes on Sloswen, far off in the distance. ¡°Is there any way to control your class?¡±


    ¡°No. Randomly assigned when I pop into existence. Poof, you¡¯re a soldier. Wham, assassin. That kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever get annoyed of this?¡± Vondaire asked.


    ¡°Of what?¡± Shade asked.


    Owin placed both hands on top of his head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking him. I¡¯m here too, you know.¡± Shade copied Owin with his hands on top of his head. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until we¡¯re all best friends.¡±


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    Owin rolled his eyes.


    ***


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Sloswen bowed, just slightly. ¡°Now, prepare yourself. Chaudius is ready.¡± The god vanished as quickly as he had appeared.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Myrsvai asked quietly.


    ¡°Mana?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s back. Do you think you can find them again?¡±


    Suta nodded and smashed his fists together. ¡°Waiting.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Myrsvai strode forward as abyssal fire gathered around his staff. Resummoning was a strategy for bringing demons under one¡¯s control. If a magus was interested in taming a powerful demon, one too powerful to fight, the only other options were to befriend it, which could be impossible with something like a frantic demon, or to resummon it and give it the chaos it wanted. Befriend it with blood.


    His goal wasn¡¯t to tame or befriend any new demons, but the blood and frantic demons from their previous boss fights were already waiting to be resummoned, eager with the promise of combat. The boss fight on the ninth floor against the sea priest had gotten a few of Suta¡¯s demons killed, but that was fine. Blood demons relished in the opportunity to use their comrades¡¯ blood in combat.


    Chaudius, the massive cetanthro boss, walked to the center of the arena. He flashed with luminous energy and summoned his own fish-like familiar.


    Luminous against Abyssal. The demons were going to enjoy ripping apart anything related to Elysium.


    Myrsvai bowed to Chaudius, even as abyssal fire raged on the end of his staff. ¡°I look forward to this battle.¡±


    Chaudius nodded and shifted his mace from his shoulder.


    Suta¡¯s hands raged with abyssal fire. The violet flames danced over the master quality gauntlet still held tight in his hand.


    ¡°Step one,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Suta nodded and smashed his fists together. A portal opened on the floor in front of him.


    At the same time, Myrsvai hit his staff on the tiled floor, opening his own portal. He could feel the frantic demons waiting, ready to surge through the portal. As long as he could hold out his mana for long enough to injure the boss, step two of the plan would be an easy success. No buffs, no spells. He only needed to stay out of combat and let the demons do their jobs.


    Chaudius and his familiar ignited with luminous fire. The boss¡¯s weapon glowed with Luminous Surge. He knew what was coming. He had to.


    The frantic demons emerged first, clawing furiously as they pulled themselves from the portal. Aulopi, Chaudius¡¯s familiar, shot a beam of luminous energy, piercing a frantic demon through the heart as soon as it emerged.


    Suta¡¯s blood demons leapt from their portals, soaring above the arena. One cut another¡¯s throat, spilling blood into the water. It pointed, sending a crimson streak like an arrow into the injured frantic demon. Its skin knitted immediately, bringing it back to life.


    The entire arena immediately fell into chaos. Suta retreated to Myrsvai¡¯s side.


    Four blood demons and five frantic demons was the most they could manage. For now. After another dozen levels, he would be able to double the amount of summons. If he focused on getting his wisdom up, he could raise that number even higher.


    The nine demons rushed Chaudius and Aulopi. It was obviously a losing fight for the Abyss. Chaudius¡¯s first attack with the mace took the head completely off a frantic demon, causing far too much damage for a blood demon to ever heal.


    Buffs and spells flashed off Aulopi as Chaudius fought all the frantic demons at once. Blood from everyone quickly clouded the center of the arena. Blood demons cut themselves and used their magic for weapons, healing, and even poisoning. It was difficult to tell how much they were helping or hurting the frantic demons. Even while they healed, they also poisoned the mad creatures from the Cackling Wasteland.


    ¡°It is still going according to our plan,¡± Myrsvai said. It was, perhaps, a little messier than he had hoped.


    ¡°Bloody,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°Too much, I think. Are you certain you are ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready.¡± The familiar bumped Myrsvai¡¯s prosthetic leg with his fist. ¡°Shard Hero.¡±


    ¡°Soon, Suta. We will be soon.¡±


    ***


    Owin had never seen anything like it. Chaudius and Aulopi were constantly using spells and abilities, trying to keep the demons from fully swarming them. Even attacks that looked like they should kill didn¡¯t stop the creatures on either side. A terrifying, long-limbed frantic demon raked its claws over Chaudius¡¯s head, nearly spilling the boss¡¯s brains out, but the cetanthro fully repaired itself.


    Good thing Owin had split him in half. If he had kept going for the head, he likely would have lost.


    Chaudius and Aulopi tore holes through the demons. The only two that had been killed had taken a fully charged luminous mace to the skull, which apparently was far too much damage to heal. Things like Flare Burst and other pinpoint luminous attacks that put holes through the demons or boiled their skin were still healed by the blood demons, who didn¡¯t get as close. They continued shooting lances of blood from a safe distance and only swarmed close to interrupt a spell.


    How would Owin ever fight an abyssal magus? Was Myrsvai especially talented or was this just how they all fought?


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have tamed that many,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°He did not. They have been risking their own lives by bringing untamed demons from two different realms of the Abyss,¡± Sloswen said. The god had been silent through the fight. He watched with interest and never flinched when his champion was injured.


    Owin didn¡¯t think he could do it. He knew he would react if Suta or Myrsvai were injured, but with how they were fighting now, he wasn¡¯t sure there was a risk. Not yet, at least.


    Chaudius flashed once, then fully glowed with luminous energy. Four blood lances pierced Aulopi at the same time, immediately killing the familiar. Whatever buff Aulopi had passed on didn¡¯t fade as the familiar vanished.


    Chaudius bashed his shield into a frantic demon, launching it backward. He let their claws scrape on his armor as he moved quickly, tearing through the last of the frantic demons with his luminous mace.


    If Owin had been a demon, or was just weak to luminous damage, he would have had a worse time in the fight. That much was obvious. The luminous mace truly tore through the demons.


    That also meant if Suta had to get close, he would be weak to the attacks as well. Owin balled his hand into a fist. Shade had his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder and squeezed.


    Chaudius used his shield to cut the last frantic demon in half, much like Owin had recently done to the cetanthro boss. He immediately turned to the four blood demons, who had started to spread out in a circle.


    Myrsvai crouched and talked to Suta. The familiar nodded vigorously.


    ¡°What is Suta holding?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°A gauntlet. This will be interesting.¡±


    ¡°A sound strategy,¡± Sloswen said, as if agreeing with Vondaire.


    Chaudius caught a fleeing blood demon with a strike to its knee. Blood swarmed the area, but luminous magic moved about Chaudius, acting like a shield from the abyssal attacks. He finished off one blood demon, and chased down another.


    ¡°Did Chaudius hurt you at all?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. Not that I gave him a chance.¡±


    ¡°But apparition damage was probably really useful.¡±


    The umbra smiled and spun the ghost kunai around a finger. ¡°It certainly was.¡±


    Chaudius blocked a blood demon¡¯s lance with his shield while simultaneously hitting another with Flare Burst. After the frantic demons¡¯ attacks and the glancing blows of blood lances, Chaudius¡¯s armor was starting to show signs of wear. The fish was still visibly uninjured after healing himself throughout the fight, while the demons were looking worse every second.


    Chaudius crushed the burning demon with his mace, then turned and smashed the glowing mace head into the ribs of another blood demon. He followed up his attack with a shield bash that caused the demon¡¯s head to burst.


    Before long, demon corpses were spread around the arena, leaving only Myrsvai and Suta left standing against Chaudius. The magus and his familiar stood confidently in the same spot they had started.


    Owin understood why Myrsvai was used to standing back. Getting in the middle of that fight would be more dangerous than watching from afar. But what were they going to do now that their summons were dead? Vondaire and Sloswen seemed to know what was coming next, but based on Shade¡¯s tight grip on Owin¡¯s shoulder, the skeleton had as good of a guess as Owin did.


    Suta held both arms above his head with both hands wrapped around the gauntlet.


    ¡°This is far more exciting than your fight,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Rude. I was there,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Nightmare Metamorphose,¡± Suta said. Abyssal flames appeared and immediately consumed the gauntlet.


    ¡°Power 6,¡± Shade said quietly.


    Owin¡¯s eyes widened.


    The ground rumbled as the abyssal flames leapt from the gauntlet to Suta, fully covering the familiar in less than a second. Chaudius apparently knew what was happening, or at least had a guess, as he sprinted forward at incredible speeds. Luminous light flared as he focused it into the end of his mace and brought the weapon down with his massive strength.


    Myrsvai didn¡¯t flinch at all as the mace came to a stop, sending a shockwave through the water.


    Abyssal flames vanished, revealing Suta in a twisted new form. The familiar¡¯s arms were twice as long and covered in spikes. The crystals on his head had grown considerably, now looking more like shining blue stalagmites. His feet had widened and splayed out.


    If Owin hadn¡¯t seen the transformation take place, he would never have guessed the creature was Suta.


    Chaudius¡¯s glowing mace had stopped an inch before crushing Suta¡¯s head. The familiar had blocked the attack with his massive hands. Abyssal flames raged, pushing back against the luminous light.


    ¡°Now, the real battle begins,¡± Sloswen said.

 Book 4 - Chapter 36

    The last time Suta had used Nightmare Metamorphose, Myrsvai had been bleeding, missing his leg. Bastronum had done everything he could do to protect Myrsvai before the Husvrina Hero Company had killed him.


    When Suta had used the Power 6 spell, it had been on Myrsvai¡¯s gauntlet. A gauntlet he had still been wearing. The pain of the gauntlet crushing, twisting, burning never left his mind. Losing a leg was nothing compared to the pain he had felt in that moment.


    His beloved familiar turned into a monster, and all Myrsvai could think about was his inevitable, painful death.


    Back then, he panicked. It was the end.


    Myrsvai smiled.


    It never was the end. Suta was more capable than anyone Myrsvai had ever known. How much of it could be contributed to him, he was unsure. The abyssal familiar was, and always would be, a hero.


    ¡°I believe in you, Suta.¡±


    ***


    Owin had thought he was strong. After devouring the Vile Fiend, he thought he was unstoppable. How could he be so stupid?


    Suta threw Chaudius¡¯s arm to the side and struck the cetanthro with a palm strike that nearly shattered his breastplate. The boss skidded back and reignited himself with luminous magic.


    Chaudius had the advantage in damage type, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    Owin held Shade¡¯s arm. ¡°Do you see that?¡±


    ¡°Is that a missing eye joke?¡±


    ¡°All his martial arts training,¡± Owin said quietly.


    Chaudius stepped in close and swung, but Suta moved like he had always been so huge. His transformation wasn¡¯t the least bit awkward. Suta¡¯s spiked forearm deflected Chaudius¡¯s swing, causing the cetanthro boss to present his face.


    Suta punched with a fist engulfed in abyssal flame. It appeared faster than Owin could follow. Chaudius bounced off the ground as he sailed across the arena, coming to a stop only when he crunched against the opposite wall.


    Suta stood to his full height, which rivaled Chorsay. The familiar let his arms hang, which let his hands drag on the tiled ground. He watched patiently until Chaudius finally made his way back to his feet. The boss was injured, but with a flash of light, his injuries immediately faded.


    The way Owin looked at fighting a mender was you had to kill them in a single hit, like he had done against Chaudius, or you had to fight until their mana was gone, like against Nikoletta. He could have killed her in a single hit, but a mender without mana is rarely a threat from what he had seen.


    ¡°You burned away Chaudius¡¯s mana,¡± Owin said.


    Vondaire spun a ghost kunai idly. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°How long did that take?¡±


    ¡°Seconds. It was an unfortunate matchup for the fish. I¡¯m certain other bosses will provide a challenge. To someone.¡±


    Chauidus lumbered back toward the center of the room. He repositioned his shield and flared luminous light on the end of his mace. When he was ready, he nodded.


    Suta lifted his arms and smashed his fists together. Abyssal flames formed, as if lit from a spark, and climbed over his hands and up his arms.


    ***


    With all the untamed demons dying so fast, Myrsvai actually found himself with a significant store of mana remaining. A Power 6 spell required no mana to maintain since the strength of the spell is entirely dependent on the item sacrificed.


    That meant Myrsvai was free to buff Suta. Based on the first exchange, Suta needed no help, but when the thought occurred to Myrsvai, he immediately received a connected thought. A reply.


    Buff.


    Myrsvai swirled abyssal fire around the head of his staff. He smiled, looking through his list of spells. What was one he hadn¡¯t used in a long time?


    Catalyst of the Abyssal Lord. A dangerous Power 5 spell that would eat away at the rest of his mana, but it could build upon the existing boon from the Vile Fiend.


    Myrsvai took a deep breath. The stronger a magus became, the more focused every little thing became on control. He had to control himself, control his strength, control his portals, or everything could go wrong. A loss of control could mean the emergence of countless untamed demons.


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    There was a reason any spells that summoned more than a single demon at a time were illegal in Verdantallis. At least if he unleashed a horde of demons in the dungeon, they would be trapped on that floor.


    Suta dashed at Chaudius, who blocked with his tower shield and countered with a luminous blast. While the attack obviously hurt, a little luminous energy wasn¡¯t going to stop Suta. He ignited himself with abyssal flames.


    As Chaudius swung his glowing mace, the flames and the light countered each other. The swing continued, but it was only a normal mace head, which was easy for Suta to stop. His hands were so massive, he wrapped his entire hand around the head of the mace and tore it from Chaudius¡¯s grip. The weapon sailed across the arena and crashed in front of Myrsvai.


    Chaudius immediately repositioned, focusing his entire body behind the tower shield.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Mrysvai whispered. He tapped his staff on the ground and forced it against the tile.


    A portal swirled to life, starting small like a coin floating just in front of his eyes, before he pushed it away and tore it open with force. The portal grew until it was about six feet tall and swirling like a gateway between cities.


    It wasn¡¯t a void nexus or a true abyssal portal. This was cloudy, holding the magenta colors of Myrsvai¡¯s flames, as it connected with the Vile Fiend¡¯s Plains of Awakening. Locating a suitable spot for the portal, and placing it in the correct realm had taken most of Myrsvai¡¯s focus. Placing the portal somewhere accessible to all demons made it easier for them to interfere, to try to break through.


    With this portal, only the Vile Fiend¡¯s powers flowed. Strands of stark white energy whipped from the portal, lashing at Suta. Instead of hurting, each strike left a glowing mark that caused the water to shudder.


    Myrsvai closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his staff. As long as he stayed focused, the portal would remain stable. He could feel Suta, could feel the power growing within the familiar, and he could see the entire fight through the familiar¡¯s eyes.


    Time to end it.


    Shard Heroes, Suta thought.


    ***


    ¡°I underestimated him,¡± Vondaire said. His knife was gone. All of his attention was on the fight before them. ¡°He¡¯s no normal magus.¡±


    Suta roared like a beast. The entire arena quaked as he smashed his fists together. Tiles cracked all around the familiar as he shifted into his fighting stance.


    Sloswen had been silent, watching the fight with interest. As soon as Myrsvai opened the portal, the god shifted uncomfortably. All of his tattoos moved, shifting across his arms and underneath his tunic. Owin had only ever noticed the snake, but clouds drifted and lines waved. What was a god thinking during a fight?


    ¡°I might be nearly immune to abyssal damage, but, uh, I wouldn¡¯t survive this. It might kill me for real,¡± Shade said.


    Suta took a step forward and jabbed, striking the center of Chaudius¡¯s tower shield. A shockwave passed through the water, briefly obscuring Owin¡¯s view. Chaudius took a step back, and as the bubbles cleared, Owin spotted a hole the size of Suta¡¯s fist in the middle of the tower shield.


    Chaudius tossed it to the side. The fish¡¯s eyes glowed yellow as luminous energy rippled down his arms, gathering in his fists. A small shift of his feet squared Chaudius with Suta, who remained in a fighting stance.


    ¡°He¡¯s lost,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°The fish lost a long time ago,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°He never stood a chance.¡±


    Suta waited patiently, standing completely still. Owin felt like he needed to hold his breath as he waited for either of them to move.


    Finally, Chaudius lunged forward with a feint before shifting and swinging a golden fist for Suta¡¯s head. The familiar side stepped and punched, not even bothering to block or deflect the fish¡¯s attack. It was so fast that Owin only saw Suta shift, then Chaudius was gone.


    The cetanthro boss was limp in a crater, embedded so far into the arena wall that the shimmering boundary wall was visible.


    ¡°And there it is,¡± Vondaire said.


    Sloswen snapped, revealing them all.


    Suta turned, fists raised, then immediately let his arms drop. He cocked his head as his eyes locked onto Owin.


    Owin waved.


    Shade stepped in front of Owin and waved both of his arms.


    Myrsvai closed the portal, stumbled back, and steadied himself. He flashed twice, then fell onto his bottom.


    ¡°A double level up?¡± Vondaire asked. ¡°What did he just do?¡±


    Suta sprinted over, moving too fast to follow, and barreled into Owin. The familiar¡¯s overly long arms wrapped around Owin and pulled him right off the ground.


    ¡°Twin,¡± Suta said, his voice deep, rumbling, and horrifying.


    ¡°You did it,¡± Owin said, straining as he was nearly crushed.


    Sloswen presented the shard to Myrsvai, who had climbed back to his feet. ¡°Your first shard. With your strategy, I do not believe Chaudius would have survived with a shard activated.¡± He snapped and Chaudius appeared, perfectly healthy with his shield and armor fully intact, directly beside Sloswen.


    Myrsvai nodded to the fish.


    Sloswen transferred the shard to Myrsvai, then gestured to the new exit door near Owin. ¡°I bid you all a safe travel to your next destination. I have spoken more than is acceptable among our council. If you acquire all seven, I will speak with you again. For now, farewell.¡±


    The god vanished, leaving Chaudius standing awkwardly for a moment before the cetanthro simply turned and returned to his table and chair that had reappeared with the exit door. He carefully set his mace and shield aside, shed his armor, and sat in the wooden chair with an exhaustion Owin couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± Shade said. ¡°I think he wants to get rid of us. Why would he want to do that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why,¡± Vondaire said.


    Myrsvai joined them around the same time that Suta¡¯s transformation started to fade. The familiar shrunk quickly, leaving no sign that he had just been a massive creature. By the time Myrsvai joined them, Suta stood with his arm over Owin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lord Sloswen let you watch?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Vondaire watched me fight too,¡± Owin said.


    Vondaire stifled a yawn. ¡°It was less impressive.¡±


    ¡°Less impressive is still impressive,¡± Shade said. ¡°Just less so.¡±


    Vondaire gestured to the exit. ¡°Let us be on our way before we find a way to piss off the gods.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be my first time,¡± Owin said as he guided Suta toward the exit.


    ¡°I get that sense.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 37

    Owin stood with his eyes closed, letting the sunlight warm his skin. He took a deep breath, immediately noticing the lack of salt.


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± someone said.


    Owin flinched and immediately reached for his knife, but Vondaire¡¯s hand tapped his shoulder, calming him.


    ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Vondaire asked.


    Owin looked over the men sitting around a table, each with a glass raised.


    ¡°In Kriergow, we learned to keep still until our glasses are empty.¡±


    The others cheered and took a drink.


    ¡°Why is there a table here?¡± Owin asked.


    Vondaire simply nodded in their direction, then pivoted. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°You must be famous,¡± one of the seated men said. ¡°A giant held the ferry for you.¡±


    ¡°A giant?¡± Owin looked past the small line of heroes waiting to enter, to the end of the sandbar where the ferry bobbed in the water. Chorsay sat on the edge and casually waved.


    ¡°Somehow, this is what I expected,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°Of course, Chorsay would be waiting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that goblin folk everyone is talking about,¡± one of the men at the table said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin tapped a finger on his helmet, which had mostly regrown. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious with the green skin?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin grabbed Shade¡¯s hand and dragged him across the sandbar. The others followed while Vondaire positioned himself directly between Owin and the line of heroes waiting to enter the dungeon.


    ¡°How long have you been waiting?¡± Vondaire asked as they neared the ferry.


    ¡°A few hours. They told me you had just gone in the exit not long before I arrived.¡± Chorsay stood and gestured onto the ferry. ¡°We have a lot to discuss.¡±


    ¡°I thought we would be celebrating,¡± Vondaire said. He vanished and reappeared on the deck of the ferry. ¡°Oh, we have company.¡±


    Owin wrapped his hand around the lich bone handle as he jumped on deck. As soon as he spotted the gold-clad man, he relaxed and smiled. ¡°Arkasti.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the goblin boy!¡±


    As soon as everyone was aboard, the ferry started moving, leaving the sandbar. Owin sat near Arkasti and stared at the swirling void nexus leading into the Ocean. He didn¡¯t even know how long he had just spent inside, but it felt like forever.


    Chorsay sat on the deck, directly across from Owin. Myrsvai settled beside him, while Suta eyed Arkasti suspiciously. Vondaire also lingered, standing near the prow. Shade looked between all the new, unfamiliar people, then awkwardly shuffled over to Vonadaire.


    ¡°Arkasti and I ran into one another while I was retrieving your hammer from Atrevaar,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°I have quite the story.¡± The old man looked at Owin¡¯s arm and smiled softly. ¡°I imagine you each have your own stories as well.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Myrsvai said. ¡°If Owin does not mind, I would prefer you start. I am starving for information about the outside world.¡±


    ¡°I will, as soon as you introduce your friend, Owin,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Shade,¡± Owin called.


    The skeleton poked Vondaire before walking over and standing quietly behind Owin.


    ¡°Shade, this is Arkasti, a Shard Hero I met during my first time in the Ocean, and Chorsay, the leader of the Nimble Hogs. Everyone else, this is the Withered Shade, who we just call Shade. He¡¯s my familiar, and the only reason I survived to the end.¡±


    Chorsay smiled at Shade. ¡°Nice to meet you, Shade. I look forward to getting to know you better. Would you join us? When Owin shares his story, you can add any relevant information.¡±


    ¡°Good luck keeping it relevant,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Yes, absolutely. I can do that.¡± Shade sat on the deck beside Owin. ¡°I can add so many details you will be able to taste the story.¡±


    Suta shook his head.


    Vondaire finally joined them, sitting silently beside Myrsvai. His index was open and his yellow eyes flicked between each person. Just as Chorsay was about to start talking, Vondaire loudly cleared his throat. ¡°Arkasti. I noticed you wear the regal attire of a Bull, but I can¡¯t help but notice you are an unaffiliated hero.¡±


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s right. Once a Golden Bull, always a Golden Bull.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how we can start our story, I suppose,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°Cix was training at the Fortress . . .¡± His voice immediately drifted off. ¡°Many of you are unfamiliar with Cixilo. She is a talented Nimble Hog umbra.¡±


    Vondaire rolled his eyes.


    ¡°While she was traveling home, she ran into Andres Orben, leader of the Golden Bulls.¡± Chorsay scratched his neck. ¡°I¡¯m not much of a storyteller. Andres Orben came to Atrevaar and threatened the Hogs. I killed him.¡±


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    ¡°Self defense,¡± Arkasti added. ¡°You say it like it was murder.¡±


    ¡°It might as well have been.¡±


    ¡°He was a 3 Shard Hero,¡± Vondaire said. The umbra fidgeted with a spectral kunai with his index still raised. ¡°Are you hiding something?¡±


    ¡°No. Andres was a hunter who got too close,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°A smart hero would have kept their distance.¡±


    Owin noted for the first time that Chorsay had Artivan¡¯s old winged sword sheathed on his hip.


    ¡°I traveled to Atrevaar after getting my second shard to find you,¡± Arkasti said to Owin. ¡°When I arrived, the Nimble Hog building was destroyed and the military thought I was there to finish the job.¡±


    Vondaire lowered his index. ¡°So, you left the Bulls? What, out of principle? The goodness of your heart?¡±


    ¡°Selfish reasons, I suppose.¡± Arkasti ran his hand over the flat side of his claymore. ¡°I had no friendship with Andres. I barely knew the man. Attacking weaker heroes is an unforgivable act. My goal is to acquire all seven shards, and associating with the Golden Bulls was suddenly proving to be a questionable decision. Miss Alegarra suggested I leave, so I did.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the other thing,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°We will be heading straight to Vraxridge, to Althowin Alegarra¡¯s compound. Miya, Sanem, and Raif are there waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°What about everyone else?¡± Owin asked.


    Arkasti let out a deep belly laugh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I like that response,¡± Owin whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of these words mean, so I¡¯m just nodding a lot like I understand,¡± Shade whispered loudly. ¡°You¡¯re all saying a lot of names like I know any of them, and let me tell you, I don¡¯t know any of them. I don¡¯t really know anything, apparently.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it again later.¡±


    Shade nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep pretending like I am following along so nobody feels bad for leaving me out.¡±


    Everyone stared at Shade, who was whispering far too loudly to keep anything a secret.


    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Arkasti asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Myrsvai said quickly.


    ¡°Everyone else has joined a new hero company for the moment so they could form a party to get their shards together.¡± Chorsay watched Owin for a moment. ¡°That party includes Po, Cix, and Lera from the Hogs, Siora and Sylmare from Void Nexus, and Kat and Ernie.¡±


    Owin stared blankly.


    ¡°That is . . . quite the party,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°It is.¡± Chorsay waited a moment, looking Owin, Myrsvai, Suta, and Vondaire up and down. ¡°You all succeeded, even if it was challenging. You are all Shard Heroes now.¡±


    ¡°Considering everyone sitting here is a Shard Hero, this might be the most powerful group in the world,¡± Vondaire said. He tossed his knife into the air and caught it.


    ¡°If that was true, we wouldn¡¯t be on our way to Althowin¡¯s,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°After Andres attacked, she invited all Hogs to live in Vraxridge. The Golden Bulls are the least of our concerns.¡±


    Arkasti nodded. ¡°The Three Headed Hero Company.¡±


    ¡°And Magna Regum,¡± Vondaire added. ¡°I had a meeting with Egnatia.¡±


    ¡°A meeting?¡± Chorsay raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Over dinner. And drinks. Perhaps some flirting.¡± Vondaire diverted his gaze. ¡°It was an odd evening.¡±


    ¡°Flirting from you or the Demon Killer?¡± Arkasti asked.


    ¡°I have yet to figure that out.¡±


    Arkasti chuckled.


    ¡°What do they all want?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade put his hand on Owin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You,¡± Chorsay said.


    ***


    Siora had never seen a party take so long to actually approach a dungeon. They found just about every reason in existence to stall. Food, drinks, even sightseeing. Foolish.


    Sylmare stuck to Veph¡¯s side like the weird lapdog she was, but everyone else was relaxed and having fun. Everyone but Siora.


    They were still in Ryh Thalor with plans to enter the Subterranean within the next couple days. It was so unspecific that Siora wanted to tear her hair out and shove it down Potilia¡¯s throat. The damn berserker was constantly panicking, spilling drinks and food, or tripping over things so easily avoidable. How was she going to become a Shard Hero when she couldn¡¯t walk up a flight of stairs?


    Veph had found a tower on the edge of Ryh Thalor that let one look deep into the mountains from the top. There were rooms to stay inside the tower with a restaurant on the lower level. They even boasted about a sauna somewhere, using natural heat from underground.


    Nobody would even have to worry about the cold if they just went into the damn dungeon.


    Veph insisted they stay there for a few days to finish their preparations. What other preparations could she need to make? What could any of them do?


    Ernie took the opportunity to immediately hide in his room to work on some projects, and the others went to eat or find the sauna, leaving only Siora and Katalin on the top floor, looking out over the mountains of Kriergow.


    ¡°Think about it this way,¡± Katalin said. ¡°You are getting to do all these things you normally wouldn¡¯t do, and Althowin is paying for it all.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just your normal life?¡±


    ¡°Eh. Sure.¡± Katalin leaned on the railing, looking down to the snow-covered paths below. ¡°Being impatient doesn¡¯t make things happen faster.¡±


    ¡°We need an actual party leader. Veph can do what she wants. She won¡¯t be going in with us anyway. We¡¯d all die.¡± Siora looked back down the stairs, then rolled her eyes and joined Katalin at the railing. ¡°Someone needs to make decisions.¡±


    ¡°You and Lera have the most experience, but getting the Hogs to listen to you is, well, it¡¯s unlikely. Ernie and I are the neutral party, I guess, but we¡¯re not tactical. I have no interest in being in charge of any of you.¡± Katalin pulled a bottle from her bag and started swirling the mixture inside.


    Siora watched Katalin mess with the bottle for a few quiet moments. The mixture inside changed colors and shifted differently as Katalin¡¯s palm glowed. Watching an alchemist work was fascinating, but it was impossible to follow. She shifted her attention back to the mountains. The snow-covered peaks looked so close, but she couldn¡¯t be tricked. The hike to the top would be difficult, though not as dangerous as the one underneath. ¡°Lera hasn¡¯t said a word to me,¡± Siora finally said, breaking the silence.


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t said a word to her.¡±


    Siora grunted.


    ¡°The Hogs aren¡¯t going to get over Artivan¡¯s death anytime soon, but if you try to be friendly, it¡¯ll be easier. You do what you want, but brooding and only talking to me isn¡¯t going to get you anywhere.¡± Katalin stashed the bottle. ¡°They¡¯re all enjoying some food or a sauna right now, and we¡¯re up here looking out at some fucking mountains.¡± Katalin thrust her arm out toward the range. ¡°Nothing is changing out there. Nobody gives a shit about a mountain. But down there, they¡¯re becoming closer friends.¡±


    ¡°Then why is your boyfriend locking himself in a room alone?¡±


    ¡°To build something to keep the two of us safe. If you get on his good side, he might try to keep you safe too.¡±


    ¡°I made him jump into the ocean to save Owin.¡±


    Katalin nodded slowly as she took a few steps back toward the stairs. ¡°You have a lot of ground to make up. With everyone. Are you going to do it up here?¡±


    Siora groaned. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready for a sauna. We¡¯ll see who is getting some food.¡± Katalin grabbed Siora¡¯s hand and nearly dragged her down the stairs.

 Book 4 - Chapter 38

    By the time the ferry reached Minolitana Prima, Vondaire had finished with his story. At least, as much of it as he was going to share. There were obviously gaps, especially with how he had spent his time after getting the shard, but Chorsay didn¡¯t press him for more.


    Myrsvai told his story next as they walked through the city. At first, Owin listened closely, but with the realization that he was present for almost the entire story, he quickly stopped listening and took in the sights of the city. More people were reacting to him than they had before, and Shade had yet to say a word as he stared at everything.


    Arkasti walked close to Owin with the claymore resting on his shoulder and the smaller blade in his free hand. Arkasti seemed to half listen to the stories while keeping an eye on the people who waved to and shouted for Owin.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Arkasti said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin nudged Shade. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What is this place called?¡±


    ¡°Minolitana Prima,¡± Arkasti said.


    ¡°I have a little tickle of a memory of this place. Kind of. I remember all the white walls, but the rest is . . . it¡¯s taller than I remember.¡±


    ¡°You were alive?¡± Arkasti asked.


    ¡°He was a hero once,¡± Owin said.


    Shade looked at him. Owin smiled softly. He wasn¡¯t going to share most of Shade¡¯s story. That was for Shade to share, if he wanted.


    ¡°You were? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I died,¡± Shade said.


    Owin nodded.


    Vondaire appeared beside Owin. He matched pace perfectly and sighed dramatically. ¡°You see what bothers me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°This praise you are getting. The fame.¡± Vondaire gestured to the people who shouted at Owin. The streets weren¡¯t absolutely packed with people, but it was busier than Owin had seen the couple of times he had been in Minolitana Prima.


    ¡°And yet,¡± Vondaire continued. ¡°I get none. What do you have that I don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Purple hair,¡± Shade said quickly.


    Vondaire brushed a gloved hand over his blonde hair. ¡°I have a feeling there is more than the color of our hair involved. You see, even Chorsay and Arkasti, both 2 Shard Heroes, get no acknowledgement.¡±


    ¡°Ew, is that a skeleton,¡± somebody nearby said.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Shade shrugged. ¡°I have no hair and people are still talking about me.¡±


    ¡°That is reinforcing my point, Shade. There is a unique factor to the two of you that make you more noticeable to the average fool. How am I meant to stand out when you garner attention simply from existing?¡±


    ¡°What if you fused with a goblin after your second shard?¡± Arkasti asked. ¡°That would fuel the peoples¡¯ fire.¡±


    ¡°I would never. What about you? Any thoughts to a fusion?¡± Vondaire asked.


    They reached the peak of Minolitana Prima where the portal circle sat, guarded by Magna Regum heroes. Arkasti and Chorsay both scanned the area, making the effort obvious. Owin wondered what the point was when they could have easily done the same thing without opening indexes or making a show of checking each soldier present.


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± Arkasti said after a moment. ¡°It looks fine to me, Chorsay.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    ¡°What are you watching for?¡± Myrsvai asked.


    Suta lifted his hands, ready to punch.


    ¡°Egnatia, mostly.¡± Chorsay looked behind them. ¡°Caution is our ally. To the Vraxridge portal.¡± He dug out a handful of coins and passed them to the portal guard.


    Vondaire wordlessly guided Owin to the correct portal, and gave him a little shove into the swirling mass. As soon as Owin was inside and felt the now-familiar pain of city to city portals, he wondered if Shade could travel through the portals.


    Before long, he appeared in another portal circle, stumbled as he figured out his footing, and then caught Shade as the skeleton tumbled out.


    ¡°I was worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to use the portal,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Worried? About me?¡± Shade tapped his gloved hand on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°While it is sweet, I would be more touched if you hadn¡¯t jumped head first into the portal. Someone who is truly worried would wait and check on their loved one before leaping into the unknown.¡±


    ¡°Vondaire pushed me.¡±


    The umbra stepped out of the portal and adjusted his sleeves. ¡°I did, and I will again.¡±


    Everyone else appeared before long. While Shade continued ranting about something, everyone went silent. Even all the portal guards and travelers.


    It was terrifying at first, but then Owin followed everyone¡¯s gazes and spotted a woman standing at an entrance to the portal circle. She wore a long, white coat, a cropped pink shirt underneath, and tailored pants. One of her hands was metal, and after a moment of staring, Owin realized one of her feet, even in heeled shoes, was also a prosthetic. Two fox ears stuck out from the top of her head and a tail swished behind her.


    Owin made a face. ¡°Is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vondaire said quickly.


    ¡°This party looks worse than the other one,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°They¡¯ll look the part after a bath,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°No more water, please,¡± Owin said.


    Althowin cracked a smile. ¡°Get moving.¡±


    ¡°Let us go,¡± Chorsay said. He gently put his hands on Arkasti and Myrsvai¡¯s backs, guiding them forward.


    Owin ignored everyone else¡¯s discomfort and led the way. Shade stuck right beside him, and Suta appeared on Owin¡¯s other side before long.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Owin said as he reached Althowin.


    Her index immediately appeared. ¡°Interesting.¡± It vanished. ¡°Katalin and Ernie had a lot of good things to say about you. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Shade said. He saluted.


    Althowin pointed at Shade with her thumb. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°My familiar,¡± Owin said.


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°Is that a real answer?¡± Althowin opened her index again, looking at Shade. She frowned and closed the glowing screen. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen something beautiful?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Does it always talk this much?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Myrsvai said.


    Althowin raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your stories too. Miya had a lot to say about you. If I¡¯m not mistaken, she is rather infatuated.¡±


    Myrsvai furrowed his brow. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again and pressed his lips together.


    ¡°Some things are better left unsaid,¡± Chorsay said gently. ¡°Let¡¯s speak more once we return. Owin has yet to share the story of his adventure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine. Come on. Your friends are probably eager to see you.¡± She turned on one foot, then slipped her hands into her jacket pockets and started walking straight through the city, ignoring all the looks.


    ¡°Now this is true fame,¡± Vondaire whispered to Owin.


    ¡°It sure is,¡± Althowin said.


    Vondaire went still and silent, clearly having not intended Althowin to hear him. Owin laughed and took the opportunity to see Vraxridge. After having been hurried through a few times, he had barely been able to see anything not immediately around the portal circle.


    Vraxridge was tall. Every building Owin could see was bigger than the tallest in Atrevaar. It felt cramped on both sides of the main road they walked down. The tall buildings were like a dense forest, grown too close together but too big and old to change anything.


    Random people soon started growing as excited as they had been in Minolitana Prima. Once Althowin had led the party away from the portal circle, random people walking past started to shout things at Althowin. Most were positive, some were not. Althowin ignored it all, and anyone who got close quickly retreated under a quick glance from the 7 Shard Hero.


    ¡°How did you lose the arm?¡± Althowin asked.


    ¡°The deep sea behemoth on the ninth floor.¡±


    ¡°The unkillable one?¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Did you kill it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Althowin stopped outside a door and gestured. The building was visually unremarkable, but the size dwarfed everything else in the area. It was a series of tall, stone buildings connected by walkways. The whole compound formed a circle, and from the outside, Owin couldn¡¯t tell what was in the center. It could just be another building, or something else entirely.


    ¡°Welcome to my home,¡± Althowin said. ¡°Before we reunite you with all your friends, I do intend to listen to the entire story of your journey through the Ocean. If you¡¯ll follow me, I have a spot for us to sit and talk. I have some decisions to make.¡± She opened the door and gestured inside.


    Owin entered and moved aside. Everyone gathered in the lobby and waited until Althowin closed the door, said something to the man behind the desk, then started down a hallway to the left of the door.


    The place looked like a maze, so Owin stayed close, following the alchemist through a series of hallways until they came upon a room of couches with a small counter that held a sink and all kinds of other equipment Owin had never seen before.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Vondaire asked, pointing at one item on the counter.


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Althowin sat in a single chair, leaving the couches for everyone else.


    Owin climbed onto one couch. Suta hurried and sat directly beside Owin before Shade could. The skeleton sat down on Suta¡¯s side and put his elbow on the familiar¡¯s head.


    Arkasti, Chorsay, and Myrsvai all sat on a couch together. The two huge men took up most of the room, so Myrsvai sat on the end, leaning partially over the armrest.


    By the time Vondaire was done making coffee, the only spot available was directly beside Shade. He sighed and sat next to the skeleton.


    ¡°We¡¯re best friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We will be.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡±


    Vondaire closed his eyes and sniffed the coffee. ¡°This is high quality.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Althowin said. ¡°Do I seem like the cheap type?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Althowin kicked her feet up onto a foot rest. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Everyone turned to Owin.


    ¡°Oh. Now?¡±


    Chorsay nodded. ¡°You can do it.¡±


    Owin looked at Shade, who narrowed his eye sockets. ¡°I¡¯m going to let Shade tell some of it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± Althowin folded her hands in her lap. ¡°Go.¡±


    A lot of Owin¡¯s early story was repeating what Myrsvai had said earlier, but Althowin hadn¡¯t been present, so he included everything he could remember. He mentioned the cathkabel fortress, Temikiel the priest, and Myrsvai¡¯s damaged leg. Owin included all the secrets in his story, which caught Arkasti¡¯s attention.


    As soon as Owin mentioned summoning Shade for the first time, the skeleton took over the story. Myrsvai added some information, careful not to interrupt. After what felt like forever, Owin reached the fifth floor when he nearly died and got separated from Myrsvai and Suta.


    When his story went in a direction he wasn¡¯t sure about sharing.


    ¡°We found some dead heroes on the seamount ramp, and that brought us to the Void Nexus heroes and Avani, who was in a party with the dead ones we saw.¡± Owin looked at Shade.


    ¡°We helped them get through the grenades. Well, I helped them. I blew up like fifty times, but Owin kept resummoning me and commanding me to run to my death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°He told me I was a pawn to be sacrificed, and that my life didn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Althowin raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I just waved my arms, screamed, and ran at the fish entirely of my own free will. I just thought it would be more funny to make Owin sound like some evil monster, which I now recognize was not my best decision. Probably not my worst either, but hey, what can you do?¡±


    Everyone stared at Shade.


    ¡°Then Owin did some cool jumping attacks and killed a big lobster.¡±


    ¡°I killed it with a spell, actually.¡±


    ¡°You have spells?¡± Shade asked.


    Vondaire actually laughed, but quickly composed himself.


    Owin continued the story and paused at the point when Myrsvai and Suta continued onto the sixth floor. He looked at Chorsay, who smiled softly. The old man already knew, didn¡¯t he? And if he knew, Althowin probably knew.


    ¡°Then I fought Siora and Nikoletta to stop them from getting their shards.¡±


    ¡°Fought isn¡¯t the word I would use,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°I was at the exit when they emerged.¡±


    Owin lowered his head, staring into his lap. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°They looked like they had been killed a few times over. But he¡¯s right,¡± Vondaire said. ¡°He was merciful, to an extent.¡±


    ¡°Siora told me she deserved it,¡± Althowin said. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wanted her to feel the fear she made me feel. Both of them.¡±


    ¡°And did it make you feel better? Did you feel powerful?¡±


    ¡°For a minute.¡±


    Althowin nodded slowly. ¡°What changed?¡±


    ¡°Shade. He yelled at me. He was really angry.¡±


    ¡°Still am,¡± Shade said.


    Owin took a deep breath. ¡°They made me feel like a monster. Like I did something wrong just for existing. They hunted me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the stories. This Nikoletta is apparently still recovering. I haven¡¯t met her, and I don¡¯t intend to. Powerful people need a conscience. Mistakes happen. Taking steps to fix those mistakes, to improve yourself, is what¡¯s important. I made plenty of mistakes in the past, but I improved and I won¡¯t make one again.¡±


    Owin couldn¡¯t imagine saying he would never make a mistake again, especially with actual confidence, but if anyone could, the 7 Shard Hero would be the one to do it.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± Althowin said.


    Owin told the rest of the story, about the mana batteries, the Vile Fiend, about Sloswen¡¯s appearance. As he talked, Althowin pulled a notebook from a jacket pocket and started to write notes. Owin kept the story going, pausing for Shade a few times, and skipped right over his question for Sloswen.


    As soon as Owin and Shade finished talking about the fight against Chaudius, Vondaire lifted his hand.


    ¡°I do have to say, they make it sound more coordinated than it appeared. As far as I could tell, Shade only just discovered his abilities and attacked like a feral infant.¡±


    ¡°Part of that is true,¡± Shade said. ¡°Hopefully, it is obvious I am talking about the whole feral infant insult.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the true part?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°Uh. Wait.¡±


    ¡°And, we¡¯re caught up.¡± Althowin kicked her legs off the footrest and sat upright. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn. Based on what I¡¯ve heard from others, and now you, Owin . . .¡± She tapped her pen against the notebook. ¡°You have unlimited potential for growth, which is quite concerning. Some want to kill you to stop you from becoming the strongest hero in all of Verdantallis. Others want to use you to become strong. There are those, like me, who just want to see what¡¯s possible. Your hero company is now protected by me, but if I feel even the smallest threat from you, if I feel like it will be better for the whole world, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Hurting heroes who hurt you doesn¡¯t make you a danger to the world. It doesn¡¯t make you a danger to anyone but those idiots. But Siora is now one of my idiots, so whatever issues you still have with her need to be forgotten or ignored.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t forget what she did, but I¡¯ll ignore it the best I can.¡±


    Althowin continued tapping the pen against her notebook. ¡°Good. Now for our plan.¡± She stood up, walked around a corner, and dragged a chalkboard on wheels behind her. ¡°I am working to assemble heroes I can trust to both protect you and to kill you, if necessary. Right now, the only real protection we have is me, the strongest,¡± she said, pointing to a fox drawn on the chalkboard. ¡°And Veph, the not strongest.¡± She pointed to a frowning face.


    Chorsay sighed.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Althowin said. ¡°You are not nearly strong enough to be useful to us at the moment. Chorsay Eoghet, you need another shard if you want to be included in my plans.¡± Althowin drew a really tall stick figure and put two dashes beside it. ¡°Arkasti, who is newly on our side, kind of, is going to figure out a fusion plan and execute said plan. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Arkasti said.


    Althowin drew a bull with an arrow pointing to a question mark. ¡°That leaves you three, who all need to get another shard. Is anyone against this plan?¡±


    Myrsvai shifted, then raised his hand. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You will get another shard. We¡¯ll discuss it privately after this meeting. I have a separate plan for you,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Suta smashed his fists together. ¡°Plan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, like I said.¡± Althowin drew a terrible rendition of Suta¡¯s face and wrote the word ¡®plan¡¯ beside it. She drew Owin and a simple stick figure, representing Vondaire, and just wrote ¡®shards¡¯ beside it.


    ¡°I have no issues with this plan. I am ready to continue as soon as I am allowed,¡± Vondaire said.


    Althowin opened her index, looked at him, then closed it. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll be fine. What are you going to fuse with?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided.¡±


    ¡°Everyone takes so long to figure it out. Find a mob that fights the same way you do, fuse, done. It¡¯s easy.¡±


    ¡°You fused with a unique creature,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°Right. Because it fit.¡± Althowin tapped her piece of chalk on the board. ¡°Does anyone have questions about this plan?¡±


    Shade raised his hand.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What dungeon?¡±


    ¡°What dungeon?¡± Althowin looked back at the list. ¡°Actually a good question. Well done, skeleton. The Ocean isn¡¯t one I would suggest as a first or second, but now that you¡¯re done, we don¡¯t need to think about that. Many, like Arkasti, think the Sky should be second, which is objectively wrong. The Fortress should always be one of the first two. So, as soon as things are prepared and you¡¯re adequately rested, you will head to Vekuborg and into the Fortress Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Why the Fortress?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It is the most combat focused dungeon. Diphinadra loves combat and will adjust floors as heroes progress to add more encounters if someone is trying to avoid fighting. If a hero waits too long to conquer the Fortress, they will find the odds overwhelming. All three of you are positioned to be able to handle the Fortress on your own.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll go as a party?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°No. The first and last four floors are all isolated. Only two in the middle are common, and Diphinadra will try to pit heroes against one another on those floors. You¡¯re better off going at your own pace, especially when you need to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I am thinking of going to the Tundra for my fusion,¡± Arkasti said.


    Althowin wrote the dungeon beside Arkasti on the board. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss potential mobs. I like the idea. Anything else? Any objections?¡±


    Owin shook his head. It didn¡¯t sound like he was being given a ton of options, but also the 7 Shard Hero was going to help him. That was all he needed to hear. If Katalin and Ernie trusted her as much as they did, Owin had no reason to doubt Althowin.


    ¡°Chorsay, can you show everyone to their quarters? I am going to take Owin and his familiar, I guess, to Kat¡¯s workshop.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thank you. Everyone follow me.¡± Chorsay stood, stretched, and waved as he headed for a staircase.


    Althowin waited for everyone to clear out, leaving only Owin and Shade. ¡°If it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°You said that.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She set the piece of chalk down. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to think you have me fooled. I¡¯ll be watching everything.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want Ernie and Kat to get their shards.¡±


    Althowin crossed her arms. ¡°You know, I was hoping they would never have to suffer, but what can you do? They care too much about you to not get involved in whatever''s coming. They need to be strong enough to survive, because they will survive.¡±


    ¡°You care about them,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I do. So do you. So, let¡¯s find a way to work together.¡±


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°Can we start with an actual explanation of this?¡± She pointed at Shade.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Shade held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m innocent.¡±


    ¡°I fought a few Cursed on my way to seven shards. I¡¯ve never heard of the Withered Shade. None of the Cursed I fought ever wanted to have a conversation.¡± She dragged the footrest across and sat directly in front of Shade. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Shade,¡± Owin said. ¡°I think we can share the story.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    Althowin leaned in closer. ¡°What story?¡±


    ¡°I used my question to ask about Shade. Sloswen said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Shade asked, interrupting.


    Owin nodded.


    ¡°I was the first entertainer to get all seven shards. Hundreds of years ago, I think. Most of what Sloswen said sounded like some legend to me. Nothing I really remember. But bits have returned as Owin found more bones. I think I can reconstruct my full memory if we get all the bones, but for now, I¡¯m not sad about the missing pieces. Apparently, I cheated by summoning a 7 Shard Hero into the dungeon with some unique item. I cheated my way through all seven towers and the gods punished me.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°I do my best to help Owin because he¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡±


    Shade nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Althowin stood and stretched. ¡°Kat left a unique item for you, and Miya has been working hard. Plus, you said you had the Vile Fiend¡¯s bones and those mana batteries, right? I have some ideas, if you want to hand those over.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Owin said quickly. ¡°But it will be difficult since Shade has to get them from his box.¡±


    ¡°His box?¡±


    ¡°Purgatory,¡± Shade said. ¡°Prison. Home. Whatever you want to call it.¡±

 Book 4 - Chapter 39

    Althowin led Owin and Shade through the maze-like structure. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was intentionally confusing or if it had just ended up as a mess after Althowin built it.


    ¡°Owin!¡± Miya sprinted at him, immediately wrapping him in a tight hug. The alchemist yanked him off the ground, spun once, and dropped him back down. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here. Are you okay?¡±


    Miya nodded quickly. She crouched to Owin¡¯s eye level and sat back on her heels. ¡°Did you hear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Chorsay told me. He said you and Potilia were there.¡±


    ¡°They kept me safe. And now I get to work here.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of work,¡± Althowin said.


    Miya immediately stood. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± Without any other directions, Miya lowered her goggles and rushed to a table. Owin couldn¡¯t tell what she was working on, but Miya swapped between a few different tools and, surprisingly, there was a fire involved.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to my workshop,¡± Althowin said. ¡°This is just a training studio.¡± She leaned to the side, checking on Miya¡¯s work briefly, before waving them on through another set of doors.


    They entered a narrow carpeted hallway that was covered in stains and burns. On the left, there was another workshop that looked like it was connected with a plant-filled room. Owin stood on his toes as he tried to see what was inside.


    ¡°Another workshop,¡± Althowin said. She had stopped and leaned on the window. ¡°That other room is one of my terrariums.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a terrarium?¡±


    ¡°You ever hear of toads?¡±


    Owin turned to Althowin. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out eventually. Over there is Katalin¡¯s personal workshop that she never uses.¡± Althowin tapped a window on the opposite side of the hall. The workshop looked entirely untouched. ¡°And next to that is Ernie¡¯s, which is the main workshop Katalin uses.¡± Althowin continued down the hallway and casually pointed at a window with the curtains drawn.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of workshops,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°This whole building is designed specifically to hold workshops. That also means it can contain any amount of damage, should something go wrong. I don¡¯t make mistakes, but Ernie and Kat do. The compound as a whole should be able to withstand a Power 7 spell. I tested the materials against my own Boss Busters, but depending on the class, Power 7 could be more destructive.¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll rephrase it all later so you understand,¡± Shade said. ¡°He¡¯s a little dumb.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± Shade whispered.


    ¡°Stupidity and ignorance aren¡¯t the same thing. He can learn. His intelligence is high enough. He simply doesn¡¯t know things.¡± Althowin opened a door and gestured inside. ¡°Go find a seat.¡±


    Shade pushed past Owin to enter first. Owin followed after, taking a chance to look around as he entered. The workshop was confusing to look at. He stared for a few seconds before realizing the walls weren¡¯t made of stone. They shimmered and looked as if they were moving. The colors shifted from gray to black.


    ¡°Welcome, ma¡¯am,¡± a voice said.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shade ran behind Owin. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Althowin pulled the door shut behind them. ¡°Don¡¯t scare people, Basolia.¡±


    A black form appeared on the desk, looking like little more than a lump with two white eyes. ¡°My mistake, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to say I¡¯m scared of ghosts because . . .¡± Shade gestured at himself. ¡°But, can I ask what that is?¡±


    ¡°Introduce yourself.¡± Althowin waved meagerly as she passed through the room and through a door in the back.


    ¡°Greetings, newcomers. I am Basolia,¡± the shape said.


    ¡°I figured that out,¡± Owin said. He walked up to the desk and stood on his toes.


    The black form dipped down until its beady white eyes were level with Owin¡¯s. ¡°You are the escaped mob.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Owin poked the form and felt his finger grow cold. A small piece of his mana bar burned away. ¡°You¡¯re a specter.¡±


    Althowin came back into the room with goggles and gloves, but nothing else about her outfit had changed. ¡°Not anymore.¡± She approached and held out a gloved hand. Basolia shifted, then stretched and flared open like a flower. A small hammer dropped from Basolia into Althowin¡¯s palm. ¡°It¡¯s more like a toolbox.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Basolia said.


    Althowin exhaled and tapped a few things on the desk. Something behind the wall clunked loudly, then the room shifted. Pieces of the floor opened and moved, allowing new tables and chests to rise from the ground. Within a minute, the workshop was an entirely new room. The layout, the color of the walls, and even the material of the floor had changed.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°The workshop of the strongest person in the world,¡± Althowin said casually.


    Basolia reappeared on the new stone table in the center of the room. Althowin leaned on her elbows beside the specter and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Are you going to get the materials or are we just going to sit here and stare at my workshop?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Shade, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never not been ready.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    The skeleton vanished into a cloud of gray dust. Althowin frowned.


    ¡°Is that going to make a mess?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Owin stepped aside as the dust drifted to the ground. ¡°I only ever used it underwater.¡± He poked the dust with his boot and spread it around the ethereal floor. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°The room is designed to clean itself,¡± Althowin said. ¡°Just don¡¯t make a mess anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade poofed back into existence and immediately dropped the mana batteries all over the floor. ¡°Wow, okay. I thought I had a couple minutes. I was not ready!¡±


    Owin opened his index. ¡°I thought I had a cooldown. I just wanted to see how much longer it would be. Is there no cooldown outside the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to take notes, ma¡¯am?¡± Basolia asked.


    Althowin set her hammer on the table and stood upright. ¡°Yes, actually. Tell me more.¡±


    ¡°After I got enough bones, Shade got a two minute cooldown to resummon when he died. But I might not have one anymore.¡±


    Shade pointed at the mana batteries on the floor. ¡°Did you want me to pick these back up?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared with some Vile Fiend bones in his arms. ¡°Now I just feel like I¡¯m being bullied.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade didn¡¯t have anything as he reappeared. His eye sockets narrowed as he looked at Owin. ¡°You know, I need time to actually grab things while I¡¯m there.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I was testing the cooldown.¡±


    Shadows enveloped the three mana batteries and the demon bones on the floor. They vanished and soon reappeared on the table beside Basolia.


    ¡°Do you have more bones to grab?¡± Althowin asked.


    ¡°If Owin gives me enough time.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°It is kind of funny,¡± Owin said as another cloud of dust settled on the floor.


    ¡°We have different senses of humor. Basolia, can you give him a stool?¡±


    A stool appeared from shadows on the opposite side of the table from Althowin. Owin stepped up and put his elbows on the table.


    ¡°What are you going to make?¡±


    Althowin poked his right arm with the hammer. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard about your fighting style, you¡¯re going to need both hands. And your armor set isn¡¯t complete if you¡¯re missing a gauntlet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in my bag.¡±


    ¡°So we need to get you a prosthetic. Armor sets are rare and powerful, but nearly useless without the full set. Bring your skeleton back.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not really mine.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    ¡°I think I have it all!¡± Shade coughed and spat white bone dust all over Owin.


    ¡°Can you even cough or did you just fake it?¡± Owin asked as he wiped the crushed bones away. Basolia collected all the dust as soon as it landed and redeposited it into a pile on the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Shade set the bones on the tabletop. Without prompting, a chair appeared, which Shade happily sat in.


    ¡°Prosthetics are easy. Few Shard Heroes keep all their limbs. You¡¯re just one of us now. The question that needs to be asked is if you¡¯re willing to have a metal prosthetic or if you want to go for something more mob-oriented. A prosthetic fusion, as I call it, has benefits and drawbacks. Think if we made an arm out of this Lord of the Abyss bone, it would be incredibly strong compared to a metal arm, but it would have a weakness and fragility when fighting luminous, abyssal, or spectral opponents.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I feel like that¡¯s all I fight.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of spectral mobs in the Fortress. You¡¯ll see less luminous and abyssal mobs in the rest of the towers, but there is always the issue of fighting knights, menders, magi, and umbras. That¡¯s why I normally recommend going for something more straightforward. Using these mana batteries, which are high quality, I can make something fully functioning easily.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I would be better with a metal arm?¡±


    ¡°Yes. There aren¡¯t any specific weaknesses, and if the power source is strong, they¡¯ll function forever. Just know, if you want something else in the future, it is incredibly painful to switch. At least as painful as losing the limb, but perhaps worse.¡±


    Owin watched as Althowin rolled the mana batteries to the center of the table. Her gloves hid her prosthetic hand.


    ¡°How did you lose yours?¡±


    Althowin pulled off her left glove and held her hand out, palm up. ¡°You know, most people would be too polite to ask.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Touch it if you want.¡±


    ¡°Shade, can you take this off?¡± Owin held out his hand. The skeleton grabbed the chitin gauntlet and pulled it off.  ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Shade put it close to his face and sniffed. ¡°Oh, ew.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t smell, Shade.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±


    Althowin rolled her eyes.


    Before she pulled her hand back, Owin reached out and ran his fingers along the metal. It wasn¡¯t as smooth as it looked. He felt little ridges, bumps, and curves just like one would find in a normal hand. Thin seams separated the sections between fingers knuckles and horizontally across the palm, allowing the hand to bend. Althowin moved her hand a little, showing how expressive it could be.


    ¡°I made this one,¡± she said. ¡°A different alchemist had made the first version for me. It locked up a few times, especially in extreme conditions. Do you know where one is most likely to find extreme conditions?¡±


    ¡°The dungeons?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I replaced it with a water elemental arm. I thought that would be clever. Apart from simply getting everything wet all the time, the actual utility of the arm was next to useless. I don¡¯t know what I had expected. I made a temporary replacement, then made this one. When I lost my leg, I immediately made it myself.¡±


    ¡°You said replacing it was as painful as losing it, but you changed your arm three times?¡±


    ¡°A few more, actually. A few failed attempts.¡± Althowin closed her metal hand around Owin¡¯s. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He tried to pull back, but her grip was impossibly strong.


    ¡°What are you going to wish for? Why go for the shards?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I keep changing my mind. I could wish for Artivan to be alive or Shade to be free or to be human or anything. I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your wish on me,¡± Shade said.


    Althowin let go of his hand. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± Owin asked quietly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you your arm and your gift from Katalin, then we can figure out what to do with these bones and extra batteries.¡± Althowin pulled her glove back on and held her hand out to Basolia, who deposited ingots of metal. She shifted each one into the center of the table. With a few spells Owin tried to follow, she split the chunks of metal into sections, then started hammering them into thin strips. She worked incredibly fast and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Shadows moved over Owin¡¯s hand until it vanished beneath Basolia. After a moment, the specter retreated and reappeared as a mound again. It said a few measurements, which Althowin acknowledged with a grunt.


    It took less than an hour before she had a fully functioning hand the exact perfect size.


    ¡°That was the easy part.¡± She walked around the table and grabbed his right arm. ¡°I should be able to simply force this on, but it will be agony. The mana battery inside will reach its threads into your body, connecting to your nerves. I don¡¯t see any reason why this would be different for a goblin. If for some reason it doesn¡¯t work, we might need to cut you up a bit for research.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It will work,¡± she said. ¡°I made it.¡±


    Owin took a deep breath. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Althowin jammed the metal arm into Owin¡¯s elbow like she was simply putting a gauntlet on his hand. He felt spikes stab into his flesh, immediately followed by the cold, burning mana threads that snaked through his muscles, around his bones, and up until they stabbed into his heart. He wheezed in a breath, fighting the pain. Even as he thrashed a little, Althowin held him still.


    ¡°And I would say that¡¯s not nearly as bad as disconnecting a prosthetic.¡±


    Owin clenched his hand, staring at it in amazement. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Shade said. ¡°Now we can get into the fun stuff.¡±


    ¡°Fun stuff?¡±


    Shade reached into Owin¡¯s bag and set a dull red gem on the table. Owin opened his index and looked at the item. He was having trouble remembering. His brain felt fuzzy after the shock of pain.


    Empty Minor Charge Gem


    Collect magic of one type to power an item or entity.


    Note: Collecting more than one type of magic will cause the gem to explode


    Note: Charge gems will shine when fully powered


    ¡°Interesting. A charge gem, when used properly, can avoid the danger of exploding, but only a master alchemist can fix that flaw.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a master?¡± Shade asked.


    Althowin raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that a real question?¡±


    Shade narrowed his eye sockets. ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t decided whether or not I like you.¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°Basolia,¡± Althowin said, holding out her hand. The shadow moved and spit out what looked like a knife.


    Owin leaned forward to see it closer. It looked almost exactly like his old jagged stone knife. The first weapon he had. ¡°Is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Katalin¡¯s gift to you. Now, I will say, she is not great at making items. She really started the idea and ruined a few sets of materials. Whatever is going on in that girl¡¯s head stops her from figuring out items, and it is infuriating. But, and this is important, she is far more skilled in explosives than I ever was. Her mind just wants to explode, and I can appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s bad at it . . . what¡¯s that?¡±


    Althowin held the knife up. ¡°The thing about Ernie is that he can only think in creation. He thinks about creating things at all times. Even when looking at food, he is probably thinking what materials could be added to change it into something else. Everything is malleable in his mind. Everything but Katalin. His brain goes silent when he looks at her.¡± She set the knife on the table and ran a gloved hand over the jagged blade. Althowin smiled. ¡°He made this. She had started and failed a few times. She even somehow made one of the versions a bomb and it exploded in the workshop. Everyone was fine. He had watched and learned enough of what she was trying to do that he made this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s a knife. A blank slate. It can be customized however you wish. It does have a lot of Katalin¡¯s influence, so it is slightly explosive already.¡±


    ¡°An explosive knife sounds like a horrible idea,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason we didn¡¯t want Katalin to make it on her own. What do you currently have for weapons?¡±


    Owin carefully grabbed the lich bone with his new hand. It felt tingly and clumsy, but he managed to wrap his hand around the handle and pull it from his belt.


    Althowin took it, opened her index, and passed it to Basolia. Shadows covered it for a moment, then retreated. ¡°An undead knife is strong. Especially a lich bone. It¡¯s interesting.¡± She passed it back. ¡°What¡¯s the sword?¡±


    Shade drew the Incandescent Blade and handed it over. Althowin looked over it with her index and let Basolia cover it once again before passing it back.


    ¡°A good mix. That hammer Chorsay brought from Atrevaar is yours too?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Owin smiled just thinking about the Thunderstrike Maul. It had been a long time since he got to smash something with it. He was so much stronger now.


    ¡°That means you have a neutral weapon, a fire sword, and an undead knife. If you want, I can use some of the Vile Fiend¡¯s bones to turn this into an abyssal weapon. It would be really powerful against the right opponents, but . . .¡± She tapped a gloved finger on the jagged blade. ¡°That would mean you have two knives weak to luminous damage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. I use knives a lot.¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it. With this charge gem and a mana battery, we could make it into an interesting knife. Basolia, look through our supplies. Let me know what damage types we have available.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    The specter retreated, and Owin realized for the first time that the entire shadowy ethereal texture on the floor and walls had all been Basolia. As soon as the specter vanished, the room felt brighter.


    ¡°Go join your friends. I¡¯ve got some work to do.¡±


    The door opened on its own.


    Owin stepped off the stool. Shade slowly stood up. They both looked at each other, then hurried from the room. As soon as they stepped into the hall, the door shut behind them.


    ¡°Was it just me or was that terrifying?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were specters like that.¡± Owin looked down the hall, then turned back to look the other way. Shade was doing the same thing.


    ¡°Which way do we go?¡± Shade asked.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going in to ask.¡±


    ¡°Me either.¡± Owin set off in one direction. ¡°We¡¯ll find our way eventually.¡±


    They walked for about a minute before Owin stopped. The hallway looked the same with rooms on either side, but the carpet was different. Three different staircases forked into different directions at the end of the hall.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to starve to death.¡±


    ¡°Shade, neither of us eat food.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to die of boredom.¡±


    Althowin¡¯s compound was a big circle with a lot of branches that made some areas into spirals. Or something. Even after finding the building that acted as quarters for everyone, he still wasn¡¯t sure where he had gone or how he would get back to the workshops.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Chorsay said. ¡°How does the arm feel?¡±


    ¡°Still a little numb.¡± He clenched his right hand into a fist. ¡°I think that goes away after a little bit.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Chorsay had been sitting in a chair with a book and some steaming drink. As soon as he spotted Owin, he set all of it aside and stood. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to say you don¡¯t need a room, but you have the first one right here.¡± He opened a door and gestured to the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°You can keep anything you want in here or just hide if you want some privacy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Sanem and Raif have a spot down the hall, across right here is Miya¡¯s, Vondaire¡¯s is beside her¡¯s, mine is a few doors down beside Myrsvai¡¯s, and Arkasti is right beside you. She didn¡¯t give us an extra room for Shade, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an issue. Is it?¡±


    ¡°I have my own room already. It¡¯s a prison cell designed by the gods.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chorsay scratched his cheek. ¡°If you need one, let me know.¡±


    ¡°I was listening but I don¡¯t know which rooms you were talking about.¡± Owin stared down the hallway. ¡°I only need to know where to keep my hammer, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And the spine sword. Maybe we should give Althowin that. Send me away quick and I¡¯ll grab that,¡± Shade said.


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Owin looked up at Chorsay. ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    The old man crouched with a grunt and touched the dust Shade left behind. ¡°You can¡¯t read anyway. Does it always do this?¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared with a spine sword in his hands. ¡°Look at me now!¡±


    ¡°It does kind of make a mess, Shade,¡± Owin said.


    Shade looked at the pile of dust. ¡°What do you want me to do about it? I¡¯m not sweeping, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying. I didn¡¯t choose to be dusty. Am I dusty? Or is the dust a side effect of something else?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wish I knew. Imagine.¡± The skeleton leaned his elbow on Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°Just imagine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep reading,¡± Chorsay said. He returned to his seat, took a sip of his drink, and opened the old book in his lap.


    ¡°Where is everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping. Like most people do at night.¡± Chorsay smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you want to do, but you can join me out here for now, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was night.¡± Owin climbed onto a couch and laid his head on the arm rest.


    Shade carelessly tossed the spine sword into Owin¡¯s room then ran over and sat beside him. ¡°Are we supposed to sit here quietly all night?¡±


    Owin shrugged.


    ¡°I can read to you, if it will help pass the time.¡±


    Owin nodded quickly.


    Chorsay flipped back to the first page. He took a longer drink from his mug, then adjusted himself and cleared his throat.


    ***


    Everyone had gone to bed. Well, almost everyone.


    Tomorrow was the day they would dive into the Subterranean Dungeon.


    Potilia couldn¡¯t sleep even if she wanted to, and she didn¡¯t want to lie in bed while Lera and Cixilo were actually asleep. She stayed in the restaurant, which apparently never closed, and continued ordering tea and snacks.


    The other Hogs had called her a moron for bringing so many books, but she had already read through one and would finish another before morning. She could simply trade them out for two more at a shop in town. The shopkeeper had already started a hunt for a few books Potilia wanted, so the exchange would be quick on their way to the dungeon in the morning.


    Snow was gently falling outside, visible through the dim street lights near the restaurant. It left a calm, quiet, snow-covered facade for her to look at whenever she needed to digest a portion of the book. The moon hung over the mountains, partially obscured by the clouds.


    It was a beautiful evening, and could make for a memorable, perfectly peaceful day if not for Siora sitting a few tables away.


    She had joined the rest of them when most everyone else was still awake, but now that everyone else had gone, it left the two of them awkwardly apart.


    Potilia had caught Siora looking at her a few times. If she glanced up from her book quick enough, she could almost always catch Siora¡¯s eyes, but the soldier had yet to say anything.


    All Potilia wanted to do was sit and enjoy her tea, snacks, and books, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from checking to see what Siora was doing.


    Siora Rilokos was the hero who killed Artivan. One of the heroes who tormented Owin.


    What would Chorsay do?


    Potilia sighed. ¡°Siora, do you want to join me?¡±


    Siora immediately walked over and sat across from Potilia. She sat quietly with her hands in her lap. When she was out of armor and with her hair down, she looked almost timid. If not for the scars all over her face, she wouldn¡¯t even look like a soldier.


    ¡°D-do you like reading?¡±


    ¡°When I get the time, yeah.¡±


    Potilia grabbed the book she already finished from her bag and held it out. Siora looked at it for a moment before grabbing it. She ran her hand over the cover and very carefully cracked the book open to the first page.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said quietly.


    Potilia poured some tea into an empty mug and placed it in front of Siora.


    Siora smiled and took a drink of tea. She visibly relaxed and opened her book again.


    Potilia glanced up a few times, expecting to catch Siora¡¯s yellow eyes, but the soldier was fully invested in the book.


    It could still be a good night.

 Book 4 - Epilogue

    Sofia Halaby was impatient, to say the least. She had been waiting all damn day for the meeting, and even after being let into the room, she was still made to sit and wait. Just because someone like Egnatia Lucan was fine with the wait didn¡¯t mean everyone else wanted to waste their entire day.


    But what could she say about it? She was the weakest in the room.


    Egnatia Lucan, the Demon Killer, leader of the Magna Regum Hero Company, 4 Shard Hero. The princess of Magna Regum, as some rudely called her, had arrived in full armor. Her purple scar was clearly visible, as were the muscles in her jaw as she shifted. Maybe she was more impatient than Sofia had thought. People often mentioned the scar like it was some detriment to her appearance, but Egnatia was, perhaps, one of the two most beautiful women Sofia had ever seen.


    The other three in the room weren¡¯t as familiar to her. They were known, of course. Nobody with that many shards could remain anonymous.


    Voolyn Eskitorra, 4 Shard Hero, the Trueborn Giant. And a giant he was. Just like Egnatia, he had yet to fuse. If he found a massive mob, he could become the single biggest hero. Physically, of course. He sat, looking angry, and drank a beer, which Sofia couldn¡¯t even begin to guess where he had found that. He was incredibly handsome with a square jaw and just the right amount of scruff. Somehow, he had made it to four shards without any visible scars on his face.


    Zevvrin Kerekes, another 4 Shard Hero, the Lizardman. He had fused with the Scaltari King and looked far more lizard than human. He was a dangerous assassin that was difficult to look at. Sofia wasn¡¯t sure how he blended in, but she could at least appreciate that he had fused, and had been able to fuse with something so powerful.


    She had nearly died during her fusion, and hadn¡¯t been back in a tower since. Before she was summoned, she had been planning her next expedition, hoping to join the rank of all the other 4 Shard Heroes at the table.


    With only eight 4 Shard Heroes in the world currently, it seemed weird to have basically half in one room together. How often were people of this much power sitting and waiting for others?


    The odd one in the room was Kikuno Itou. A 5 Shard Hero who rarely talked. Nobody knew what she had fused with, but the four spider legs that stuck out of her back suggested it was something disgusting. She had been silent since they all sat down. At least they had provided her with a stool so she could sit without her horrifying legs sticking out of her back getting in the way. Whatever she had fused with hadn¡¯t changed any other part of her appearance. She was really beautiful. Sofia tried not to stare, but it was difficult to pull her eyes away.


    It was a powerful room, and Sofia was undoubtedly the weakest. That wouldn¡¯t always be a problem. It was said that Voolyn had stalled. He had gone into the towers and been unable to get a shard. Nobody knew what Zevvrin¡¯s deal was, but he hadn¡¯t advanced in a long time either. Kikuno had taken a more passive approach, apparently trying to train other attributes with scholarly work outside the towers.


    And Egnatia was . . . well, she was one of the most influential people in Verdantallis. There¡¯s no doubt she can get another shard. She simply hasn¡¯t tried yet.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be here soon?¡± Sofia asked.


    All four heroes turned to look at her. There was some form of disgust on the faces of Egnatia and Voolyn. It was impossible to tell with Zevvrin since he just looked like a lizard. Kikuno¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why they invited you here,¡± Egnatia said.


    Sofia shrugged. ¡°Potential, I guess. Something you all used to have.¡±


    ¡°Rat girl thinks she¡¯s funny,¡± Voolyn said, his voice deep like thunder. ¡°The Three Heads clearly didn¡¯t know what they had to look at when they invited you.¡±


    Sofia smiled. She had indeed fused with a claverstan in the Subterranean Dungeon. It was a powerful rat down on the ninth floor. Fusing inside the Forge of Divine Light was risky, and it had paid off, though her rat face and all the gray hair were a little unfortunate. It might not be pretty, but power is power. Zevvrin was willing to turn fully into a lizard, so clearly she wasn¡¯t the only crazy one.


    ¡°Leave her alone,¡± Kikuno said. ¡°We don¡¯t need to be friends.¡±


    Egnatia grunted and crossed her arms.


    The 5 Shard Hero easily pacified the others. Sofia was a little jealous.


    Silence took over the room once again. Kikuno nodded to Sofia, then turned her attention back to the door. Sofia fidgeted impatiently for about another half hour until the door finally opened.


    Olena, Isaak, and Nastya.


    The Three Heads.


    ¡°How are we going to kill this goblin?¡± Isaak asked before he even sat.


    ¡°Althowin has, for whatever reason, decided she is going to protect him,¡± Egnatia said. ¡°She¡¯s taken the entire fucking Nimble Hog Hero Company under her wing.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°The what?¡± Nastya asked.


    ¡°Some joke of a company out of Atrevaar.¡± Egnatia gestured helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s who the goblin joined.¡±


    ¡°Nobody in this room can challenge the 7 Shard Hero,¡± Olena said. She leaned forward. Her eyes blazed like blue fire. ¡°But together, she has no hope. The goblin can continue playing as a hero. It doesn¡¯t matter to us. Right now, he¡¯s giving us an excuse to get rid of Althowin. With her gone, we can claim all of Brukiya and finally have a market in Vraxridge. She¡¯s been stopping our expansion for too long.¡±


    Sofia swallowed her protests. Challenge the 7 Shard Hero? Is that why she was there? Not a fucking chance. Even if they all fought Althowin, even if they somehow killed her, they would all be dead.


    ¡°Magna Regum gets Izylia,¡± Egnatia said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Olena said. ¡°Everything we agreed to before.¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything on Zezog?¡± Voolyn asked.


    ¡°Still searching. We may have a lead,¡± Isaak said.


    ¡°Will he be a threat?¡± Zevvrin asked, his voice like a snake¡¯s hiss.


    Isaak looked at the other Heads. ¡°It¡¯s possible. It¡¯s a risk that needs to be considered.¡±


    That was more than a risk, as far as Sofia was concerned. One 7 Shard Hero was enough of a death sentence, and that was an alchemist. A 7 Shard Hero berserker? Absolute death. Berserkers were always scary. She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what Zezog could do, especially if he was angry.


    ¡°Zezog is real?¡± Sofia asked.


    Everyone looked at her like she was an absolute moron.


    ¡°Look, people don¡¯t disappear for eighty years. He should be the most famous person in the world, other than Althowin, obviously. People would know if they saw him.¡± Sofia opened her index and checked the list of Shard Heroes. ¡°I know he¡¯s there, but so is a blank spot. Who¡¯s the third? How do we know the wish wasn¡¯t just to always be listed but he¡¯s actually dead now?¡±


    ¡°That would be a terrible wish,¡± Zevvrin said.


    ¡°I never said it was good!¡±


    ¡°Sofia Halaby, obviously,¡± Olena said.


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°The Rat,¡± Isaak said with more than a hint of contempt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been called worse.¡±


    ¡°Let the real heroes talk,¡± Egnatia said.


    All three Heads seemed to agree as they shifted their attention more toward Egnatia and Voolyn. Across the table, Kikuno smiled.


    What did it mean?


    ***


    Nikoletta gasped, flailing as she sat up. Luminous light flowed from her hands, burning the sheets. The room didn¡¯t look familiar, and her clothes . . . Somebody had undressed her. Where was her armor? Her mace?


    ¡°You¡¯re awake? My goodness, I thought you were never going to wake.¡±


    Nikoletta stared at the stranger who rushed to her bedside. The woman touched her shoulder, moving a bandage.


    Nikoletta lashed out with a backhand. Blood sprayed as the woman¡¯s head tumbled to the ground. Her body swayed for a moment before dropping to the floor.


    Armor. Mace. Nikoletta threw the burning sheets aside. Her bare feet splashed in the pool of blood.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my mace?¡± Her voice was barely a growl. The noise tore at her throat.


    She leaned on the doorframe and opened her index. Recognition was slow, but after a moment, she grinned.


    Summon Cathkabel


    Her vision left her body, warping her through the planes until she could barely make out the halls of Elysium. There was a figure, a tall, lean cathkabel, waiting for her, like it had been expecting her arrival.


    ¡°Nikoletta Olah,¡± he said. ¡°I have been asked to be your summon. Draw your own blood, offer it to me, and I will join you in Verdantallis.¡±


    Nikoletta, while outside her own body, grabbed her forearm and dragged her nails across the skin, tearing flesh from wrist to elbow.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the cathkabel said. ¡°More.¡±


    She dug her fingers into the scratches, ripping into muscles as she lifted her arm into the air. Blood rushed down her bicep, over her chest, and down her waist and legs. It pooled at her feet.


    Luminous light flashed. Nikoletta felt the pulse in her heart as she snapped back into her own body. She had smeared the blood across her own face, and matted her hair. Who had let her hair grow out?


    A cathkabel calmly stepped out of the portal just in front of her. It wore a metal helmet, framed around its massive silver eyes, and a skin tight silver suit with a bandolier over its chest with a quilted skirt over its waist.


    The cathkabel bent down and ran its fingers along Nikoletta¡¯s leg, gathering the blood. It brought its fingers to its mouth and licked with a wide, silver tongue. Massive feathered wings burst from the cathkabel¡¯s back. He gathered more blood on both of his hands, running his fingers across Nikoletta¡¯s forearm, even digging into her flesh. Once his hands were covered in crimson blood. He stepped back and clapped. Instead of spraying blood, light flashed. When it faded, the cathkabel held a black scythe. He offered his free hand.


    ¡°I am the Death Priest Zazenk. I look forward to serving you, Mistress.¡±


    Nikoletta clenched her jaw as her forearm knit itself back together. She was so much stronger, healing was almost an unconscious effort. She reached her blood-covered hand out and took Zazenk¡¯s. ¡°You serve me?¡±


    ¡°Faithfully, Mistress.¡± Zazenk dropped to one knee, splashing in the blood. ¡°Together, we can fight the Abyss.¡±


    Multiple people appeared in the hall and stopped as they spotted Zazenk and Nikoletta. They looked past at the dead woman inside.


    ¡°Miss Veriss left a message, should you wake,¡± a man said.


    Veph. She was in Void Nexus.


    Nikoletta looked back at the corpse. ¡°What¡¯s the message?¡±


    ¡°She traveled to the Subterranean to get another shard. You should prepare yourself for war.¡±


    Nikoletta found herself grinning.


    Zazenk, still on one knee, licked the blood from her hand.


    ¡°War?¡±


    ¡°She wants you to become a Shard Hero,¡± the man said. He looked at the corpse again. ¡°We will manage that. Your belongings are over here. There is a pack of supplies ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Rise, Zazenk. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    The cathkabel stood, but continued holding her hand. ¡°I follow where you lead.¡±

 The Masked Crows Prologue

    The street was dark and damp, apart from the warm glow of infrequent gas street lights. It was a quiet evening in Bacester. Even with the sun still in the air, Gloom Valley sat in darkness under a heavy cloud of smoke and soot. The buildings cast shadows on the narrow streets like a forest of brick and mortar.


    Cyril Rigley, a middle-aged man wearing little more than rags, hurried down the street, frequently looking over his shoulder. His ragged shoes padded on the ground, his toes slapping against the damp stones of the sidewalk.


    His life as a factory worker had been hard and long. There was little joy in the day-to-day, but Cyril continued working, trying his best, hoping for a better life. He had gotten by for almost forty years. That was better than many of his peers could say.


    But he had made a mistake by using his ability. So many of his peers used their abilities daily to assist them if theirs were a helpful kind. Cyril never used his. He hadn¡¯t since he was a child. It was too dangerous, he knew. He¡¯d made a mistake, and now a figure had been following him since he left the factory.


    Cyril wiped a dirty sleeve across his eyes, leaving more soot than he¡¯d wiped away. He turned down an alleyway and pulled on a door, only to find it locked.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered.


    The figure appeared in the mouth of the alley. It was a woman with her hair tied back. She wore loose, baggy clothing and no hat, though she was too clean to be a factory worker.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Cyril asked. She looked like an improper noblewoman, not the type of person he expected to be trailing him.


    ¡°Cyril Rigley, you are labeled as Noxious and are sentenced to death,¡± she said calmly. She stood menacingly, casting a long shadow from the gaslight behind her.


    ¡°Noxious?¡± He stared at her and tried to turn the door handle again. It shuttered, locked in place.


    ¡°Your ability has been deemed dangerous, too dangerous to exist. Your death will ensure the safety of others.¡± She took a few steps forward. Her feet landed gently, silently. Four glowing, bright blue darts appeared in her closed fist, each sticking out between her fingers.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything.¡± Cyril let go of the door. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt anybody.¡±


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    ¡°You have the potential to hurt others. That¡¯s all it is.¡± She continued walking closer, slowly closing the distance between them.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, trying to buy time. There was nowhere to go. He only had one option and didn¡¯t want to use it.


    ¡°You can call me Millie.¡±


    Cyril tried the door again. When it didn¡¯t budge, he imbued his mana into the door handle and stepped away. Ten seconds. That¡¯s all he needed. He slowly walked away from the door, watching the woman approach.


    ¡°Do you do this a lot, Millie?¡±


    ¡°Everyday.¡± She lifted her fist to her chest. The mana darts between her fingers cast a soft glow on her tunic.


    ¡°Am I the first innocent man you¡¯ve killed?¡± Cyril asked, taking another step away from the door. Millie matched it, stepping forward.


    ¡°Anyone deemed Noxious isn¡¯t innocent.¡±


    Cyril watched the handle, counting down. ¡°Two, one . . .¡± He ducked, placing his arms over his head. The door handle exploded, throwing bits of wood and metal into the alleyway. Cyril sprinted forward as fast as he could, careful not to slip with his ragged shoes falling apart with each step.


    Millie stood in the same place with cuts along her cheeks. He ran right past her, ducking inside the building. She coughed behind him and followed. The blue glow of her darts was the only light inside, helping Cyril keep an eye on her.


    He felt his way around, running his hands along the shelves. It appeared to be the back room of some shop. Cyril assumed the merchant could afford to replace broken goods. His hand found a jar of pickled onions. Mana flowed from his palm into the jar.


    ¡°Ten,¡± he whispered, starting the countdown in his head.


    ¡°Cyril, give it up.¡± Millie walked down a row of shelves. She looked back and forth, rapidly scanning the area for him.


    Cyril crouched at the end of the row, staying below a stack of wooden boxes. ¡°Five,¡± he whispered to himself.


    A glowing blue dart exploded out of the box near his head, throwing shredded wood near his feet. Cyril stood and lobbed the jar. It sailed through the air with the blue glow of Millie¡¯s darts shining off its glass surface.


    She ducked, covering her head as the jar exploded right in front of her. A fireball and bits of glass filled the aisle, wrecking everything on the shelves. Cyril stayed standing, watching, as the smoke cleared. Millie stood in the same spot. Her hair was singed, even burning a little, and burn marks marred her face. Her clothes, meanwhile, were still pristine, if a little dirty. She had three darts remaining between her fingers.


    ¡°A good effort,¡± she said. Her hand whipped out, launching the darts. They easily pierced Cyril¡¯s shoulders and chest, passing right through as if his body was made of butter.


    He staggered, falling onto his back, landing heavily on the shredded wood. Cyril gasped, trying to choke down some air. He looked up, putting his chin on his chest, only to see a hole right through his sternum.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Millie stood over him for a moment. ¡°Another down.¡± She calmly walked away, leaving Cyril on the floor as he fought for air.

 Book 5 - Prologue

    Fusion wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. A strong fusion could send a hero soaring, making it so much easier to get the rest of their shards. A weak fusion could have no impact at all. And a bad fusion could be the end of one¡¯s life.


    Zehra Hansorita had, for as long as she could remember, been fascinated with the Fortress. It was so unlike the other dungeons. She had trained outside of it when she was young, and it had been the first dungeon she had entered. Those first few floors were still some of her favorites.


    But now, she stood at the bottom of the stairs to the 7th floor. She was giddy with excitement. A wizard fused with a vampire lord would be unstoppable. Or so, she hoped. It had been ten years of training, ten years of preparation to lead to her moment on the 7th floor.


    She adjusted her helmet, refastened the straps on her bracers, and hiked up the stairs. A shiver passed through as she entered the void nexus.


    Fortress Dungeon


    Seventh Floor


    Two Shards Active


    A lobby appeared before her, as if she had simply stepped into a lord¡¯s manor. Zehra grabbed her flail and let it hang by her leg, jingling a little as she shifted her grip. Her mother used to say a wizard shouldn¡¯t use weapons. Back when she was still working as a career hero, her mother had relied entirely on her spells and her familiar.


    Zehra never understood that idea. A wizard should rely on anything at their disposal. Her mother had never been a Shard Hero, and Zehra was well on her way to getting her third.


    ¡°A visitor?¡± a beautiful man walked down a grand staircase on the far end of the lobby. ¡°May I have your name?¡± He wore some of the nicest clothes she had ever seen, but he was still dressed as a butler. Yellow eyes. A mostly human appearance. A lesser vampire, surely.


    Fortress Mob


    Arintak Takaneta


    Lesser Vampire


    Level 65


    ¡°Zehra Hansorita.¡± She bowed her head.


    ¡°Would you like tea?¡±


    Enemies could be lurking anywhere in the manor. It was particularly dangerous to enter a room without the proper preparations. Mimics, specters, and even other vampires could be lurking anywhere.


    Truly anywhere.


    ¡°That would be lovely.¡±


    Arintak smiled without showing teeth. He walked to the door on her left, opened it, and gestured inside.


    She had Summon Familiar and Tame Specter ready to cast at any time. Franso would arrive ready to launch an Arcane Barrage at anything he didn¡¯t recognize.


    Zehra moved past Arintak, forcing herself to avoid flinching at the proximity to the vampire. His thirst was palpable in the air, a power that would surely draw him in if she lingered too close.


    Three smaller vampires with more bat-like features were already present in the sitting room. One carried trays, another a teapot, and the last set the teacups nicely on a center table between two sofas. Sunlight drifted in nicely through the curtained windows, giving the room a calming glow.


    Zehra knew if she looked out the windows, she would see shrubs, fountains, trimmed hedges, and even workers tending to the gardens, and . . . none of it was real. If there was a way outside the manor, she was unaware of it. The boundary wall was the wall. Still, the sunlight was appreciated.


    One smaller vampire gestured for her to sit. The other two lingered nearby, waiting to serve her. They shifted around her as they moved, careful to avoid the sunlight dappling the carpet.


    Zehra watched the sofa for any movement. A mimic¡¯s mouth could simply open as she sat and swallow her whole. Or if a possessor was inside any of the teacups or one of the small forks, she could be blinded before she even knew she had been tricked.


    What were the small ones? She pressed her fingers into the cushion as she sat, feeling the fabric give naturally. As she slumped the rest of the way, she tensed. She relaxed and leaned back upon realizing the sofa wasn¡¯t going to be the death of her. Not this one, at least.


    Vampire bairn? She stared at the little thing¡¯s bat-like snub nose. It had a pair of wings folded close to its back, flush against its jacket, that were far too small to fly. They surely weren¡¯t even strong enough to propel the vampire anywhere.


    Arintak closed the door, walked into the room, and sat across from her. A bairn moved to pour tea and provide a saucer before Arintak was even fully settled. The vampire picked up the cup and sniffed loudly. ¡°A lovely blend.¡±


    ¡°I am sure it is.¡± Zehra looked at the murky water. She wasn¡¯t a tea drinker and wasn¡¯t sure what any of it entailed. What made it good or what was blended together was all a mystery to her.


    He watched her with black eyes over the rim of the ornate ivory cup. She lifted the cup to her lips and sipped. The tea tasted fine. Nothing she was going to crave again.


    All three bairns lingered nearby, watching Arintak.


    Apparently, she had misjudged the hierarchy in the manor. Arintak wasn¡¯t a butler. He was a member of the household.


    ¡°Is the head of your household here?¡± It felt like an odd question to ask in a dungeon. The mobs couldn¡¯t vanish. Even that goblin she had heard about was probably just some short hero or someone dumb enough to fuse with a goblin.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Arintak leaned forward and set the saucer and cup on the table between them. ¡°I cannot permit you to visit.¡±


    Zehra carefully set her teacup down. ¡°I figured.¡±


    The room shook as two shards lifted from Zehra¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Guests are not permitted anywhere but the sitting room, you see.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Zehra kept an eye on the bairns as they spread out.


    None of the mobs, outside of bosses, would have visible shards. Not like a hero. But that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t have increased levels and attributes to match Zehra.


    A red haze appeared around Arintak causing his jacket sleeves to move like a sudden wind whipped through the room. The teacups clattered on the saucers. Tea splashed onto the table and dripped onto the carpet.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be going now,¡± Zehra said. As soon as her muscles tensed to stand, Arintak vanished.


    Deep arcane purple flashed in the room as a goo-like ball formed, dropped, and splashed against the carpet. A short snake-headed creature with a human body landed on his feet with a staff in hand. Franso hissed as both shards immediately lifted from the familiar¡¯s shoulder.


    Franso, as expected, immediately sent an Arcane Barrage flying through the room. The spell spread out, hitting all three bairns before they could attack, which gave Zehra more than enough time to prepare for Arintak.


    The lesser vampire vanished and reappeared in less than a second, but Zehra, with her spells ready, had acted just as fast. Franso had appeared to cover her flank in about a half second, and in that time, she had already stood and kicked the sofa, sending it flying just as Arintak reappeared in a red haze.


    Black eyes widened as the entire sofa, flipping through the air, smashed into the vampire¡¯s face. He crashed back and smashed his head on the wall.


    Zehra wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think something like that would kill an enemy. Especially not when it had been strengthened to match her two shards. A lesser vampire was strong all the time. A lesser vampire three times strengthened by shards was a true threat. Shard heroes couldn¡¯t take things lightly.


    Franso had killed one bairn and was fighting viciously to keep the other two at bay. A wizard wasn¡¯t the best counter to a vampire, but there weren¡¯t any specific weaknesses. An arcane wizard like Zehra could use spells freely. Franso, using Zehra¡¯s spells, was more than enough to handle two lowly bairns.


    Arintak smashed the sofa and bared his fangs. His jaw hung open as he glared back at Zehra. ¡°I will consume you!¡±


    Zehra tilted her head, barely revealing the skin of her neck. ¡°Try.¡±


    Arintak blurred red as he dashed forward. Zehra had already cast Arcane Enhance, which she focused into the spiked flail hanging at her side. As soon as the vampire moved, Zehra swung. Her strength was high for a wizard, but far from high enough to truly combat a strength mob in melee.


    With the Arcane Enhance boost, the flail strike was more than enough to send Arintak into the wall when it smashed into his cheek. The vampire flipped once before hitting the bricks and twitched as he fell to the carpeted floor.


    Franso blasted the head off the last bairn and quickly appeared at Zehra¡¯s side. ¡°Plan one or two?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Zehra said. She passed thoughts of spells to Franso, hoping the familiar was actually preparing to cast each one.


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    ¡°Lair? Okay.¡± Franso pointed his staff and channeled arcane magic into the end.


    Arintak was back on his feet using his long-nailed hands to adjust his neck back into place. His bones had surely broken from the hit, but vampire regeneration was an entirely different beast.


    A fire wizard could burn a vampire to dust by exhausting their mana through regeneration. Zehra had no such luck, which was entirely her own fault. At no point in leveling did she ever consider taking a fire spell. Arcane was consistent, dependable, and hit like a berserker¡¯s punch.


    ¡°Arcane Blast,¡± Zehra said, sending a purple ball sailing across the room. Franso echoed the spell, sending his own, slightly smaller, spell. Both arcane attacks hit Arintak, one after the other, before the lesser vampire could fully right himself.


    Franso sent another blast, keeping the vampire down, until Zehra closed the gap and smashed her flail down on top of Arintak¡¯s head. She stepped back, letting dark blood drip from the spikes.


    ¡°You are staining my carpet,¡± Arintak said weakly. He lifted his head. One eye was still open, but it was bulging, nearly popping out of his head. The other had burst when the top of his skull collapsed.


    The carpet was already stained from the three dead bairns, and bits were burnt from Franso¡¯s earlier arcane attacks. The new stains, though dark on the light carpet, were the least of Arintak¡¯s concerns.


    His body was trying to reconstitute, but his mana had to be nearing its end. A lesser vampire couldn¡¯t sustain itself as long. If Arintak managed to drink some blood, that would change.


    He pressed a pale hand into the wall and pushed himself up, shaking the whole time. His skull knitted, cracking as it snapped into place, but his mana ran dry before his eye could be restored.


    ¡°You¡¯re empty,¡± Zehra said.


    A red cloak blazed like fire around him. A vampire¡¯s ultimate move. Blood Authority. She wasn¡¯t sure if a mob actually had any stolen blood to burn, but it hardly mattered. Clearly, Arintak was able to use the move, and that was all she needed to focus on. Red bubbles popped in the air as the power burned off.


    Zehra dropped the flail and thrust both hands out. ¡°Arcane Outbreak!¡± A wall of purple spheres erupted from her outstretched arms.


    Arintak vanished, leaving a faint red haze.


    Zehra thrust her arms out, and with Franso¡¯s help, rapidly spun the hundreds of arcane spheres in a full column around them. When Arintak reappeared and lunged forward, the spheres battered his arm. The vampire stumbled back, and before he could recover, she stopped the cycling, gathered the spheres just before Arintak, and launched them forward. The spheres hit with concussive force, driving Arintak across the room until he crashed into the opposite brick wall. She halted the attack, letting the vampire rebound off the wall, before forcing it forward once again.


    Arintak collapsed, broken and twisted, as his body failed to regenerate. The vampire reached out, bloody fingers with broken nails clawing at the carpet, staining it with blood. Zehra walked forward and kicked. Her steel-toed boots cracked whatever bones were still in Arintak¡¯s face before the vampire finally died.


    2.000 Experience


    ¡°How many items do we have for Power 6?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Eight more, I think,¡± Franso said. ¡°Should we save them for the bosses?¡±


    ¡°The boss of this floor is who I¡¯ll be fusing with.¡± She wiped the last of Arintak¡¯s blood off her flail, staining more of the carpet. ¡°Prepare the knife, next. I think we¡¯re going to see his master before long.¡±


    Franso reached into his own bag and pulled out a knife that was far too long. Zehra would have considered it a sword, but bladed weapons weren¡¯t her specialty.


    ¡°Keep it close,¡± she said.


    Franso stored his staff and gripped the long knife in both hands. ¡°I will.¡±


    The knife itself was a powerful weapon, but she didn¡¯t enjoy the proximity. A flail helped her keep the distance she needed to cast her spells, and a Power 6 spell would be infinitely more beneficial than the knife.


    She walked through the sitting room, checking each of the bairns to see if they were truly dead or not. While they were significantly weaker than a lesser vampire, they were still vampires and the regeneration was dangerous to overlook.


    ¡°I killed them,¡± Franso said. He kicked a bairn with his bare foot. ¡°I destroyed their heads twice.¡±


    ¡°Just as I taught you.¡±


    Franso nodded.


    ¡°Good, good. Keep close, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m close and ready.¡±


    She could sense through her familiar connection that he was, indeed, ready. Their mana regenerated steadily. It wasn¡¯t so sluggish that they needed to avoid fighting, but it was still slow enough to necessitate a pause between major fights if she wanted to use her full strength.


    Franso himself used no mana once he was summoned, but he pulled from her mana every time he used a spell. The familiar had his own favorite spells ready to cast and his eyes were always watching for any surprises. The snake head, and long snake neck, helped keep watch, but if she went back in time, back to fifteen, she would give her familiar an eagle¡¯s head to really help its eyesight. At least snake¡¯s had incredible reaction times.


    Zehra exited back into the lobby and surveyed the area. A door opposite her remained closed. It was another sitting room, but most heroes would insist on exploring it. Different passages could appear hidden in any room. There was possibly even an entrance in the room she just left, but she wasn¡¯t looking to take any shortcuts or avoid any mobs. She needed the floor clear before she tried fusing, otherwise she would be vulnerable to even the weakest mobs. Dying from an imp or a bairn would be humiliating. Not that she would be alive to be humiliated, but . . .


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Franso asked.


    ¡°Up the stairs.¡± Zehra took a few steps toward the ornate staircase. ¡°We should check that room, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to watch our backs.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± She walked over and pushed open the door.


    A lone figure sat inside holding a glass of whiskey. Pointed ears stuck out from his straight white hair. Before even opening her index, Zehra already knew she was looking at a greater vampire. The yellow eyes. The drained, dead flesh. The aura.


    And an elf to top it off. She watched Zehra over the rim of the glass.


    As much as she wanted to Examine the creature, opening the index could be her death. Smarter mobs would take any advantage to attack, and impairing her own vision would be that exact kind of opening.


    Zehra stayed in the doorway, not daring to take a step farther. Franso was tense behind her, hissing as he held the knife.


    ¡°It is rude to stare,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± Zehra averted her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not? And where am I supposed to be?¡± She set the whiskey glass on the table before her. ¡°Am I not allowed to occupy my family¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡ª¡±


    Part of the wall opened, revealing one of the secret passages. A single yellow eye shone in the dark. Zehra sucked in air and snapped her mouth shut. Her thoughts poured into Franso, practically screaming.


    Now! Use it now!


    The one-eyed woman stepped out from the passage, adjusting the frilled cuffs of her sleeves. She wore a three piece suit with faint white stripes. Faded blood stains dotted the yellow fabric on her breast. Her left eye was a pit with maggots clinging to the flesh.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± the new woman said.


    ¡°A guest, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Franso asked.


    A red cloak blazed around the new woman. Red bubbles filled the room, each releasing intense energy when they popped.


    Energy rumbled in Zehra¡¯s chest as Franso sacrificed the gauntlet. The magic transferred straight to her, welling up in her chest.


    ¡°Arcane Assault!¡± Deep purple arcane energy exploded out from Zehra, causing the doors to the sitting room to shatter off the hinges and fly, tumbling through the lobby.


    The elf was standing as the sofa she had been sitting on was shredded to wood chips. Neither vampire moved, though red energy continued bubbling around the one-eyed woman.


    Zehra wasn¡¯t ready. Not yet. The vampire lord should have been at the end of the floor, deeper into the manor. They sometimes moved, but to be right at the floor¡¯s entrance was unheard of. Or just unheard of because no heroes who encountered the lord this early survived.


    ¡°Is that all you have?¡± the one-eyed woman asked.


    Zehra knew her eyes shone with arcane energy as she glared at the vampire lord. The one she would fuse with. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡±


    Both vampires vanished.


    Zehra thrust her arms out, sending a horizontal ring of arcane magic exploding in all directions. It passed right over Franso¡¯s head and caught both vampire¡¯s in the waist. The elf was cut in two, but the one-eyed woman ripped through the magic and charged in.


    ¡°Kill the greater vampire,¡± Zehra said breathlessly, hoping the message at least passed into Franso¡¯s mind. The elf was cut in half, but would easily be able to reattach itself and regenerate.


    A palm strike from the one-eyed woman sent Zehra straight into a window in the sitting room. If it had been real glass, it would have shattered, and she would be tumbling through the gardens. Since it wasn¡¯t real, she hit and bounced off. Boundary walls couldn¡¯t break, no matter how hard one hit them, or was hit into them.


    Her collar bone snapped from the impact, but an injury like that wasn¡¯t nearly enough to stop a 2 Shard Hero.


    With Blood Authority activated, the vampire lord was going to be a real challenge. Any mistakes and she was dead. The plan had been to start the fusion before the vampire lord could power up. It was too late to think of plans anymore.


    Purple beams snaked out of Zehra¡¯s body, flying like whips toward the vampire. The one-eyed woman blocked the arcane attacks with her blood-cloaked hands as she advanced slowly. Each arcane whip was powerful, causing the whole floor to rumble with each strike, and yet, the vampire lord advanced calmly.


    Franso fell through the doorway, headless.


    The elf walked in, holding Franso¡¯s limp snake head. She held it up, letting blood pour onto the carpet. A group of bairns gathered in the lobby, crowding the blood-soaked ground behind the elf.


    Zehra took a deep breath, gathering the full power of Arcane Assault into her chest. ¡°Arcane Enhance.¡± Strength moved through her arms, into the flail.


    The one-eyed woman stopped a few paces away. ¡°You will be delicious.¡±


    As soon as she vanished, Zehra pivoted and swung the flail as hard as she could manage. She predicted the vampire¡¯s movements and smashed the spiked ball into her head. Bones cracked and her body slumped as she smashed into the wall. As soon as the swing finished, Zehra dropped the weapon and thrust both palms forward. All of Arcane Assault swirled, dampening the aura as the energy gathered and burst into a solid beam.


    Blood red bubbles popped in Zehra¡¯s face as the one-eyed woman vanished just before the beam struck. Arcane energy wanted to run wild. If she let it, the energy for the Power 6 spell would ravage everything nearby. But she needed that power.


    Zehra snapped her hands shut, forming tight fists to contain the arcane energy. Zehra expected another strike, but a touch to her neck calmed her, forcing her to relax her muscles. Her fingers opened, allowing the arcane energy to open and flash. Whips and rings of energy erupted, destroying the remaining furniture in the sitting room. Arcane Assault faded, the energy gone.


    She opened her mouth to speak, but the one-eyed woman¡¯s lips were already on her neck. Fangs sunk deep into flesh and Zehra, despite the horror in her mind, liked it. She wanted more. She wanted a feast.


    Zehra gasped. She was charmed. The fog over her mind washed away in an instant.


    ¡°Shield!¡± A shining bubble formed around Zehra, pushing the vampire lord away. Zehra stumbled and fell into the wall. She pressed her palm against the bite on her neck, trying to stem the steady flow of blood. All of her health potions were in her backpack, but she couldn¡¯t reach. Her right arm was limp and numb. Even the pain from her broken collarbone was gone.


    The one-eyed woman licked the dark blood from her lips. As soon as she swallowed, the red aura flared brighter. The mere presence of the energy pressed Zehra against the wall.


    ¡°Arcane Blast!¡± Zehra pointed her left hand and launched the spell.


    It smashed against the vampire¡¯s nose and tossed her head back. It vanished before doing any further damage.


    Sharp nails flashed out, shattering the shield in a single hit. The one-eyed woman was immediately close again. Her fingers brushed the open, swollen part of Zehra¡¯s neck.


    Breath caught. Her heart pounded.


    The vampire moved Zehra¡¯s shoulder straps, letting her backpack fall to the ground. Lips closed with another bite. Zehra¡¯s eyes drifted closed. She felt herself fall against the wall and slid down, trailing blood on the curtains.

 Book 5 - Chapter 1

    Althowin stood on a pedestal. How she kept her balance was beyond Owin¡¯s understanding. She wore a thin heeled shoe, which not only looked uncomfortable, it also looked impossible to balance in. Her other foot tapped Chorsay¡¯s shoulder as she tried to get the giant¡¯s attention. Owin was sure the awkward move took the utmost care for Althowin. Her 7 Shard strength could surely send Chorsay flying if she kicked too hard.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Chorsay asked.


    ¡°I need a lot of things. Currently, just that.¡± She moved her metal foot to point at a solid cube of stone sitting on the nearby table. Her hands were free, but they were tucked away as she had her arms crossed over her chest.


    Chorsay used both hands to carefully lift the cube.


    ¡°What about this?¡± she asked.


    Owin sat on the floor beside Suta, Shade, Myrsvai, Vondaire, and Arkasti. Everyone wore loose, casual clothes, except Vondaire who still wore a flawless suit. Owin wasn¡¯t convinced the umbra could wear anything else.


    After spending so much time in the Ocean, it was amazing to keep his feet free of boots and to let his hair stand tall instead of being smashed down by a helmet. His chitin armor had fully regrown and was ready for his adventure into the Fortress Dungeon, but for now, being dry and out of armor was the best.


    Althowin finally grabbed the cube from Chorsay and held it up. The pedestal cracked under the sudden increase in weight. ¡°Owin! Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°How do I deal with him?¡± Shade asked, exasperated.


    Althowin held the cube out and dropped it. The entire compound seemed to shake as it hit the floor.


    ¡°Oh. Can I?¡±


    She gestured to it from her position above. Owin assumed she was standing up there just to be taller than Chorsay. There was no other clear reason for her to stand on something that was obviously not a stool.


    Owin grabbed the stone cube and lifted. It reminded him of the first time he held the Thunderstrike Maul. While he could lift it and hold it, the weight was far greater than what he had expected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°This seems too heavy to swing.¡±


    ¡°Activate a shard,¡± Althowin said.


    Owin concentrated and felt the silver gem shift in his shoulder. The familiar hum filled the room as it lifted behind him. While the cube was definitely still heavy, it was significantly easier to hold than it had been moments before.


    ¡°How would I carry it around? I can¡¯t always keep the shard active.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just seeing what I have lying around,¡± Althowin said. ¡°When Zezog challenged me to make the heaviest block I could manage, I didn¡¯t do it with the intention of making a hammer out of it someday. That was back when I had five shards too, so I¡¯m sure I could make a heavier cube now, if I wanted.¡±


    Owin carried it to the pedestal and dropped it. ¡°The Thunderstrike Maul has the charge attack, which is helpful. If this hammer would just be heavy, I don¡¯t know if it would be worth using.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Arkasti?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I will stay with my sword.¡±


    Everyone looked at his oversize claymore that was currently leaning against the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s ludicrous. Who needs a sword that big? Compensation? Drama?¡± Shade nudged Arkasti. ¡°It¡¯s compensation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Shade,¡± Chorsay said.


    ¡°Right.¡± Shade grabbed his jaw and forcefully held it shut.


    Althowin had threatened to toss the skeleton across all of Vraxridge if he didn¡¯t stop talking. Even now, after that short outburst, Althowin held one eyebrow up, watching the skeleton warily.


    Althowin stepped off the pedestal and landed deftly on a single foot. ¡°I¡¯ll find something else to occupy Miya. I have plenty of other ideas.¡±


    They were all about to leave, and Owin could hardly believe he was about to jump into another dungeon. He wanted the shard. He wanted to get stronger. But even in the time he was inside the Ocean, so much had happened outside that he had missed.


    ¡°Arkasti, we need to talk about what¡¯s next.¡± Althowin walked right past the group to a door in the back of the room. ¡°Fusion isn¡¯t as simple as it sounds.¡±


    ¡°I never thought it did sound simple. I have heard horrible stories.¡± Arkasti stood and stretched. ¡°I would appreciate any advice you can provide.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long trip to the Fortress and it will be a long journey up the tower, so get some sleep tonight.¡± She turned at the doorway. ¡°If you do sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s barely morning,¡± Owin said.


    Althowin shrugged and disappeared into the hallway. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Arkasti.¡±


    He hurried after her, already rattling off questions about what to expect during fusion.


    Shade exhaled loudly as he let go of his jaw. The whole thing fell off and clattered on the ground. He panicked, bouncing it around, before finally picking it up and snapping it back into place.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be joining you,¡± Vondaire said.


    ¡°What?¡± Owin turned to see black eyes watching him. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I intend to fuse with a specter after getting my second shard. It will be more beneficial to complete a different dungeon next.¡±


    Chorsay grunted. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Owin followed Myrsvai through the winding compound, out into the courtyard, and through a series of hallways before they ended back at their rooms. Shade rambled about his infallible sense of direction, even as Suta dragged the skeleton back from several wrong turns.


    ¡°What are you planning to bring?¡± Myrsvai asked. He already had bags for himself and Suta ready to go. The magus stopped outside Owin¡¯s room and looked at the random stuff scattered across the bed.


    ¡°It looks like a crab died in here,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°That¡¯s just my armor.¡±


    ¡°We know, Owin. Are you planning to bring all of your weapons?¡± Myrsvai strode into the room and sat on a stool. He used his staff to push things around the floor. ¡°You have the sword, your knife, and the hammer.¡±


    ¡°And the wands,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°And the wands. How are you going to carry all of this?¡±


    Owin looked over his shoulder at Shade.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not a donkey, a mule, or any other variety of pack animal. Carry your own things.¡±


    ¡°I also have a sword still in Shade¡¯s box. And whatever Althowin and Katalin made.¡±


    ¡°Too many weapons,¡± Suta said.


    ¡°I have to agree.¡± Myrsvai grabbed the Incandescent Blade and opened his index. ¡°This will likely be your best choice while in the Fortress. Fire will give you magical damage against specters.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t even grab it without Shade¡¯s help.¡± Owin walked into the room and lifted the Thunderstrike Maul. ¡°And I miss this.¡±


    ¡°You cannot bring an arsenal with you everywhere you go,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re three feet tall,¡± Sanem said. She stood in the doorway with a sly smile on her face. ¡°Even Chorsay only carried one weapon when he was still adventuring.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°See?¡± Myrsvai said.


    Owin scowled. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Choose one bigger weapon to bring with you. You will still have your lich knife.¡± Myrsvai waved Sanem inside.


    She waited for a moment, gave Shade an odd look, then walked in and sat on the bed next to the chitin breastplate. ¡°Owin, we need to talk to you before you leave.¡±


    Suta nodded.


    ¡°About what?¡± He sat beside Suta. ¡°Did I do something?¡±


    ¡°No. Well . . .¡± Sanem looked at Myrsvai. ¡°Did he?¡±


    ¡°Not any worse than usual,¡± Shade said.


    ¡°You stay out of it,¡± Sanem said.


    ¡°Wow, okay.¡±


    Sanem and Myrsvai exchanged a look and mouthed some things. Eventually, Sanem stuck her hands up. ¡°Fine. Here¡¯s the deal, Owin. I was talking to Chorsay over the last few days after his meetings with Althowin. She was even there one of the times we talked.¡±


    Owin waited. He felt awkward with everyone staring at him, but it was nothing new. People always seemed to be watching him.


    ¡°More fighting is going to happen when you¡¯re gone,¡± Sanem said. ¡°People want to either kill you or control you. It¡¯s not going to stop until you¡¯re stronger than they are. Althowin mentioned leaders of Manga Regum and the Three Headed Hero Company, but she also said a few other names I didn¡¯t recognize. At least with Veph gone, nobody seems worried about Void Nexus anymore.¡± Sanem sighed. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t what you want, but you need to be ready for this. Be ready to defend yourself, but also be ready to hear that people are fighting for you. You have to be okay with it. There might be times when Arkasti or another hero tells you to run. Don¡¯t argue.¡±


    ¡°Arkasti is going to the Tundra,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°Arkasti is coming with us until we¡¯re out of Vekuborg,¡± Myrsvai said.


    ¡°Andres wasn¡¯t the only Shard Hero in the Golden Bulls. They might be weaker now than they were, but they¡¯re angry with the Hogs and with you. Arkasti might be able to get them to back down, or he¡¯ll be ready to fight and protect.¡± Sanem picked up the chitin breastplate and turned it over in her hands. ¡°You¡¯ve got good gear now, but it doesn¡¯t do you any good if you can¡¯t get to the Fortress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want other people to fight for me.¡± That had already happened too many times before. Artivan died for it and Katalin nearly killed herself defending him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, Owin. People have already decided they¡¯re going to protect you. I fell behind quickly, but that won¡¯t stop me from helping when I can. Raif and I are going to stay here to stay safe, but we¡¯re going to do everything we can. Miya has been working nonstop to learn enough to build you new equipment, especially now that Ernie and Kat aren¡¯t here. Everyone wants to help you.¡±


    Suta grabbed Owin¡¯s metal hand. ¡°Twins.¡±


    ¡°You have to accept help,¡± Sanem said. ¡°We¡¯re not giving you a choice.¡±


    ¡°This is the most aggressive assistance I¡¯ve ever seen, and I have to say, I love it.¡± Shade dropped himself onto the bed beside Sanem.


    ¡°Get away from me.¡±


    Shade immediately stood. ¡°I, for one, would never be aggressive. Only passive aggressive, but none of you care about that.¡±


    ***


    Sofia Halaby had only been in Nagyati for a few hours and she was already sick of seeing gold. The obsession with a single color was bizarre. At least the other hero companies branched out from their primary colors. Having a whole company of people matching was just stupid. Decorating a city to match the hero company was even more stupid.


    She twirled Surge around her finger as she walked into a bar. Her directions were vague, at best. What was she meant to do with vague? Interpret it herself? Absolutely not.


    The bar was busy for early afternoon. Maybe people in Vekuborg just drank a lot more than they did in Izylia. As she walked in and noticed all the gilded armor, a thought finally occurred.


    ¡°Is this just the Golden Bull side of town? I can¡¯t escape all this gaudy bullshit.¡± She snorted. ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Her question was quickly answered by the fifteen heroes who slammed drinks down and stood with enough angry force to knock over chairs and stools. Each one, as expected, wore some form of golden armor.


    The Three Heads wanted her to figure out the intentions of the Golden Bulls. Who gave a shit? If they¡¯re leader already died fucking with the goblin¡¯s people, Sofia figured that was enough of an answer. They weren¡¯t allies to the goblin, but that didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d be allies to the Three Heads.


    Indexes flashed in the dim bar light.


    Sofia stretched out her arms. ¡°Take a look! Like what you see?¡±


    Ten of the heroes moved closer. It looked like a few soldiers and berserkers that were confident in their brawling skills. Some magic users flanked the close-quarters idiots. The ones sitting back were more of a concern. The smart ones.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some questions,¡± Sofia said loudly.


    ¡°Get out,¡± the bartender said. Unsurprisingly, he was also wearing gold.


    ¡°Wait,¡± someone finally said. ¡°Look at her face.¡±


    ¡°There it is,¡± Sofia whispered.


    Unfortunately for the Bulls, some idiots charged before the one smart person in the room could make an observation.


    Sofia stuck a cigar between her teeth, pointed Surge up, and lit the end on the burning barrel of the weapon. She sucked in a mouthful of smoke and stepped sideways, avoiding the first careless punch. There was no reason for her to even let all the heroes get close, but sometimes a hero just needed some fun.


    She whipped Surge around and pointed it directly at the Golden Bull¡¯s face. Few people recognized it as a weapon. It wasn¡¯t a sword, spear, or mace. It wasn¡¯t a polearm or a bow. They saw she was a wizard and assumed she¡¯d have a staff or a wand, or no weapon at all. They assumed she would be easy prey if she didn¡¯t cast a spell. They were all idiots.


    Steam hissed out of her backpack as the pistons shifted. Lava rushed through the tube under her arm and into the bottom of Surge. The sudden influx of lava powered the weapon and forced a nugget of lava out at lightning speeds. It struck the Golden Bull directly in the forehead and launched him across the bar.


    Sofia smashed the butt of the weapon into the next hero, but before hitting him, the hero flashed. His knight abilities stopped her strike from knocking him out, but it still had to hurt. She pointed a single finger of her free hand at his stomach.


    ¡°Flame Push.¡± The simple spell launched from her fingertip, hit the knight in the stomach, and sent him flying, even with his abilities active.


    ¡°Stop, you morons,¡± a hero shouted. He had horns growing from his head, showing he at least had some minor senses about him. ¡°Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s fused?¡±


    No matter what she wore, Sofia found it incredibly difficult to hide a rat nose and ears. The tail and feet were a little easier, but still not simple. Her backpack shifted and released another hiss of steam.


    ¡°That¡¯s Sofia Halaby. The fucking Rat.¡±


    She opened her index as she released a puff of smoke from her mouth. ¡°Vilmos. 2 Shard Hero. Fused with . . . a goat?¡±


    The Bull took a long drink of his ale. Nobody else in the bar moved except the two heroes she had knocked down. They squirmed in pain.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Vilmos finally asked.


    Sofia lowered Surge and smiled broadly, the best she could with the cigar between her teeth. ¡°I wanted to see the sights.¡±


    Vilmos stood, parting the other patrons who had backed away when the fighting began. ¡°Shard Heroes don¡¯t go sightseeing.¡±


    He was a thin man. Thinner than she had expected. It looked like half the weight was on his head. After a few more steps, she finally figured it out.


    ¡°A minotaur!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vilmos said.


    ¡°Really keeping that bull theme going. I¡¯ve always wondered that about you lot. It¡¯s an odd choice.¡± She slipped Surge into the holster on her hip. ¡°The Three Heads want to know where the Bulls stand. As one of their only Shard Heroes, you should be able to answer.¡±


    ¡°Our leader can answer that,¡± Vilmos said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about a replacement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a new recruit.¡± There was something in his voice. Disdain? Contempt?


    ¡°Is it? Would I recognize the name?¡±


    ¡°Voolyn Eskitorra.¡±


    ¡°Ah, fuck. Are you sure?¡±


    Vilmos¡¯s face shifted so much that she couldn¡¯t tell if it was anger, confusion, or something akin to disappointment. ¡°Am I sure?¡±


    ¡°If Voolyn joined the Bulls . . .¡± Sofia pulled her racoon skin hat off and scratched the tangled gray hair on her head. ¡°What¡¯s his angle, do you think?¡±


    Vilmos waved everyone away. ¡°Join me for a pint if we¡¯re going to have a conversation.¡±


    Sofia glanced at the hero she had shot with Surge. He had a swollen boil on the center of his forehead. Someone needed to drain that. ¡°You sure? You¡¯re not mad about me kicking their asses?¡±


    ¡°They attacked a Shard Hero. That¡¯s their own problem.¡±


    By the time Sofia sat across from Vilmos, the bar felt far more empty. Everyone who remained had packed themself into the other half, staying as far away as possible. Not that it really made their conversation anymore private. There were plenty of classes that helped people hear even the quietest whisper.


    ¡°Voolyn said we will be working alongside the Three Headed Hero Company. Are you affiliated with them?¡± Vilmos opened his index again. ¡°You¡¯re not part of a company. Did you start working as a bounty hunter?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Not really.¡± Bounty hunters had a bad reputation among Shard Heroes, but it did pay well. Doing it once didn¡¯t mean she was working as one. Did it? ¡°Maybe. Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not judging.¡±


    The bartender set two pints down on the table and hurried away without a word. Sofia pulled the cigar from her mouth, blew smoke to the side, and drained about half the glass in a single go.


    ¡°After all,¡± Vilmos continued. ¡°The only way to stop a Shard Hero is with a Shard Hero.¡±


    ¡°Most aren¡¯t gonna agree with you. I¡¯m not the most loved of the Shard Heroes.¡± Her backpack hissed as lava circulated. ¡°If Voolyn¡¯s here, I¡¯ve got no reason to be. A lot of people aren¡¯t sure about the Bulls. I don¡¯t know if the Trueborn Giant is gonna help the image much, but you all can worry about that yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Voolyn is respected.¡±


    ¡°He was before he stalled.¡± Sofia shrugged and finished off the pint. ¡°But if the Heads are looking for a pawn, he works.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you¡¯re working for them too?¡±


    ¡°Oh. You go where the money is.¡± She let smoke drift from between her lips. The Three Heads and Magna Regum were funneling so much money into whatever they were planning that Sofia had to go along with it. For now, at least. Her curiosity was too strong to let the opportunity slip by.


    ¡°If your job was only to see if the Golden Bulls were allies, your answer is clear,¡± Vilmos said.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that. But, I¡¯ll try not to bully any other heroes.¡± Steam hissed out of her backpack, drawing a worried glance from Vilmos. She couldn¡¯t leave until she got a message from Isaak, Olena, Nastya, or Egnatia.


    Go to Nagyati. Ensure the Golden Bulls align with our mission. Await next directions before leaving Nagyati.


    Taking money from rich freaks was a mistake. Why would she need to wait?

 Book 5 - Chapter 2

    Chorsay had repeatedly insisted that it should be impossible, but alas, it wasn¡¯t.


    Vondaire broke up a single spy ring when he was bored, and now everyone simply assumed he could do it again. It should have been impossible for the spies outside to get any information about the happenings inside Althowin¡¯s compound, but Althowin suspected they somehow knew about Owin heading to the Fortress Dungeon next.


    Before sending Owin freely to anywhere in Vekuborg, but especially to Nagyati, they wanted to make sure the way would be safe. And for whatever reason, that was now Vondaire¡¯s responsibility.


    Blending in would be an assassin¡¯s first step, and it was certainly a good one for a spy. Vondaire didn¡¯t intend to change clothes and therefore walked straight into Vraxridge. He ignored the line of people that was almost always gathered outside Althowin¡¯s main entrance and headed for a nearby building. The skyscraper was dwarfed by Althowin¡¯s compound, but it was still tall enough and busy enough to give him a place to observe.


    A quick swipe of a key from a passing employee allowed Vondaire access into a back room. As soon as he noticed something that looked like security, he turned a corner and vanished. The hunter walked right past, obviously not using any of his tracking abilities.


    From what he could observe, it looked as though the building was almost entirely people sitting at desks. What they were doing was beyond him. He could never understand the people content with sitting whittling away until their inevitable disappointing deaths.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± someone asked.


    Vondaire smiled. ¡°I was looking for the stairs.¡± He turned to a man who was just trying to pass through the doorway. Vondaire put on his best innocent face. It was something akin to acting as a lost child, or at least someone who had no nefarious goals. It was acting because Vondaire had to fight rolling his eyes at himself.


    ¡°Two more doors on your right. That stairwell will take you the whole way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The man continued into the desk area, stopped to grab a pen, and continued without another look or, Vondaire assumed, another thought. He hadn¡¯t spent any time or effort to discover Vondaire¡¯s goals or intentions. That man could not be bothered to care, and Vondaire found himself appreciating that for a number of reasons. Mainly, it let him continue on without any further delay.


    With the stairwell clear, he used his real speed to rush up to the tenth floor. Some people were busy working and didn¡¯t look up from their desks as he entered. Their supervisors sat smugly. They all had that same look. Taralim always had it too. If he somehow ended up fighting while inside, he would be sure to accidentally toss a few supervisors out the windows.


    Vondaire snagged a cup of steaming coffee from someone¡¯s desk and sipped it as he approached the window. From this vantage point, he could see the whole line outside Althowin¡¯s. He didn¡¯t understand those that would wait and pray for the 7 Shard Hero¡¯s attention. They might all be idiots, but nothing stood out as suspicious.


    He didn¡¯t want to spend the entire day looking, but he would do what was asked. After all, he had promised Chorsay he would help keep Owin safe.


    ***


    After a flurry of other things, Owin finally ended up back in a workshop with Althowin. Basolia had transformed the room back into her full studio, covering everything in thin shadows.


    All of his weapons were spread out over an extended table. Althowin had picked up each one, looked at it through her index, and put it back. On the far end were the two newest that he still had yet to learn anything about.


    ¡°This hammer is unwieldy, but from what I¡¯ve heard, that fits your style. A bit of a berserker.¡±


    Owin nodded. He stood on a stool and leaned on the table. Basolia¡¯s shadows didn¡¯t bother his skin or cause damage in any way.


    ¡°What spells do you have?¡±


    ¡°Bolt, Smoke Cloud, Discharge.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Althowin lifted the Thunderstrike Maul like it weighed nothing. ¡°Your chitin armor set is good. It¡¯s rare.¡± She set the hammer back on the table. Basolia¡¯s shadows swirled around the stone head. ¡°It¡¯s not really defensive. How many hits does it take before it breaks?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± Owin tried thinking what had happened right before the armor broke each time. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s always the same. I also don¡¯t know. It was a lot, I think.¡±


    She waved toward herself with her metal hand while she was looking at the Incandescent Blade.


    Owin stared at her.


    ¡°Take off your helmet and hand it to Miss Alegarra,¡± Basolia said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Owin pulled the chitin helmet off his head and held it out. Basolia¡¯s shadows shifted like waves, taking the helmet from Owin¡¯s hand and placing it perfectly in Althowin¡¯s.


    Her index stayed in front of her eyes as she brought the helmet up to her face. ¡°Did it say anything about this armor getting stronger when it regrows?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Is that possible?¡±


    She passed the helmet back to Basolia who carried it to Owin. ¡°Crabs molt when they¡¯re growing. The armor isn¡¯t going to grow, and you obviously aren¡¯t either, but I would expect something to happen with a regenerating armor. Keep an eye on it and let me know.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Owin slipped the helmet back onto his head.


    Althowin placed both hands on the table and leaned closer. Her eyes flicked between the different weapons. ¡°This is an incredible arsenal, especially for a 1 Shard Hero. This hammer is your worst weapon, and from the stories I¡¯ve heard, it is dangerous.¡±


    Owin nodded. He really wanted to swing it again. Smashing enemies would be simple now. ¡°What are those?¡± Owin asked, pointing at the two weapons on the end. He knew one of them was his own sword, but he hadn¡¯t had a chance to actually look at it since he beat the secret boss back in the Ocean.


    ¡°This is Isotelus,¡± Althowin said. She picked up the spine-like segmented sword. It flexed and bent as she passed it to him. ¡°A good find, and it adds a different damage type for you to use.¡±


    Owin opened his index as he took the sword. It was cold to the touch.


    Isotelus


    Divine Magical Item


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Before humans walked on Verdantallis, ancient creatures lived and warred among the cathkabel and demons. Few of these ancient beings have survived, hidden deep in the seven towers. This sword is all that remains of the once-great warrior Isotelus.


    5/5 uses remaining


    Note: Magical item may vary by user


    ¡°It says there are five uses remaining, but it doesn¡¯t say what the sword does.¡± He held it up and the sword flopped to the side. ¡°What kind of sword does this?¡±


    ¡°Focus on activating the sword.¡±


    He did as he was told. It was like casting a spell through a wand, but there wasn¡¯t anything to see or select. Simply focusing on it gave him two options.


    ¡°Ice Blade or Shuriken?¡±


    ¡°Start with the first one. It¡¯s the easier one to understand.¡± Althowin stayed leaning forward and watched the sword with a sly smile.


    He was glad he had let her spend some time with all of his weapons. For a moment, he had been worried she would do something to them, then he remembered everything she had already done for the Nimble Hogs. Nobody would do that much for him just to mess with his hammer or swords. If she wanted to kill him, she could do it easily.


    Ice Blade flashed in his mind after he focused on the selection. Isotelus twitched in his hand, then stood upright and stiffened. Ice formed on the sides, growing up from the crossguard, until a thin, razor-sharp blade of ice connected every segment. It was still a thinner sword than some he had used in the past, but it radiated cold, even covering his hands in some frost.


    ¡°Ice is never a bad damage type to have. It can slow and it can more easily puncture some defenses.¡± Althowin stood up and took a step back. ¡°Now, activate the other ability.¡±


    Owin had to focus a little harder on the sword before the options reappeared. He selected Shuriken and held the sword out as far as he could. The ice quickly melted, dripping water onto the shadow-covered floor. As soon as the last of the ice was gone, the segments split and started spinning until they were blurs in the air surrounding him. They orbited, moving slowly.


    ¡°Send them at the wall behind me,¡± Althowin said.


    Owin tried to focus on the wall, but they didn¡¯t move. He pointed his hand and flinched as the spinning segments all flew through the air as blurs and embedded themselves in the wall with loud thunks.


    ¡°Now pull them back.¡±


    Owin gestured back and flinched, trying to hide behind his arms as the segments shook loose from the wall and flew back, reforming into Isotelus. As soon as they were all rejoined, the sword fell over limp.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Althowin took the sword back, set it on the table, and grabbed the small stone knife. ¡°Now, this one is a little different.¡±


    It looked so much like his first knife. The handle was made of simple wood with a frayed string wrapped around the handle. Everything looked worn. None of it was unnecessarily fancy. The blade was made of jagged dark gray stone, like someone had made it by chipping away slowly. He would have assumed it was just another goblin¡¯s knife if not for the streaks of white through the entire thing, including the handle.


    ¡°You added the Vile Fiend¡¯s bones,¡± Owin said.


    ¡°I did a few things.¡± She leaned on her elbows and held the knife just before Owin¡¯s face. ¡°I still have most of the skeleton. I haven¡¯t figured out what to do with it. I¡¯ll spend some time figuring that out so you can have some more gear after the Fortress. I could make armor, but that doesn¡¯t help you, and a full set of Abyssal Armor is dangerous for a few reasons.¡± She flipped the knife around, holding the handle out to Owin.


    He took it and immediately opened his index.


    Darkblade


    Unique Divine Magical Item


    A simple flint knife infused with the bones of the Vile Fiend.


    When activated, the flint will become electrified.


    Note: Magical item does not vary by user


    ¡°I was told you have a thing for electricity, and based on the spells you picked, I guess your friends were right. That charge gem is stabilized within the knife, and the core of the knife is one of the mana batteries you had. Between your hand and the knife, those batteries are basically gone, so if you want any magical things, you¡¯ll need to find more.¡±


    Owin smiled. ¡°This is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Katalin said you used your old stone knife until you lost it protecting them. Because of the bones, it will normally do abyssal damage. If you need something else, you activate the charge gem and it will add electric damage as well. Something like a specter won¡¯t be hurt by the abyssal, but electric will still damage it. You just need to remember to keep the gem full if you want to use the ability.¡±


    Owin turned the knife over, looking at every part. It was beautiful, but it also just looked like a knife. ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    ¡°The mana battery will recharge it over time. You¡¯ll get a sense for how long it takes. I¡¯d estimate an hour before it¡¯s full. If you need it sooner, or to use the electricity longer, you can use your own mana or block electric attacks with it. Now, would I recommend you block attacks using a small knife? No. That¡¯s what that shield is for. But that¡¯s how charge gems work, so it¡¯s a good thing for you to learn.¡±


    Basolia took the knife from Owin and placed it back on the table. ¡°That method of recharging a charge gem is primarily for armor or shields.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he knows,¡± Althowin said. ¡°I was just giving him options.¡±


    Owin nodded as if he had known. ¡°Will any of it break? I always have to be careful with my lich bone because it¡¯ll break from luminous damage.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She made a face. ¡°You think my shit will break?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if other damage types did that,¡± Owin said quietly.


    ¡°Your lich bone is at risk of breaking because it¡¯s undead and because it¡¯s literally the bone of a lich. Your abyssal knife just won¡¯t do damage against something immune to abyssal, and the ice sword is still sharp even if something is resistant to ice. You¡¯ll get a hang of the damage types. The main threats in the Fortress are the specters and vampires. The elves, hobgoblins, and goblins will die from just about anything if you hit them hard enough.¡±


    Althowin glanced at Basolia, then scowled. ¡°You didn¡¯t know there were goblins in the Fortress?¡±


    Owin hadn¡¯t realized he was making a face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I knew they were in other dungeons. I just haven¡¯t seen one in a long time, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to be difficult?¡±


    Owin shook his head. ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°I know you can do it. That¡¯s not what I asked. If you¡¯re going to get all seven, you need to be ready to be uncomfortable. Each one gets more difficult in every possible way. The mobs get stronger, but people also expect more from you. And failure means death. There¡¯s no second chances. When a hero escapes a failed climb, when they know they should¡¯ve died, they stall. They become too scared to fight. Too scared to even enter a void nexus. Fear plagues everything they do because they know if they try again, that death they avoided before will find them.¡±


    Owin stared wide-eyed at Althowin.


    ¡°Now.¡± She swiped her hand over the table. ¡°What weapons are you taking? You can¡¯t possibly carry all of these. If you get me enough specter parts in the Fortress, I can make you a specter bag so you can carry an extra weapon or two.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t bring them all?¡± Owin said. He was trying to push what she said before out of his head. Myrsvai had almost died, but he overcame that fear and got his first shard. Did that mean he wasn¡¯t stalled? What about Chorsay? Owin clenched his jaw and brought his mind back to Althowin.


    ¡°Not a chance. The Incandescent Blade is a good choice and easy to carry the way you were doing it before. Your whole knife in the belt thing is fine, but you need a better belt. I can put one together quickly that will actually hold the knife and wands. Your old belt is barely holding together. That leaves you with two knives, a sword, a shield, and two wands. If you wanted, you could carry another weapon, but it would need to be the hammer or the spine.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade appeared, looked around the room, then crossed his arms. ¡°I want you to know I was in the middle of a game and I was winning. The others didn¡¯t know I could see their cards, but I was still winning. They were going to pay me a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Althowin said I can¡¯t take all the weapons. Do you think we could put that spine sword back in your box until we need it?¡±


    Shade raised his brow. ¡°Me? Storage?¡± He grabbed Isotelus. ¡°Send me away, your lordship.¡±


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Summon the Withered Shade


    Shade reappeared, walked to a wall, and started slapping his hands against it. ¡°Where¡¯s the door? I want to beat Chorsay in cards. He keeps beating me and it¡¯s going to make me cry.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re cheating?¡± Owin asked.


    Shade shushed loudly as Basolia opened the door. ¡°There¡¯s no way he knows I¡¯m cheating. Don¡¯t reveal my tricks.¡± The door slid closed as soon as Shade was gone.


    ¡°Chorsay knows he¡¯s cheating,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Carrying six weapons is ridiculous.¡±


    Owin smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Althowin rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine. Grab that hammer and follow me. I want to see what it can do.¡±


    Owin reached over and grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul. It was still surprising just how light it was. ¡°Do I get to hit something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Me.¡±

 Book 5 - Chapter 3

    The courtyard between sections of the compound was a small park with all sorts of unusual plants. Faint light shimmered in bubbles around each one. Even the trees were protected.


    Althowin stood directly in the center with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Owin asked. The Thunderstrike Maul glowed brightly. He had been spinning it since the moment they left the workshop and now it was ready to unleash its full power. With how high his strength was, it seemed dangerous to swing it at anybody. Even the 7 Shard Hero.


    ¡°Stop asking me if I¡¯m sure of things. I don¡¯t second guess myself and neither should you. Activate your shard and hit me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    Althowin raised an eyebrow. ¡°You have a lot to learn, Owin. I don¡¯t even need a shard active to be stronger and faster than you.¡± She vanished and reappeared directly in his face. ¡°Now shut up, activate your shard, and hit me.¡±


    She was the strongest in the world. Arguing wasn¡¯t going to get him anywhere.


    His shard hummed as it lifted from his shoulder.


    ¡°Good.¡± Althowin stood upright.


    Owin wrapped both hands around the shaft of the hammer. It still felt odd gripping anything with his metal hand, but it moved exactly how he intended. There were plenty of thoughts still floating through his mind about what could happen, but none of it mattered. It wouldn¡¯t happen.


    Owin leapt and swung the Thunderstrike Maul overhead with every ounce of strength he had. Althowin lifted her hand and effortlessly caught the swing. As soon as the hammer touched her flesh, light flashed and Owin¡¯s ears rang.


    He landed on his feet, blinked the light from his eyes, and looked up to see Althowin standing calmly.


    ¡°Your other weapons are better,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You might find this better against an armored opponent, but you shouldn¡¯t have issues with that in the Fortress. If you really want to use it, you need to find a fighting style that works. That whole jump and swing thing is too predictable.¡±


    Owin set the hammer on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that before. What else can I do? If I swing while standing, I¡¯ll just hit everyone in the legs.¡±


    ¡°What you need is a soldier or assassin to train you. Maybe a berserker.¡± Althowin opened her index. ¡°We¡¯d want someone with three shards or more. I¡¯ve done work for a few of them, but none are really worth the time. I don¡¯t trust Egnatia to even look at you right now, otherwise she would be the obvious choice. I could . . . He won¡¯t like it.¡± Her index vanished. ¡°We¡¯re going to go on a trip. Just the two of us. Shade will stay back and nobody is going to know where we¡¯re going. Got it?¡±


    Owin nodded. It wasn¡¯t like he was being given a choice. He needed training. As soon as he was put in a difficult spot in the Ocean, he lost his arm. Panic had fully taken over. It couldn¡¯t happen again.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To visit an old friend.¡±


    ***


    Multiple questions had been answered. Every answer was bad. At this point, it was feeling like the questions themselves were bad. Everything was going to shit, and if he had stayed out of things and minded his own business, all the piles of shit raining from the sky wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with him.


    Escape one prison for another.


    Vondaire spun a kunai around his finger and watched out the office window. A few Golden Bulls lingered around the compound and traveled to and from a small cafe closer to the city center. They were easy to identify. They always were. Nobody would be surprised to know there were Golden Bulls trying to spy. His bigger concern, the real issue, was the Golden Bulls all reporting to the same person.


    Egnatia Lucan.


    After spotting her, it only took a few minutes to find her main spy, Caspius. He was currently in the line waiting to enter Althowin¡¯s compound, but she obviously wasn¡¯t taking any customers today. Out of the two weeks Vondaire had been a resident of the compound, he had only seen her take customers three times. She cycled through them quickly, only stopping when someone actually interested her.


    There was only one thing that made a soldier a good spy. Their hearing was unmatched. If anything was said in the courtyard, a soldier could potentially pick up some bits of information. Between Caspius and Egnatia, and whoever the Golden Bulls had nearby, they were likely to glean something useful.


    He tossed the knife and let it vanish in the air as something else grabbed his attention. The front door of the compound opened and . . . Althowin and Owin strode out completely casually. She didn¡¯t try to hide her presence or disguise herself.


    The crowd seemed just as shocked as Vondaire and everything seemed to freeze for a moment, then Althowin activated three shards, which Vondaire could feel even from far above. The immediate shift in her power pushed everyone back, either literally or metaphorically. Anybody nearby that wasn¡¯t a Shard Hero dropped to their knees from her mere presence. Windows all around Vondaire rattled.


    Egnatia, far away from Althowin¡¯s current position, immediately stopped her conversation with a Golden Bull and approached a communication terminal.


    Suspicions were obviously confirmed. If he kept digging, he was going to have to approach Egnatia, and that wasn¡¯t going to end well. The last time he got involved in a spy ring, he knew they were a bunch of shardless heroes having fun. This time, it was likely more than just Egnatia involved. Magna Regum and the Golden Bulls.


    He couldn¡¯t make these decisions on his own. Vondaire set the empty coffee cup on a desk and started down the stairs. Chorsay would know what to do.


    ***


    Owin was uncomfortable, but Althowin was right. Her shards were enough to keep people away. Once they were farther from the compound, the attention died out and her shards disappeared back into her shoulder. Some people still waved and called out to her, and some even knew who he was and said both kind and horrible things.


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    ¡°What would happen if you activated all seven?¡± Owin asked as they walked down the street.


    ¡°It could kill low level citizens. This city is durable. I built most of it. A strong building doesn¡¯t mean strong people. Some live here because they were born here. Others come here because they consider it the safest place in Verdantallis. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Because it is.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± He let the Thunderstrike Maul rest on his shoulder. Its weight was comforting, even if it felt significantly lighter than it used to. He wore his full set of chitin armor and his new belt with both the lich bone and the Darkblade.


    Nobody had questioned it when Owin said he was going with Althowin to train. Shade looked sad, but he didn¡¯t admit it. He probably wouldn¡¯t. Owin would have preferred to bring the skeleton along.


    ¡°How did you build a full city?¡± Owin asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a brick at a time. I developed the materials during my training, about right before I fused.¡± She paused, smiled, and waved to a group of kids who were waving and cheering. ¡°As I was developing my own workshop, I figured out how to make cement that can withstand some of the most powerful explosions. Vraxridge officials weren¡¯t happy with me at the time. I destroyed a few blocks a few times. As soon as I had the recipe perfected, I shared it. And now, some eighty years later, I run the city and every building is safer than anywhere else in Verdantallis.¡±


    Every building they had passed had the same general appearance. Some were painted, especially the storefronts along the street, but all were the same gray cement and the same shape. The buildings never thinned or shrunk. They were all just as tall as one another until they reached the end of Vraxridge where the city simply stopped. The road continued with a forest on the left and farms on the right.


    Althowin continued leading and spared a glance over her shoulder. ¡°We do have some people following. We¡¯ll need to manage that before we continue.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Owin looked back and didn¡¯t notice anything specific.


    ¡°Yes. Stop here.¡± She turned right on the edge of the sidewalk before it turned into a gravel path following alongside the field. ¡°Hurry it up.¡±


    A full block away, a woman in beautiful armor stepped out from behind the corner of a building. She smirked as she slowly approached. Owin had heard about her from Vondaire, and Chorsay had confirmed the danger she posed.


    A vibrant magenta scar covered most of her left cheek and surrounded her eye. It glowed like it was still pulsing with abyssal fire. She stopped a few feet away with her hands on her hips. Her colorful leaf-like skirt blew in the breeze.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have thought this would work,¡± Althowin said.


    ¡°We already know everything we need to know,¡± Egnatia said.


    ¡°What did I tell you last time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of an old wench.¡±


    Before Owin could even blink, the ground shattered. Althowin activated all seven shards, immediately filling the air with pressure Owin recognized from when Sloswen had sent him plummeting through the ground.


    While Owin was able to follow what happened, he couldn''t move or react nearly fast enough to do anything. And neither could Egnatia. As soon as all seven shards were active, Althowin reached into her jacket, pulled out an oblong object, dashed forward, and smashed her metal fist into Egnatia¡¯s stomach, denting the armor. Steam hissed out as gears shifted inside her wrist. The punch launched Egnatia into the air with the oblong object sailing directly beside her.


    The whole thing was over in the blink of an eye. Owin shivered as the seven shards dropped back into Althowin¡¯s shoulders. Something flashed in the sky. Owin looked far above the skyscrapers to see the bright, fiery explosion. A dark shape plummeted, burning, somewhere deep in the city.


    ¡°Did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll live,¡± Althowin said casually. ¡°If anyone else tries to follow us, I will kill them.¡± She turned and brushed something off Owin¡¯s helmet. ¡°How are you? Fine? You seem fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just . . . That was so fast.¡±


    ¡°That would be thanks to my dexterity and my fusion. Let¡¯s keep moving. We still have a ways to go.¡±


    ¡°I can move fast too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can. It leaves a better message if we take our time. We¡¯re not running from them. They should be running from us.¡± She kicked a piece of road aside. ¡°I¡¯ll need to send Indulf out here to help with this mess.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said the city was safe.¡±


    ¡°The buildings, Owin. This is the road. If I built every piece of the city for them, I¡¯d have no time for my own projects. Notice how none of the windows shattered and nothing collapsed after Egnatia just detonated in the air.¡± She stepped out of the small crater she made and kicked another piece of road. ¡°I actually destroyed a lot here, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll take responsibility for rebuilding it. It¡¯ll never break again.¡±


    Owin carefully walked over all the shattered pieces and stopped on the edge of the gravel path. All of the crops in the nearby field and a whole section of the forest were flattened. Althowin stopped beside Owin and surveyed the damage.


    ¡°It was Egnatia¡¯s fault, really,¡± she said as she started down the gravel path. ¡°Push blame to others when possible. That¡¯s your lesson from me.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t, Owin. Just like I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll plant new trees and I¡¯ll pay the farmers twice the worth of the crops I destroyed. I didn¡¯t get as far as I did by hiding from my mistakes. It was a joke. I guess it¡¯s difficult to recognize a joke when your only experience in the matter is a skeleton¡¯s horrible sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°Shade makes some good jokes.¡±


    Althowin rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few miles left. Keep up.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear it,¡± Egnatia said


    Vondaire stood with his arms crossed at the edge of the pit. There wasn¡¯t a single person in Vraxridge who had missed the explosion in the sky. Whatever bomb Althowin had picked was perfectly sized. Nobody on the ground was injured and all the buildings were unharmed, though Vondaire suspected the 7 Shard Hero had something to do with that.


    The leader of Magna Regum stood, still smoldering, and brushed ash from her face. Her shards had lowered back into her shoulder after crashing. Blood dripped from just about every orifice. She swiped a still-burning forearm over her nose, smearing blood over her upper lip and cheek.


    ¡°I would hope you wouldn¡¯t need a reminder.¡±


    Egnatia spat a gob of blood onto the rubble. She climbed out of the pit and looked at Vondaire with intense bloodshot eyes. ¡°Reminder of what?¡±


    ¡°This is her city, and she¡¯s protecting Owin.¡±


    She pulled a health potion from her bag, carefully placed it against her lips, and slowly drank. As soon as it was done, she dropped the empty bottle and grabbed another. This one she poured into her mouth, drinking much faster. Her face was still smeared with blood, but no more blood leaked from her eyes, ears, nose, or mouth.


    ¡°Althowin has a lot to answer for, and a lot of people asking questions. Her time will come.¡± Egnatia placed a bloody hand on Vondaire¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯d be better off with someone better.¡±


    ¡°Better than the 7 Shard Hero?¡±


    Egnatia leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He could feel the blood she left behind clinging to his skin. ¡°When you realize how corrupt she is, you know where to find me,¡± she whispered in his ear.


    Vondaire stood perfectly still as Egnatia pulled away. She groaned as she rolled her neck and spat another gob of blood onto the street. She gave him one more look with her piercing blue eyes. Magenta light from her scar shone through the blood smeared over her cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±


    Egnatia smiled. Her teeth were still faintly red with blood. ¡°We make our own choices, Vondaire. If you want to work with her, that¡¯s your choice. She doesn¡¯t care about anyone but herself.¡±


    Ironic. Vondaire didn¡¯t voice his thought out loud. Even in her current state, Vondaire doubted he would win a fight against Egnatia.


    She started walking toward the portal circle, still brushing ash from her armor. ¡°I saw you watching us earlier. We both know Owin is going to the Fortress next.¡±


    ¡°He could go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t. Althowin will refuse to change her mind. She won¡¯t back down from a challenge.¡±


    ¡°You intend to challenge Althowin? After what just happened?¡± Vondaire couldn¡¯t keep the humor from his voice. Only an idiot would challenge the 7 Shard Hero. He had a higher respect for Egnatia than she deserved.


    She stopped walking away and turned just enough to show her scar. ¡°She could¡¯ve stayed out of this war.¡±


    ¡°Althowin is trying to stop a war.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not.¡± Egnatia continued down the road.


    Vondaire scowled and wiped the blood from his cheek.